As you’d expect given the vintage Moulis and Listrac have turned in some structured, grippy wines and there’s not much resounding joy to be had here. Chateau Poujeaux is clearly the best effort and feels chewy and deep and should work out well. Chateau Chasse Spleen feels a bit angular to me. In Listrac, Bordeaux’s answer to Madiran, Chateau Fourcas Hosten and Chateau Fonréaud have life and some style. Still if you find yourself considering any of these check to see if any 2009s and 2010s still are still available as these are an absolute joy and will be a far better bet.

MOULIS

Chateau Brillette

Vibrant looking; purple at edge; cream, wet stone, sturdy feel; blackcurrants; bit dusty; blackcurrants again on the palate along with a lot of tannins; chewy. Alliance des Crus Bourgeois tasting. 83-85

Chateau Chasse-Spleen

Lacks the depth in the glass of some [not necessarily a problem given some of the saturation here]; backward, stalky Moulis on thenose; stalky Cabernet; whiff of the vegetal; blackcurrants, tannin and acid; bite to the palate; tannin nevertheless reasonably round. Angular and structured wine. Tasted UGC. 85-87

Chateau Duplessis

Black and arterial; sturdy nose; strapping and stalky, stone fruits and blackcurrants; grippy palate with lots of acid and tannin. Not that much fun. 80-82

Chateau Gressier Grand Poujeaux

Purple at edge; stalky Cabernet nose; some depth and complexity; blackcurrant fruit on the palate; chew and tannin but not that bad. Alliance des Crus Bourgeois tasting. 84-86

Chateau Maucaillou

Dense at the centre; ed fruits, satiny, elegant; lots of ripe Merlot; quite complex and deep; satisfying nose; minerals and wet rock notes; oak on the palate, feels quite dense and dry but plenty of fruit here suggests that this will round out but probably a bit over-extracted here. Tasted UGC. 85-87?

Chateau Poujeaux

Mid depth; concentrated at the edge; blackcurrants, some earth and lift; oak too and black cherry; feels deep; palate perfumed with blackcurrants and cassis and a whiff of Turkish delight; lots of extract and material; chewy style with bite and tannin. Should work out well enough though. Tasted UGC. 87-89+

LISTRAC

Chateau Clarke

Mid depth; fresh looking; inky, Iron and multi-vitamin pill nose; wet stones; intense and dense palate; grippy and chewy with tannin and lots of bite. Mouth puckering here. Tasted UGC. 82-84

Chateau Fonréaud

Deep and saturated core; earthy, blackcurrants with a mealy edge; oak overtones; some pefume and rose hip lift; quite attractive; palate nimble, tannin not overdone; structured and grippy but refreshing finish. Feels nimble. Good effort here. Tasted UGC. 85-87+

Chateau Fourcas Dupré

Deep and dense; earthy purple at edge; blackcurrants and cassis; quite attractive – almost Pauillac like; fresh and nice purity here; palate good and dense with blackcurrants, tannin and acid; some pucker here. Tannic palate, that’s Listrac. Should settle. Tasted UGC. 85-87

Chateau Fourcas Hosten

Deep and earthy looking; vibrant edge; earthy, meaty nose, spices and blackcurrants; sweeter palate, lots of guts and chew; tannins feel softer here; not a bad effort. Slight streak of green here but this works overall. Satisfying finish. Tasted UGC. 86-88