Wine Advocate (94+)

This property is owned and managed by the Vauthier family of Château Ausone. The 2015 Moulin Saint-Georges is blended of 80% Merlot and 20% Cabernet Franc, aged for 18 months in French oak barrels, 85% new. Medium to deep garnet-purple colored, it reveals a gorgeous plum preserves, licorice and blackberry pie-laced nose with touches of cedar chest, cigar box, black olives and forest floor. Medium to full-bodied, concentrated and very firmly textured with grainy tannins, it has a lively backbone supporting the generous black fruit, finishing with lingering savory notes. Give it a good 5 years or more in bottle and drink it over the next 20+ years.

Wine Advocate (93+)

A blend of 80% Merlot and 20% Cabernet Franc, the deep garnet-purple colored 2016 Moulin Saint-Georges is a little closed to begin, sporting subtle notes of baked cherries, mulberries and fresh plums with touches of cedar chest, pencil shavings and bay leaves. Medium-bodied, the oak is a tad apparent at this youthful stage, lending a chewy nature to the texture yet with a great intensity of vibrant, youthful fruit to match, finishing with plenty of red fruit sparks.

Decanter (94)

The alcohols are a touch higher than usual here, as at Ausone, but it retains an excellent fresh feel. This is always my wine to buy from the Vauthier lineup for the 95% of us who can't afford Ausone, and here again it is gorgeous, with the most perfect line of sight to the generous black fruits, showing sapidity and juice. 100% new oak.

Decanter (94)

So full of deeply-drawn berry fruit, fresh and juicy with touches of liquorice bud and rosemary, thirst quenching and yet thirst inducing in that amazing way that limestone can both refresh and make you thirst for more at the same time. An excellent Moulin St Georges, and such a step up from the more sandy soils that you find at Fonbel and the two Simard estates in this year's range of Vauthier-owned wines that this alone can help you understand how to navigate 2020.

James Suckling (93-94)

The tannins provide a powdery and layered sense to this, spreading across the palate. It's full and layered with firm depth and length. Blueberries and crush stones. Four-square. Some limestone with the clay. 85% merlot and 15% cabernet franc.

Vinous (90)

Nineteen nighty six wasn't a legendary vintage unlike the season that would follow. The 1996 Moulin Touchais Coteaux du Layon, a product of a fairly warm season, it is not overtly warm in its fruit profile with some lightly botrytised spice character, plus a rose-like scent, apricots and almonds. With just 76g/L of residual sugar it's not the sweetest interpretation, but its joy is its super smooth, refined texture. Medium length.

Vinous (95)

Starting to take on a deep golden hue, the 1997 Moulin Touchais Coteaux du Layon is a sensuous sweet wine (92g/L of residual sugar) that offers ripe and concentrated flavors of apricot jam, cooked oranges botrytis-derived spices (60% of the fruit was affected by botrytis, a high proportion for this wine). It is intense, rich and honeyed, coating the palate with its sucrosity. There's just enough acidity here to keep things going but it does not have the vivacious refreshment of cooler years, providing a weightier, fully charged expression. The finish is lengthy and fragrant.

Embodying the prestige of Southwest France's winemaking, the Moulinet-Lasserre 2017 captivates both the palate and the eye. Handcrafted by Domaine de Moulinet-Lasserre, this elegant vintage boasts of an idyllic blend of Merlot, Cabernet Franc, and Cabernet Sauvignon. Born from meticulously tended vineyards located in the heart of the Côtes de Bergerac AOC, it draws a unique mineral resonance and rich fruitiness from the clay-limestone terroir.

Critical to the wine's distinct palette is the wise winemaking process, entailing regulated temperature fermentation and careful maturation in French oak barrels for 18 months. A beautiful dark ruby in colour, with complex aromas of black fruits, spicy notes and a hint of vanilla, the Moulinet-Lasserre 2017 embodies a multilayered presentation that tantalises the senses. On the palate, the wine shows a rigorous structure with fine tannins, presenting a long, elegant finish. This vintage is the exemplification of Domaine de Moulinet-Lasserre's commitment to quality and tradition.

Regarded as a notable testament to fine French winemaking, Moulinet-Lasserre 2018 exemplifies a rich heritage stemming from the distinguished appellation of Côtes de Castillon, Bordeaux. This vintage is the result of meticulous viticulture, hand-harvesting and mindful vinification process, affirming Moulinet-Lasserre's prestige.

Marking an exceptional year, the Moulinet-Lasserre 2018 decants an unblemished balance of Merlot and Cabernet Franc, showcasing beautiful dark fruit aromas and a refined palate, reflecting the calcareous soils that characterise their vineyards. Structured yet subtle tannins indicate promising ageing potential. It bears the distinctive imprint of its creators, the Thienpont family, who remains committed to producing limited quantity, superior wines.

As a fine wine connoisseur, indulge in the Moulinet-Lasserre 2018’s intense, expressive character and complex, lush layers. It remains an exquisite portrayal of its region and a substantial addition to any wine enthusiast's collection.

Please enjoy the Moulinet-Lasserre 2018 responsibly.

Vinous (92)

(made from two-thirds grenache and one-third syrah): Opaque ruby. Heady scents of red berry preserves, lavender, anise and sandalwood, lifted by a peppery topnote. Offers intense, palate-staining raspberry and cherry-cola flavors that gain weight with air. Impressively lively and pure on the persistent finish, which features gentle tannins and a late note of bitter chocolate.

Wine Advocate (93)

Disgorged in November 2024 without dosage yet retaining over six grams per liter of residual sugar, Moussé’s NV Blanc de Noirs Eugène is a perpetual cuvée, composed of 50% wine from the 2022 vintage, with its origins tracing back to 2003. Comprising 80% Pinot Meunier and 20% Pinot Noir—whose ripe skins impart a delicate pink hue—it unveils an expressive bouquet of candied orange peel, pear, peach, plum and pastry. On the palate, it is medium- to full-bodied, rich and multidimensional, with a concentrated core of fruit, succulent yet racy acidity and phenolics that lend a gently bitter edge to the long, resonant finish. While the residual sugar lends it a touch more giving style, it represents a considerable step up in complexity from L’Esquisse and comes highly recommended.

Wine Advocate (93)

Disgorged in November 2024 without dosage, the latest release of Moussé’s NV Blanc de Noirs Les Vignes de Mon Village—despite its zero-dosage style—presents a more demonstrative profile, owing to its four grams of residual sugar. Comprising a perpetual cuvée that blends vintages from 2014 to 2022—with 50% from 2022—it opens with expressive aromas of pear, peach and tangerine zest. On the palate, it is medium- to full-bodied, ample and giving, with ripe yet racy acidity and a long, elegantly phenolic finish. As always, it is crafted entirely from Pinot Meunier sourced from Cuisles.

Wine Advocate (93)

Disgorged in November 2024 without dosage, the latest release of Moussé’s NV Blanc de Noirs Les Vignes de Mon Village—despite its zero-dosage style—presents a more demonstrative profile, owing to its four grams of residual sugar. Comprising a perpetual cuvée that blends vintages from 2014 to 2022—with 50% from 2022—it opens with expressive aromas of pear, peach and tangerine zest. On the palate, it is medium- to full-bodied, ample and giving, with ripe yet racy acidity and a long, elegantly phenolic finish. As always, it is crafted entirely from Pinot Meunier sourced from Cuisles.

Vinous - Neal Martin (98)

The 1961 Mouton-Rothschild is an audacious Pauillac that on this occasion had the temerity to outpace the '61 Latour. A Second Growth too! Layers of black fruit unfold on the nose, with hints of cassis, pencil shavings and mint, aromas noted in previous bottles. Fabulous concentration on the palate, channelling the decadence of the 1982 yet maintaining absolute control and delineation. I find a touch more complexity on the finish compared to the Latour, fanning out with ineffable sensuality. Utterly divine. Tasted at the 1961 dinner at Ami restaurant in Hong Kong.

Wine Spectator (96)

Deep garnet; fragrant tar and black truffle nose; extremely concentrated; big and mouth-filling, with very dense cassis flavor; enormous, generous fruit; a voluptuous claret. -