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Chateau Poujeaux
Chateau Poujeaux is a fine Cru Bourgeois estate located in Moulis, one of the two lesser communes of the Médoc where no classed growth properties are to be found. The commune of Poujeaux is where the best properties in Moulis are located, and many would regard Chateau Poujeaux and Chateau Chasse-Spleen as the leaders in this small locality.
The history of Chateau Poujeaux can be traced back to the 16th Century when
what was then called La Salle de Poujeaux was under the ownership of Gaston De
L'Isle, who also owned Chateau Latour and was responsible for the construction
of the impressive, turreted Chateau de la
Rivière. Over the years that followed
there were several new owners, including Marquis Francois-Etienne de
Brassier, who also owned Chateau Beychevelle. In 1806 it was purchased by M
Castaing; the Castaing family
were in tenure at the time of the
1855 classification,
and like many other properties - such as
Chasse-Spleen again - Poujeaux was not
ranked among the classed growths. With the passing of the estate to the next generation
Poujeaux
was divided among three siblings, and was not reunited until the 20th Century
when it came into the hands of the Theil family.
François Theil purchased one third of the original estate in 1921, and his son Jean Theil was successful in bringing the three portions together once more. In 1932 the property was highly ranked in the Cru Bourgeois classification, and this remained the case with the ill-fated 2003 revision in which Poujeaux was designated a Cru Bourgeois Exceptionnel, an exalted but short lived ranking which lasted only until the whole classification was annulled in late 2007, following a successful legal challenge. The Theil family remained in charge during this administrative fumbling, but in the same year the classification met its end there were rumours that they were ready to sell. In February 2008 the deal was finalised, and Poujeaux came into the ownership of Philippe Cuvelier, a Parisian businessman who had already experienced viticultural success since acquiring Clos Fourtet, in St Emilion, in 2001. And so Jean Theil's sons François, Jean-Pierre and Philippe, who as heads of the Société Anonyme Jean Theil had overseen an expansion in area under vine, investment in new temperature-controlled cellar equipment and the acquisition of numerous new oak barrels, handed the reins over to Cuvelier's son Mathieu. No doubt those individuals who have been instrumental in the success at Clos Fourtet, especially Stéphane Derenoncourt, will be involved here too. For confirmation of this, we will have to wait and see.
There are now 52 hectares of vineyards at Chateau Poujeaux, it having increased in area by 10 hectares in recent years, on the Gunzian gravel that surrounds Grand Poujeaux and is found throughout the Médoc. The vines are 50% Cabernet Sauvignon, 40% Merlot, 5% Cabernet Franc and 5% Petit Verdot. Average vine age is 35 years, and they are planted at a density of 10000 vines/ha. Harvest is manual and fermentation is temperature-controlled with a maceration of up to 28 days. The wine then spends up to one year in oak, of which 50% is new each year. Clarification is by racking and an egg-white fining, but there is no filtration. The result is the grand vin Chateau Poujeaux, with about 30000 cases produced per year. There is also a second wine, La Salle de Poujeaux.
My recent experience with Chateau Poujeaux is limited to a few vintages, although I have memories of older vintages being very good indeed. The 1996 was typically good, but in the 1997 vintage the Thiel family did an outstanding job. Perhaps free of the expectations placed upon grander properties, they worked within the confines of the vintage and produced a very good wine in what is largely - despite the words of some - a disappointing year. I have enjoyed watching this wine come to maturity over the last few years, and found the most recent bottle to be on top form. Tasted blind I doubt I would have ascribed it to this washout vintage. (9/3/05, last updated 8/2/08)
Contact details:
Address: Chateau Poujeaux, 33480 Moulis-en-Médoc
Telephone: +33 (0) 5 56 58 02 96
Fax +33 (0) 5 56 58 01 25
Internet:
www.chateaupoujeaux.com
Chateau Poujeaux - Tasting Notes
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Chateau Poujeaux (Moulis) 2006: Smoky charcoal on the nose, rather feral,
animalistic character. Lean palate, obvious, short on concentration and
character. A lot of structure showing too. Rather bare tannins, insufficiently
matched by the substance of the wine. Not a great success. From my
2006 Bordeaux
assessment. 12-13/20 (April 2007)
Chateau Poujeaux (Moulis) 2004:
Exotic, spicy, deeply fruited, seductive style. No slouch on the palate either,
which has some ripe fruit framed by some cracking acidity. Firm, peppery, with a
good mouthfilling style. Balanced and characterful. Really impressive. From my 2004 Bordeaux
assessment. 16.5+/20 (October 2006)
Chateau Poujeaux (Moulis) 2002: A nice, evolved nose here, quite claretty in style,
but still showing some very appealing primary fruit. Full and plump on the
palate, pleasingly so in view of the vintage. There is a good structure quite
evident, a core of tannin, with nice acidity. But it is all rather quiet. It
lacks the impact and flavour that would make the wine really good. It has some
style though, and finishes very gently. From a
Bordeaux tasting with
Bibendum. 15.5/20 (April 2007)
Chateau Poujeaux (Moulis) 1997: A lovely colour -
I'm sure the most recent bottle didn't show quite this intensity and youth when
poured. Just a hint of maturity, but no tawniness or pallor. Lovely nose which
matches the appearance; a vibrant combination of slightly meaty blackcurrant
fruit with rich, cedary undertones. Good weight, meaty, and with good
concentration. Fully integrated but still demonstrating plenty of substance. The
flavour profile harks bark to how this wine tasted a few years ago, and the wine
is certainly showing much better than when tasted last year. At peak I think,
but should continue to drink well for a few more years yet. What a shame there
aren't more 1997s like this. Very good. 17/20 (January 2005)
Chateau Poujeaux (Moulis) 1997: I found a couple more bottles
of this during a cellar exploration and decided to open one. It has a good, dark
hue with an earthy tinge. The nose offers pruney notes at first, but soon opens
out to give classic stone and mineral laced meaty fruit. A medium body, but
nicely mouthfilling, good acidity and just a little tweak of tannin too. Short
finish. May have suffered a little from transport prior to opening. Great for
the vintage though. Ready now, but should drink for a few more years. 16/20 (June 2004)
Chateau Poujeaux (Moulis) 1997: It's been
interesting to track the development of the 1997 vintage through regular
assessments of this wine, my only significant purchase from what was a
difficult year for Bordeaux. On first tasting in 2001 this was a perfumed,
elegant wine. Only six months ago, in early 2003 (no note published), it was
quite closed. Now it has come out of its shell. Good mature claretty
fruit on the nose, with hints of smoke and black olive. It's greatest asset is
the finely balanced palate, which has some maturing, spicy, black fruit flavours. A little angular on the
finish but an impressive effort for the vintage. What a pleasure. 17/20 (October 2003)
Chateau Poujeaux (Moulis) 1997: Still a good colour, not
showing much age, but has certainly dulled since last tasted a year ago.
The nose has good solid fruit, but the complex and attractive aromatics
I have previously noted have gone. Firm texture on the palate, with some
fruit, still a trace of tannin and correct acidity. Overall seems quite
closed. This was a good wine which I can only hope will come back of its
shell in the next year or so - otherwise I will regret not drinking it
all in 2001. From a 1997 Bordeaux
tasting. 16+?/20 (February 2003)
Chateau Poujeaux (Moulis) 1997:
My first taste of this wine was actually December 2000, before publishing my
notes online. A glossy
red black wine, with blackcurrant and bramble fruit,
mineral notes and some smoke. Finely balanced on the
palate, with elegant, ripe tannins. Medium bodied but
with a beautiful silky texture, lots of fruit and a
moderate but mouth filling weight. Just a little length,
but Poujeaux have wisely gone for elegance and finesse
rather than power here. Impressive for this chateau and
the vintage. 17+/20 (June 2001)
Chateau Poujeaux (Moulis) 1996: Showing a little early maturity, but still plenty of ruddy pigment
here, and a good depth of colour too. A little reticent on the nose, quiet and
withdrawn, but when it does speak its voice is one of earthy, macerated fruit,
later delineating to give a more classic, stony profile.
On the palate a firm structure, much more apparent than the fruit or flavour at
the moment, although there are pleasurable notes of peppery, berry fruit. Grippy
midpalate and finish. It has a meaty, slightly beefy style which will further
improve in the cellar, and after a few hours it begins to show a little of the freshness, direction and
poise that is so desirable. Overall a little reticent still, I suspect this
needs 3-4 more years before it is à point. From a
1996 Cru Bourgeois tasting.
17+/20 (April 2007)
Chateau Poujeaux
(Moulis) 1996: A fantastic colour, unsurprisingly
leading to a quite open nose laden with ripe blackcurrant
fruit. Likewise the palate is loaded with fruit, with a
good balance of acidity and ripe tannins for structure.
More forward than other wines in this line-up. From a
Bordeaux 1996 tasting.
17+/20 (July 2001)
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