Fans of the sturdy and ambitious wines of Moulis and Listrac will have a lot to enjoy in 2014. This is undoubtedly the best vintage here since 2010. As usual there is a lot of freshness to the wines, but in most cases the fruit is genuinely ripe and the tannins well handled. Château Poujeaux once again leads the field. It has produced an impressive wine of depth and polish. Do look out for the excellent effort from Château Maucaillou and good wine has also been made at Chateau Anthonic. Château Chasse-Spleen is fresh and elegant, though it needs to fill out. In Listrac, Château Fourcas Hosten and Château Fourcas Dupré look very good as usual, and there is an excellent effort from Château Clarke.

As you’d expect in a vintage like 2013 Moulis and Listrac have produced a sappy, chewy bunch of wines. In Moulis, Château Poujeaux is elegant and attractive, with Château Chasse-Spleen seemingly leaner and a fraction austere. Château Fourcas Dupré looked the pick of the wines from Listrac. It has some sweetness and generosity on the mid-palate and is a whisker out in front of its chief competitors, Château Fourcas Hosten and Château Clarke.