Placeholder Image

Château Moulin de la Rose, Saint-Julien

Bordeaux, France 2015 (750mL)
$45.00
/
Your cart is empty.
  • In stock, ready to ship
  • Inventory on the way
Fruit
Earth
Body
Tannin
Acid
Alcohol

Château Moulin de la Rose, Saint-Julien

My infatuation with Bordeaux’s many unheralded micro-estates extends into Saint-Julien today: What you’re getting in this limited bottle of Château Moulin de la Rose is staggering. From just five hectares that are surrounded by classed growths, Moulin de la Rose produced a powerful, age-defying wine in the blockbuster 2015 vintage—and did so at an eye-popping sub-$50 value.


Now match that against their immediate neighbors: Ducru-Beaucaillou ($200), Léoville-Barton ($120), Beychevelle ($100), and Gruaud-Larose ($85) and we start to get a sense of the exceptional price-to-quality ratio here. This 2015 from Moulin de la Rose is the best I’ve ever had from the estate, already drinking like the honest heart and soul of Saint-Julien. And remember, it’s smartly crafted by one of the most sought-after consultants in Bordeaux, Eric Boissenet, a man who is responsible for overseeing the wines at Latour, Lafite, Mouton, and Margaux. Knowing that makes it even harder to ignore today’s offer. Still, this deal becomes even sweeter upon realizing that we specially imported a tiny batch direct from France, so whether enjoying now or cellaring for 10+ years, this is an exclusive blue-chip Bordeaux not to be missed! From what we can see, we are the only ones in the US to have this blockbuster 2015. Don’t miss this great cellar addition!


The first words out of my mouth upon tasting today’s wine were “near perfection for Saint-Julien,” which is quite the high-flying compliment when considering the slew of classified neighbors that populate the area! These soils are some of the most revered in the world and this region among the most successful at perfecting the one-two punch of power and finesse. And that’s all because of the masterminds behind this micro-production label: Guy Delon and Eric Boissenot. Purchased in 1971 by Guy, a seventh generation viticulturist, he quickly established this Moulin de la Rose as a serious player in Saint-Julien, and amazingly, did so while keeping vine acreage, production, and price extremely low. In 1993, he handed operations over to his children, Jean François and Guylène Delon. 



Ultimately, farming quality grapes from the grandest sites, keeping ripeness and extraction in check, and allowing each wine to express the region’s classic terroir is what makes Eric Bosiseneot such a five-star talent. You’ll find all that in Moulin de la Rose: With their five hectares of vines (which touch classified growths), they mostly farm 30-year-old Cabernet and Merlot with sustainable practices and harvest is always carried out by hand. In the winery, the grapes undergo a lengthy three-week maceration/fermentation and then age not 12, nor 16, but 20 months in French barrels, a third of which are renewed each year. It is bottled without filtration. 



I was buzzing with excitement once Moulin de la Rose arrived at our warehouse. Sure, I had already tasted it in Bordeaux, but consuming an AFFORDABLE benchmark example of Saint-Julien is always a treat. This 2015 pours a vibrant dark ruby with serious concentration and viscosity. Rich blackberry and currant ring out on the nose, followed by violets, cedar, tobacco, plum, créme de cassis, leather, spice, and damp gravel—all of it’s there with a velvety embrace. The lush palate is pure and full-bodied, already showing so much energy, openness, and mineral verve. Ultra-firm tannins provide a sound foundation for beautifully ripe black/red fruits and fresh earthy accents that allow the wine to linger for minutes. Moulin de la Rose will shock a dinner table laden with a decadent beef casserole, but its stock and flavors will only rise as it tacks on age in your cellar. Though it has a blinding bright future, you can certainly enjoy this spectacle now: just decant for 30 minutes before serving in Bordeaux stems around 65 degrees. After that, consume slowly over several hours to savor the marvels that come with a top Saint-Julien château in an outstanding vintage. Cheers!
Placeholder Image
Country
France
Region
Bordeaux
Sub-Region
FranceSaint-Julien
Soil
Gravel
Farming
Sustainable
Blend
Cabernet Sauvignon 65%, Merlot 35%
Alcohol
13.5
OAK
33% New French
TEMP.
65
Glassware
Bordeaux Stem
Drinking
Now-2030+
Decanting
One Hour
Pairing
Beef Casserole w/ Mushroom & Eggplant

France

Bourgogne

Beaujolais

Enjoying the greatest wines of Beaujolais starts, as it usually does, with the lay of the land. In Beaujolais, 10 localities have been given their own AOC (Appellation of Controlled Origin) designation. They are: Saint Amour; Juliénas; Chénas; Moulin-à Vent; Fleurie; Chiroubles; Morgon; Régnié; Côte de Brouilly; and Brouilly.

Southwestern France

Bordeaux

Bordeaux surrounds two rivers, the Dordogne and Garonne, which intersect north of the city of Bordeaux to form the Gironde Estuary, which empties into the Atlantic Ocean. The region is at the 45th parallel (California’s Napa Valley is at the38th), with a mild, Atlantic-influenced climate enabling the maturation of late-ripening varieties.

Central France

Loire Valley

The Loire is France’s longest river (634 miles), originating in the southerly Cévennes Mountains, flowing north towards Paris, then curving westward and emptying into the Atlantic Ocean near Nantes. The Loire and its tributaries cover a huge swath of central France, with most of the wine appellations on an east-west stretch at47 degrees north (the same latitude as Burgundy).

Northeastern France

Alsace

Alsace, in Northeastern France, is one of the most geologically diverse wine regions in the world, with vineyards running from the foothills of theVosges Mountains down to the Rhine River Valley below.

Others We Love