CHÂTEAU MOULIN RICHE

The 2023 Moulin Riche is a juicy, plush Saint-Julien. There's a good bit of Merlot in the blend, and that comes through in the wine's supple personality. Plush tannins wrap around a core of black cherry, plum, licorice, lavender, spice, menthol and mocha. The 2023 is a very sexy wine. Drinking range: 2027 - 2043 Rating: 90-93 Antonio Galloni, www.vinous.com (May 2024)

This is a blend of 49% Cabernet Sauvignon, 33% Merlot and a generous dose of Petit Verdot at 17% of the total, picked from September 14th onwards. The yield was a remarkable (these days) 52.78 hl/ha, although this is a figure that applies to all the Cuvelier vineyards. A nicely concentrated suggestion of red cherry on the nose, with a powdery and cedary application of oak. The palate is not as dense as the nose might suggest, but it has a charming texture, with a cotton-like presence on the palate, supported by a rich subframe of tannins, which is where the density lies; these are dark, rich, ripe, powdery and tight-knit, and add a serious grip to the middle and end of the palate. A nice Moulin Riche, not the most delineated, but it will drink well with some cellar time. The alcohol is 13.5% on analysis. Rating: 90-92 Chris Kissack, www.thewinedoctor.com (Apr 2024)

The 2023 Moulin Riche has a more intense nose than the Le Crock and the Pavillon de Léoville Poyferré, with black cherries commingling with iodine and subtle marine scents. The palate is well structured with fine backbone, displaying very pure black plum and raspberry fruit laced with white pepper. I think this will be open for business soon after bottling, but it has the substance to give a decade or more of drinking pleasure. Drinking range: 2026 - 2040 Rating: 90-92 Neal Martin, www.vinous.com (Apr 2024)