CHATEAU MOULIN RICHE 2006

Description
Wne Style:  Medium Bodied Red

Moulin Riche is the Second Wine of the Second Growth (2ème Cru Classé) Château Léoville Poyferré. It was once a 19th century cru bourgeois estate but since the 2003 has been incorporated into the Léoville Poyferré vineyard. Château Léoville Poyferré was once part of a much larger estate until the time of the French Revolution when a portion of this estate was separated into what is today: Château Léoville Barton, Château Léoville Poyferré and Château Léoville Las Cases. Château Léoville Poyferré is not all on the same piece of land. While the Château itself neighbours Léoville Las Cases, the vineyards lie, somewhat scattered, further to the west in the appellation of Saint Julien.

Since the 1920's, it has been owned by the Medoc wine firm of Cuvelier et Fils. Léoville Poyferré traditionally produced the softest and most supple wine of the 3 Léovilles, yet in the last decade the wines have put on weight and body. Didier Cuvelier has run Léoville Poyferré since 1979 and has taken advice from Professor Emile Peynaud and Michel Rolland. Since the 1990s the quality of its wines has truly been in the ascendant.

Moulin Riche has 49 acres of vines which are planted on the slopes of Gironde glacial gravel and wind-driven sand resting on a limestone plateau. These hilltop moors were cleared in the 19th century to plant the vines. In 1932 Moulin Riche was classified as a Cru Bourgeois Exceptionnel – the only wine out of the 11 Cru Bourgeois Saint Julien wines to be marked out as such. The grapes planted are 64% Cabernet Sauvignon, 26% Merlot, 8% Petit Verdot, 2% Cabernet Franc. The greatness of its terroir lies in the fact that the soils have been continuously planted with vines over the course of the last centuries.

Moulin Riche wines are concentrated, dense and powerful. They have smoky flavours of spiced black fruits and plum. They have a voluptuous finish, are tannic and age well. The addition of Petit Verdot to the blend of Moulin Riche since 1970 has helped to express the deep backbone of the wine. The 2006 is a deep crimson purple - dense and silky with notes of blackcurrant, blackberry, smoke and spiced plums.

Recommended food and wine pairing:
Great with milder pâtés, terrines and rillettes such as Pork Rillettes, Pate de Foie de Volaille a l'Armagnac (chicken liver pâté with Armagnac) or Traditional French Country Pate.