Château Moulin Haut-Laroque
The fight for Fronsac to receive the recognition it truly deserves has been long and, I am sad to say, a rather futile one. It is perhaps thirty years since I first discovered this largely overlooked right-bank appellation, at which time it was often touted as an appellation in the ascendency, and a good-value alternative to Pomerol. Admittedly, I got the feeling that some of the arguments in favour of this appellation were based more on its success during the medieval period, when its wines graced the tables of France’s kings and nobility, than on any ongoing revitalisation. On the other hand I also discovered some very good wines which did not deserve to be cast aside and ignored.
Having visited Bordeaux many times since, and having walked (and run!) around the vineyards of Fronsac and Canon-Fronsac more than once or twice, today I see even more clearly the potential in the slopes, soils and aspects of this appellation, and I more readily understand the enthusiasm some have for this corner of Bordeaux. And, having tasted more widely within the Fronsac and Canon-Fronsac appellations in recent years, I still believe praise is in some cases warranted – even if the châteaux I would promote today are not those that I favoured two or three decades ago.
Among the cohort of Fronsac properties which deserve wider appreciation Château Moulin Haut-Laroque is one of the more prominent. With a history stretching back four centuries, a wine heritage stretching back (at least) two, super terroir, plenty of old vines and an international reputation, this is a good candidate for appellation figurehead.
