Bordeaux 2012 Primeurs: Moulis & Listrac Tasting Notes
I tasted the wines of Moulis and Listrac in a fairly random order, but having sorted through my notes and arranged them by commune, it would appear that the châteaux in Moulis have done a little better than their counterparts in Listrac. This is probably nothing new, however, as I think Moulis is well established as the more worthy of the two communes, and it is home to some old favourites including Château Poujeaux, Château Chasse-Spleen and Château Maucaillou. Nevertheless, looking at Moulis and Listrac together, the quality of the wines here in 2012 certainly lags behind that found at estates nearer the Gironde, especially those where the soils have helped (Château Cos d’Estournel, Château Montrose) or where very hard pruning and low yields (Château Palmer) have had results. Having said that, a comparison of what the estates in Moulis and Listrac have achieved with the wines of these three giant-killers, which have even managed to usurp the first growths in this vintage, isn’t really fair is it?
A fairer comparison would be with the lesser estates that border the Gironde, and in doing this it is clear that the results in Moulis and Listrac are pretty much par for the course for the vintage. This isn’t a great vintage for the wines of the left bank, and many grander names than can be found here in Moulis and Listrac have flopped in 2012. Looking at my scores – not just here, but also St Estèphe, Margaux and especially Pauillac and St Julien – they reflect the weaknesses of the vintage on this side of the Gironde.
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