Christian Moueix accepting the Decanter Man of the Year 2008 award at the Wallace Collection, 16 th April 2008
Christian Moueix Decanter Man of the Year 2008 All week, I have been dying to try wines like these. It was this sort of involuntary remark that set the scene perfectly at the end of our En Primeur week in Bordeaux, as after an intense 90 minute session we tasted and re-tasted the Ets J-P Moueix wines. The author of the remark was Tom Bird, one of our key Private Customer Salesmen who managed to place the quality of these wines with simplicity, openness and clarity. Oh, this is not a great vintage, nor yet a very good one the summer months did for that but the magic of the range, in particular the Pomerols, was to finesse the frequently indifferent hand dealt by the growing season and to offer wines of firm colour, supple grace, a gentle sweetness of fruit, an insinuating, seductive charm and a persistence, even length that is at times astonishing. As we offer the Moueix s we really cannot think of a more opportune moment to have seen Christian Moueix elected Decanter Man of the Year (see enclosed), an honour that he appreciated as much in previous winners as he avoided for himself. These wines will give enormous satisfaction, not to be sure that they will need the aching pleasure of interminable cellaring with the occasional pang of unrealised greatness at the end of a long wait but the satisfaction of an expectation that is perhaps modest but will be massively exceeded. To this very high quality may also be added a value that once again illustrates the pragmatic and customer friendly wisdom of Christian s approach to pricing (see graph). The wines are unhesitatingly recommended. In truth, little of this might have been guessed at by examining the weather patterns. If we sometimes think that the press relish the exclusivity of communicating bad news, we might also marvel at their occasional indifference to news that happens to be good. And there was more good in the growing season of than was reported, beginning with a usefully cold, frosty December to rid the vineyards of any pests and diseases and a wet, early spring that replenished the water table. March was also wet and warmer (if less sunny) than average. April was spectacular - very dry and hotter even than 2003 or, for those with a memory for records, 1948 with an extraordinary high of 29.6ºC (85.3ºF) on the 24 th. Into May, the vines were healthy and vigorous with only minor concerns over the water table and despite an indifferent May, flowering was early, beginning on the 15 th and ending on the 27 th but with a continuing risk of mildew requiring constant vigilance and treatment. Intriguingly there was little coulure (poor fruit set) or millerandage e (when the nascent berries drop off). June was changeable with temperatures certainly slightly above average (19ºC/66.2ºF against 18.3ºC/64.94ºF) but with below average sunlight, which gave the impression of changeability even if this was not borne out by the statistics. July confirmed this pattern but this time with slightly lower than normal temperatures and a humidity that necessitated rigorous éclaircissage (summer pruning) to aid both véraison (when the grapes change colour from green to red) and progressive maturation. The vines precocity was now reduced with véraison beginning on the 27 th July and the Cabernet Francs in particular behind schedule. What was needed was a strong August to excise any maladies and regain the promising start of the growing season. Commentators largely ignored the quite excellent first ten days of August which offered really fine conditions with temperatures from 25.5ºC (77.9ºF) to a scorching 36.4ºC (97.52ºF) on the 5 th. Expectations rose, the vines shook off the dreariness of July, véraison was completed by the 3 rd and maturity accelerated. All was set fair. Then quite simply, temperatures just drifted away and down, not sharply, but rather like a leaky bucket, ending with a miserable 19ºC (66.2ºF) on the 20 th August. Cool nights negated much of the day s ripening heat until a sharp recovery on the 27 th through to the 28 th, when the second highest temperature of the month 34.9ºC (94.82ºF) was recorded, only to be followed by a massive rainstorm on the 29 th (19.2mm) with the thermometer plunging to 18.9ºC (66.02ºF).
If this reads like a helter-skelter, quite frankly it was. It was only unremitting, exhausting work in the vineyards with both de-leafing to access the sun and further éclaircissage to maintain a homogenous ripening pattern that prevented any real crisis developing. The cost of these works, some 19,000 man hours can only be imagined. But fortune favours the brave and the prescient. The work that I had seen first hand on my customary vineyard trawl with Christian earlier in the month was handsomely rewarded by September, beginning with a quite glorious period from the 1 st to the 10 th offering cloudless, sunny, breezy and warm conditions allied to benevolently mild nights. Indeed September was the second warmest and driest in 60 years. The vines relished the conditions, sugar levels soared and the grapes gained both phenolic and aromatic maturity with Christian electing to begin harvesting the first parcels on the 14 th September with the last plots brought in on the 2 nd October. Immediately before harvest a final, surgical toilettage eliminated virtually all unripe or malformed berries with a further double sorting taking place on the conveyor tables as the crop was brought in. These initiatives, in particular the critical harvesting dates, have unquestionably contributed to the very fine quality of the Moueix s wines. No shortcuts, just painstaking opportunistic work of the very highest order. The result of all this is of course a reduced crop with an overall yield of just 36 hectolitres per hectare. With Pomerol undoubtedly offering the sweet spot on the right bank in and an inspired pricing strategy, demand for these wines will be intense despite the sterling s weakness. This is a vintage that will also attract serious drinkers and once again we will give priority to customers who have been consistent in their historic support as we also try to help newer, younger customers to begin their collection. Please speak directly to your salesperson by calling 020 7265 2430. This offer will also be sent simultaneously by e-mail and you will be able to see full details on our website www.corneyandbarrow.com. Adam Brett-Smith May 2008 Our tasting notes provide full details but, at your request, we have introduced a clear and simple marking system. We hope these guidelines assist you in your selection. 10-12 Above average to good wine 12-14 A good to very good wine 14-16 A very good to excellent wine 16-18 An excellent to outstanding wine 18-20 An outstanding to legendary wine Wines are judged within their peer group, e.g. Petits Châteaux, Cru Bourgeois, Cru Classés. A definitive score of a young wine is almost impossible. We usually offer a spread (e.g. 14-16) which relates to a potential to achieve a higher mark. A score is a summary only. The devil is in the detail, so please focus on the tasting notes.
Saint-Emilion case IBL Château Barrail du Blanc Grand Cru 108.00 Deep ruby colour. Barrail s light, sandy soil of Saint-Sulpice de Faleyrens (neighbour to one of Château Valandraud s plots) favoured the conditions in and offers a treacly ripe fruited nose, a supple, easy and seductive palate, a gently chewy structure and a pleasant moderately long finish. Simple pleasure and none the worse for it. Unsurprisingly, a firm favourite of Corney & Barrow and customers alike. Drink from 2009-2012. Corney & Barrow Score 15+. Grape varieties: 70% Merlot, 30% Cabernet Franc Vineyard size: 3 hectares Average production:1,500 cases Les Songes de Magdelaine Grand Cru 158.00 This is the result of separately harvesting and vinifying the young wines of First Growth Château Magdelaine and is one of the great values in Saint-Emilion. Full, deep ruby in colour, this has a subdued, minty almost clayey nose. Winsomely extracted the palate shows a pure, easy red fruited style, nice density a refined, supple structure and a gently chocolaty finish. This is a pretty, satisfying Songes. Drink from 2009-2013. Corney & Barrow Score 15+. Grape varieties: 90% Merlot, 10% Cabernet Franc Vineyard size:young vines of Magdelaine Average production: 1,000 cases Château Magdelaine 1er Grand Cru Classé 395.00 An outstanding success in and quite clearly the (very) senior partner to Les Songes de Magdelaine. It possesses the deepest ruby colour and a sweetly dark, briary, spicy nose intense and perfumed. The palate has delectable, silky tannins but a deceptively dense weight behind broad, generously deployed fruit and fine length. Great achievement. Drink from: 2010-2014. Corney & Barrow Score 17. Grape varieties: 100% Merlot Vineyard size: 11 hectares Average production: 2,500 cases Château Belair 1er Grand Cru Classé TBC Christian Moueix believes this vineyard is capable of producing one of the greatest wines if not the greatest in St Emilion. Superbly located and with an extraordinary terroir, Christian has taken a significant stake in the ownership and has proved his resources, both personal and financial, into achieving this aim. In he has gone for a gentle, insinuating extraction, guiding and being guided by the marginal climate of the growing season. The colour is moderately firm ruby and the nose is beautifully perfumed with sweet, ripe red fruits, subtly spiced. The palate is rounded, with fresh, pure supple flavours touched by fine, powdery tannins and the key generous length to the finish. Customers would be well advised to lock onto this great estate. Drink from 2010-2015. Corney & Barrow Score 16. Grape varieties: 80% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Franc Vineyard size: 12.5 hectares Average production: 3,400 cases
Pomerol case IBL Domaine Trigant de Boisset 138.00 It was during dinner in London with Christian in the mid 90s that he told me of the replanting programme at the great Château la Grave à Pomerol, a small estate that he personally owns and home to his MD, our own good friend Laurent Navarre. Minded to produce a small quantity of wine from the young vines, he was struggling to come up with a name for these new plantings. Why not Domaine Trigant de Boisset to recall and link with the original name of this great estate? Why not indeed and, said Christian, you have just secured a new UK exclusivity!. As it happens, is a conspicuous success for Domaine Trigant de Boisset and la Grave à Pomerol. Trigant offers a fat, ruby colour and a quite lovely nose of sweet, bright silken red fruits, gently butterscotched. The palate is seductively extracted with supple, rich flavours and a confident, pure fresh finish. Utterly delicious and outstanding value. Drink from 2009-2013. Corney and Barrow Score 17-18. Grape varieties: 100% Merlot Vineyard size: Young vines of La Grave à Pomerol Average production: 750 cases Château Lagrange 172.00 Another success in and always a seductively styled Pomerol, this wine has a very dark, ruby colour and a flamboyant black fruited, summer pudding nose with a touch of wood smoke. The palate is fresh and sweetly flavoured, with a fine grained structure and a delectable finish. Utterly satisfying. Drink from 2009-2012. Corney & Barrow Score 16++. Grape varieties: 95% Merlot, 5% Cabernet Franc Vineyard size: 4.7 hectares Average production: 2,000 cases L Hospitalet de Gazin 198.00 This is of course the second wine of one of the giants of Pomerol and Pétrus s immediate neighbour Château Gazin, owned by the Bailliencourt family, good friends of the Moueix and ourselves. A fine achievement in, with a dense ruby colour and a rich, biscuity fruited nose. The palate is plump and rounded with succulent, silky lithe red fruits. The emphasis is on charm here, with generously deployed flavours, nice chewy tannins but with no hard edges. This will offer real pleasure in the short and medium term and is particularly recommended. Drink from 2010-2013. Corney & Barrow Score 16-17. Grape varieties: 90% Merlot, 3% Cabernet Franc, 7% Cabernet Sauvignon Vineyard size: Young vines of Château Gazin Average production: 2,000 cases Château la Grave à Pomerol 250.00 Château la Grave s pure gravel soil has powerfully finessed the growing season in and indeed the quality of its younger vined sibling Domaine Trigant de Boisset (see above). Almost opaque ruby in colour, this has a beautifully perfumed nose of sweet, ripe fraises des bois, briary and intense. The palate is seductive, with silky tannins, a pure, linear, focused structure and an elegant, fresh, sweetly flavoured finish. Outstanding result. Drink from 2010-2014. Corney & Barrow Score 17++/18. Grape varieties: 85% Merlot, 15% Cabernet Franc Vineyard size: 8.7 hectares Average production: 3,000 cases
Pomerol case IBL Château Bourgneuf 212.00 may seem a strange vintage to be offering a wine whose potential is only intermittently realized despite its vineyard s brilliant situation just to the west of Château Trotanoy, but, as we have noted before, opportunities present themselves at the strangest times. This ancient property has produced a fine wine in with a deep chested ruby colour, a toffeed, molasses sappy nose and a palate with dark dry rich fruit, excellent density and a chewy, long but balanced finish. Fine effort and quantifiably different from the normal Moueix stable. Drink from 2010-2014. Corney & Barrow Score 16++. Grape varieties: 90% Melot, 10% Cabernet Franc Vineyard size: 9 hectares Average production: 3,500 cases Château Certan Marzelle 335.00 This is the 100% merlot plot from the fabulously situated Château Hosanna born out of Château Certan- Giraud purchased by the Moueix in 1998. From one of the finest deep gravelled soils in Pomerol, this wine possesses a bright, deep ruby colour and a quite lovely perfume of sweet, briary, strawberry fruit more pointed and intense even than Château la Grave. The palate is creamily fruited, both spicy and silky rich. Graceful and elegant to the finish. Drink from 2010-2014. Corney & Barrow Score 16-17. Grape varieties: 100% Merlot Vineyard size: 2 hectares Average production: 850 cases Château Latour à Pomerol 395.00 This is a terrifically undervalued property despite its legendary history and superb situation. Christian Moueix agreed that deep gravel soil that makes up a high proportion of Latour s vineyard, has pushed the proudly into the limelight once again with a full ruby deep colour and a subdued but latently profound nose of dark, earthy fruit. The palate shows a meaty density, closed at this stage but hiding a silky richness underneath, classic fine grained tannins and an insinuating length to the finish. This may well deserve a higher rating when in bottle. Drink from 2011-2015. Corney & Barrow Score 17+. Grape varieties: 90% Merlot, 10% Cabernet Franc Vineyard size: 7.9 hectares Average production: 2,500 cases Château Gazin 330.00 In Château Gazin, the immediate neighbour of Pétrus and possessor therefore of one of the finest terroirs in Pomerol has played well to the strengths of the vintage, with a fine deep colour and a flamboyantly perfumed nose, biscuity rich, coffeed and sweetly red fruited. The palate is equally expressive, is nicely extracted with fine density, a chewy, generous set of flavours and a fresh, supple richness and length to the finish. Good wine. Drink from 2011-2014. Corney & Barrow Score 16-17. Grape varieties: 90% Merlot, 3% Cabernet Franc, 7% Cabernet Sauvignon Vineyard size: 24 hectares Average production: 8,000 cases
Pomerol case IBL Château La Fleur Pétrus 575.00 A brilliant result in benefiting again from the beautiful gravel soils that are so completely different from its profound immediate neighbour Château Pétrus. Dark, ruby colour. The nose, unusually for the Château, has a cedary, even inky perfume to match the more typical sweet red fruits. There is a darker intensity here, even a hint of truffles. The palate is delectable, all silky grace with that suppleness and elegance of style that is as always deceptive, for here is actually rather a profound wine, long of finish and generous of flavours. Dances well. Drink from 2012-2016. Corney & Barrow Score 17++/18. Grape varieties: 80% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Franc Vineyard size: 13.5 hectares Average production: 3,400 cases Château Hosanna 340.00 x6 This is frequently referred to as the Cheval Blanc of Pomerol an accolade that sits easily on a property born out of the superbly sited old Château Certan-Giraud, from which the oldest vines and best sited terroirs were extracted. Deep bedded gravel and the love and ambition of Christian Moueix have placed this estate at the very highest level in Pomerol. Already on allocation Hosanna s earliest supporters (from 1999) will fight to secure the with its dark ruby colour and fruit caked nose of sappy, spicy, darkly fruited perfume. The palate has a subdued richness and density but with no sense of weight, as it effortlessly deploys a succulent, silky structure, with a fresh, insistent tugging quality that also offers really fine length. Fine wine. Drink from 2012-2016. Corney & Barrow Score 17. Grape varieties: 70% Merlot, 30% Cabernet Franc Vineyard size: 4.5 hectares Average production: 1,500 cases Château Certan de May TBC This great property is coming of age with an outstanding result in. Opaque, ruby colour. Slightly reductive nose with cocktailed cherries and ripe plum perfume, the palate is quite gorgeous with waves of silkily dense fruit, terrific concentration and a profound structure. This is a powerful wine, senior in style and substance and one of the loveliest surprises of the vintage. Drink from 2014. Corney & Barrow Score 17-. Grape varieties: 70% Merlot, 25% Cabernet Franc, 5% Cabernet Sauvignon Vineyard size: 5 hectares Average production: 2,000 cases Château Trotanoy TBC This is a profound and very great Trotanoy. It reminded me of the 1993 that I tasted at the Saintsbury Club dinner in April with luminaries of the Wine Trade including Michael Broadbent, Steven Spurrier, John Avery and John Harvey. Shown before Lafite 1985, itself a fine wine, it was memorably great rich, powerful but still fresh and impeccably balanced. There is really no comparison possible between 1993 and but the relationship of greatness is nevertheless there. Intense, darkest ruby colour. The nose is broodingly powerful, with darkly truffled black and red fruits, a briary, root-like perfume of old, old vines. Totally outside the terms of reference in this vintage, the palate is both profound, concentrated and possessed of a graceful, silky fleshy density and exceptional length. This is an authoritative, powerful and utterly confident Trotanoy which at this early stage even shaded Pétrus itself. Very, very impressive. Drink from 2015-2018. Corney & Barrow Score 17/18++. Grape varieties: 90% Merlot, 10% Cabernet Franc Vineyard size: 7.2 hectares Average production: 2,100 cases
50.00 moueix pricing history 1999-40.00 average % increase/decrease 30.00 20.00 10.00 0.00-10.00 1999-2000 2000-2001 2001-2002 2002-2003 2003-2004 2004-2005 2005-2006 2006-06-20 21% overall increase from 1999-. -20.00-30.00 vintage average increase/decrease
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