Moulis is
one of the two lesser communes of the Medoc with no classed growth, and Chateau
Poujeaux is one of the most famous for this commune, with the history able to
trace back to the 16th century, when La Salle de Poujeaux was under
the ownership of Gaston de L’Isle, who also owned Chateau Latour and
responsible for constructing Chateau de la Riviere.
Later on
there were many changes of ownership, including Marquis Francois-Etienne de
Brassier, who also owned Chateau Beychevelle. In 1806 it was purchased by M
Castaing, whose family continued to run the estate at the 1855 classification. The
estate was later divided among the three siblings, and was not reunited until
the 20th century when it was in the hands of the Theil family.
Francois
Theil purchased one third of the original estate in 1921, and his son Jean
Theil was successful in bringing the three portions together again. In 1932 it
was highly ranked in the Cru Bourgeois classification, remaining the case with
the 2003 revision, where it was ranked a Cru Bourgeois Exceptionnel.
The
ranking was short-lived however, when the classification was annulled in 2007. In
2008 it was sold to Philippe Cuvelier, a Parisian businessman who had acquired
Clos Fourtet. There are 52 hectares of vineyards, on Gunzian gravel that
surrounds Grand Poujeaux.
The
vines are 50% Cabernet Sauvignon, 40% Merlot, 5% Cabernet Franc and 5% Petit
Verdot, with average vine age of 35 years. Planting density is 10,000 vines/ha,
with manual harvesting and fermentation in temperature controlled vats with
maceration up to 28 days.
The wine
spends up to one year in oak, of which 50% are new each year, with
clarification done using egg-white but no filtration. The grand vin is Chateau
Poujeaux, with about 30000 cases produced and a second wine called La Salle de
Poujeaux as well.
I have
recently tasted the 2000 vintage and below is my tasting note:
Appearance
Bright
and clear, the wine is of deep intensity ruby color, with garnet rims and legs.
Nose
Clean,
with medium (+) intensity aromas of black fruit such as blackcurrant,
blackberry and bilberry, oak notes of cedar and smoke, pungent spice of
licorice, maturity notes of savory. The wine is developing.
Palate
Dry with
medium (+) acidity, the wine has medium (+) tannin, ripe and velvety in
texture. Medium in alcohol, it has medium (+) body with medium intensity
flavors of black fruit such as blackcurrant and blackberry, herbal notes of
angelica, mineral notes of earth, kernel notes of coffee, pungent spice of
licorice. The wine has a medium finish.
Conclusion
Good
quality Moulis with tremendously ripe black fruit characters, particularly
strong in blackcurrant, having good concentration and reasonable complexity,
the wine is of robust structure with a high tannin but already smooth out and
velvety, and overall a wine of substance with palate showing reasonable complexity
and intensity. The only slight disappointment is the finish is pretty mediocre.
Nevertheless it is a good wine and ready to drink now, and can be maintained
for another 2-3 years. 
沒有留言:
張貼留言