Château Moulin St Georges, St Emilion, 2023
Moulin St Georges occupies a great position just to the south east of St Emilion town on clay and limestone soils. Alain Vauthier from neighbouring Chateau Ausone, tends the vines. Produced from 85% Merlot and 15% Cabernet Franc, as usual there is more than a hint of hedgerow fruit, wild flowers, ferrous notes, tobacco and dried fruits. The palate is juicy and flowing with some attractive creme de mûre fruit and notes of smoky, toasty oak. This relaxed Moulin St George will be a charming early drinker.
critic reviews
Notes of dark cherries, cassis and smoke, accented by a delicate smoky nuance, introduce the 2023 Moulin St Georges, a medium- to full-bodied wine that is round and structured, juicy and enveloping, built around a fleshy core of fruit framed by powdery tannins and concluding with a long, saline finish. The blend—85% Merlot and 15% Cabernet Franc—has gained depth and sweetness during élevage.
The 2023 Moulin Saint-Georges has a lighter and more floral bouquet than the preceding de Fonbel, peony and iris infusing the mainly black fruit, just a touch of vanilla in the background. The palate is medium-bodied with fleshy, ripe tannins. I admire the texture on this Saint-Émilion, very silky yet with counterbalancing acidity, dovetailing into a peppery and quite persistent finish. This punches above my expectations from barrel.
A blend of 85% Merlot and 15% Cabernet Franc, the 2023 Moulin Saint-Georges has a deep garnet-purple color. It features fragrant notions of rose bud tea and cinnamon stick, leading to a core of red and black plums, charcoal, and bay leaves. The medium-bodied palate offers refreshing red fruit and baking spice flavors, with a lively line and plush tannins, finishing on an earthy note.
Grip and length, grilled campfire smoke, slate texture, nuanced blueberry and raspberry fruits, cold ash and pumice stone. West exposure for the slopes here means cooler temperatures and lower ph, fresh acidities, helps accentuate this oyster shell salinity.