2016 Chateau Moulin Bordeaux Blend, Canon Fronsac (Right Bank), France
Canon-Fronsac is an appellation on the Right Bank of Bordeaux, but this red does not taste like the Bordeaux most of us are accustomed to. First, the terroir here is rather atypical for the region: this pure Merlot is sourced from a limestone hillside rather than the clay and gravel plains that make up the majority of the Bordelais landscape. You may find it to be leaner and livelier than the rich, plush Merlots of Pomerol and Saint Emilion, while a subtle minerality provides a tense energy on the finish—undoubtedly the effect of poor, well-draining soils. The vignerons at Château Moulin also set this estate apart: Bénédicte and Grégoire Hubau are the type of small farmers we typically encounter in the Loire or Beaujolais, not Bordeaux. Adamant about organic viticulture, they make natural wines of purity and finesse that deliver loads of pleasure upon release. Forget any preconceptions about Bordeaux, and quaff away!