Château Moulin du Cadet

There have been vines on the Côte de Cadet, the gentle slope that runs down from the plateau to the Barbanne, to the north of St Emilion, for many centuries. The first were probably planted during the Gallo-Roman era, those early viticulteurs the unwitting originators of the numerous châteaux that occupy this slope in modern times. Their number include some very familiar names, such as Château Cap de Mourlin and Château Fonroque. And, of course, Château Moulin du Cadet.

Sadly, exact details regarding the origin of this estate have been lost to time, so we know nothing of those first vines, nor what went on here during the many centuries that have since passed. It is only with the arrival of new proprietors during the course of the 19th century that the picture becomes clear.

Lucien Brissaud

In the 1850 edition of Cocks et Féret there is no mention of Château Moulin du Cadet, although there was a viticulteur named Lassalle producing typically 12 tonneaux of wine per annum at Le Cadet, undoubtedly in this quarter and his vines quite possibly a precursor to the estate. By 1868, however, this family were no longer in possession here, their vineyard apparently sold, and in the process divided between Justin Bon and Xavier Duperrieu, each now producing between 5 and 7 tonneaux per annum. The Duperrieu family remained here for several decades, the vines first being passed to Xavier’s nephew, Lucien Brissaud.

Under Lucien’s the domaine then faded from view, the vineyard perhaps having been pulled up as a result of the phylloxera crisis. It reappeared in the 1893 edition of Cocks et Féret, though, now under the more familiar name of Château Moulin de Cadet (and while I welcome all corrections to this and all my other profiles, I should point out it was indeed de and not du at this time). By 1908 the presumed recovery was more than complete, as by this time Lucien was turning out 10 tonneaux per annum, a figure far exceeding what his uncle had achieved.

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