Despite the modest size and attitude of Bruno and Pascale Rey’s small 5-hectare farm, there is no mistaking the regal terroir of their stunning wines. Château Moulin de Tricot produces Margaux with a capital ‘M’; wines that consistently prove the village deserves its standing as one of the elite Cabernet Sauvignon growing appellations in the world.
oday, there are few truly handmade classic Margaux being bottled, but the Rey’s is an exception and one I absolutely love. I am even more thrilled that this family also produces an extremely limited Haut-Médoc bottling. This wine originates from a tiny 1-hectare parcel that is treated identically like their nearby vineyard in Margaux - hand-tilled, organically farmed, and ancient sandy/gravel soils planted to old vine Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. The lone exception is that it sits just a short distance beyond Margaux’s appellation boundary and thus, the small amount of wine it yields must be bottled as the Haut-Médoc AOC versus Margaux. This technicality means one can enjoy a brilliant handmade wine from a top Margaux property for a fraction of the price.
Château Moulin de Tricot is one of the last small family properties producing traditional, hand-made examples of Margaux. Established in the 1800’s, this family only bottles one wine from the appellation. No reserve bottlings, no second labels, no purchased fruit. The current generation of vignerons, Bruno and Pascale Rey, farm a small 3-hectare parcel of Cabernet Sauvignon, and Merlot planted on Bordeaux’s sandy gravel soils. Bruno and Pascale’s forebearers have been planting and replanting this same vineyard since the mid-1800s, but the average age of vines is currently 35 years old. All fruit is organically grown, harvested and sorted by hand. Fruit is destemmed before fermentation in stainless steel tanks with no addition of synthetic yeasts. After the juice is pressed off the skins, it is returned to the same tanks to undergo natural malolactic fermentation. Finally, the wine is racked into a collection of small, neutral oak barrels where it ages without filtration until bottling. In general, the process takes 3-4 years between harvest and the release of a mere 300 cases to North America.
Before any specific discussion of the wine’s appearance or aromatics, I first want to stress that this wine has extraordinary cellaring potential. The few older bottles of Moulin de Tricot Margaux I’ve enjoyed over the years have been stunning, with an extra dose of mystery and aromatic complexity that simply isn’t achievable with young Bordeaux. So, before anything, I want to make it clear that this wine—like all top Bordeaux reds—will undoubtedly reward those wise enough to set aside a few bottles in the back corner of their cellar. Trust me on this one!
The 2012 Château Moulin de Tricot Margaux has a dark opaque garnet red core, with slightly lighter garnet reflections on the rim. At first, this wine is reticent, with savory aromas of wet violets, green and red tobacco leaf, wet leather, bay leaf, graphite, cedar, and forest floor dominating. Then, after a generous decanting appropriate for the wine’s youth, aromas of black and red currants, plum, and black cherry slowly reveal themselves. Regardless of how much time the bottle has had to breathe, one remains acutely aware that its greatest assets are its breathtakingly elegant and haunting structure and texture. It has tight-knit layers of tannin, the long and whispering finish, and the impossible silkiness on the palate—this is a delicious, sophisticated and powerful wine. Please decant for at least one hour before serving at 60 to 65 degrees in large Bordeaux stems. With wine as complex and detailed as Moulin de Tricot, I always recommend keeping the meal simple and rustic. Perhaps a pan-seared medium rare steak with wild mushrooms and potato gratin—or if you have some time and prefer something more exotic, try your hand at this
fantastic lamb shoulder recipe.
One final note: this wine is a proven success in the cellar. I’ve enjoyed quite a few older bottles of this wine in 750mL and magnum, and it always delivers. In comparison to Moulin de Tricot pricier Margaux, this Haut-Médoc bottling has slightly more energy and tension. This allows it to mature and gestate for many years as the tannins melt away and secondary aromas become more layered and exotic. If you’re looking for a few bottles to stash away until the 2020’s, this wine is a slam dunk.
