Château Moulin de Grenet 2022, Lussac-Saint-Émilion, Bordeaux

Château Moulin de Grenet is a small Lussac-Saint-Émilion estate of about 4.5 hectares, owned by the family behind Château Cantenac in Saint-Émilion and named after the old mill that stands at its heart, dating from 1711. Lussac lies just north of Saint-Émilion, and here the vines grow on a limestone plateau with a clay topsoil, under a moderate oceanic climate of warm summers and mild winters. The vines average around 25 years of age and are farmed sustainably. The wine is a Merlot-dominated blend with Cabernet Franc, aged mainly in tank with a light touch of oak to keep the focus on fruit, freshness and minerality.

In the glass it is deep in colour. The nose is aromatic, with ripe black and red fruit, plum and red berries, mild spice and light earthy and oaky notes. The palate is generous yet fresh and balanced, with a fine texture, ripe tannins, a touch of minerality and good length.

Serve at around 16–18°C. It pairs beautifully with roast lamb, beef, duck, game birds, mushroom dishes and hard cheeses. Château Moulin de Grenet is enjoyable now and will continue to drink well over the next five years or so.

Château Cantenac is a family-run estate in Saint-Émilion, now in the hands of the fourth generation of the Brunot family. In 1997 Nicole Roskam-Brunot inherited Château Cantenac and Château Moulin de Grenet in Lussac-Saint-Émilion from her father, Albert, and set about giving the estates new energy, with new cuvées, more vineyards, international distribution and wine tourism. In 2001 she became one of the first women to be named a Jurat of Saint-Émilion’s wine brotherhood, and her children later joined her on the estate, taking over its management in 2020. The property’s 19th-century manor house stands beside the Libourne–Bergerac road, shaded by a magnolia said to be more than 300 years old. The family grows the classic Right Bank trio of Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon.