Château Moulin Riche Saint-Julien 2018
£37.45
The wine
Ripe black cherry and violet on the nose. The palate is smooth, its tannins ripe and its fruit opulent all the way through the finish, with the mix of new and second-use oak lending a spicy complexity behind.
Moulin Riche was the second wine of Château Léoville Poyferré until 2009, and has been in Cuvelier hands since the family bought both in 1920. Its 22 hectares sit on what is reckoned one of the finest gravel rises in the Médoc, Garonne gravels over aeolian sand, worked by hand with machinery and spraying kept to a minimum. 2018 was a year of sharp contrasts: one of the wettest winters and springs in memory brought heavy mildew pressure, then from mid-July a long, hot, dry summer with cool nights let the vines recover and ripen steadily, giving small, deeply coloured berries with ripe tannins. Each plot was fermented separately in temperature-controlled stainless steel after hand and optical sorting, then aged eighteen to twenty months in a mix of new and second-fill oak.
The producer
Château Moulin Riche
View all Château Moulin Riche winesChâteau Moulin Riche is a Saint-Julien estate historically linked to the classed growth Château Léoville Poyferré, sharing its Cuvelier family ownership and know-how. Saint-Julien sits at the heart of the Médoc, prized for wines that balance power with finesse. Moulin Riche draws on that pedigree.
The vineyard lies on gravel soils typical of the commune, planted to the classic Médoc grapes led by Cabernet Sauvignon. Some cuvées give an unusually large role to Petit Verdot, adding colour and spice. The fruit is grown and picked with a classed growth's precision.
In the cellar, the Léoville Poyferré team brings its polish, ageing the wine in French oak for structure and depth. The style is refined and savoury, Saint-Julien's hallmark balance in every glass. It rewards a little patience.
Moulin Riche offers Saint-Julien breeding at a fraction of a classed growth's price. Elegant, cedary and beautifully balanced, it is claret that punches well above its station.
