HISTORY OF DOMAINE: Château Moulin de Tricot is a tiny property established in the 19th Century where the art of winemaking has been lovingly transmitted from generation to generation. Bruno Rey is the current proprietor of the estate and, with the assistance of his wife and son, he cares for the vineyards, makes the wine; then bottles and markets this extraordinary, and rare gem.

COMPOSITION OF DOMAINE: Château Moulin de Tricot is situated 30 km from the city of Bordeaux, in the heart of the Margaux appellation. The Rey family owns a mere 2 hectares of vineyards on a gravelly "croupe" (outcropping) in the commune of Arsac. The sandy gravel provides excellent drainage while the clay in the subsoil provides moisture to the vines deep roots. Local traditions are lovingly followed at Moulin de Tricot. Vineyards are cultivated without the use of chemical herbicides and are tightly spaced. The close spacing results in higher density per hectare (9500 plants/ha), but lower yield per vine, guaranteeing greater richness of polyphenols in the ripe grapes. Moulin de Tricot stands virtually alone as it continues to follow the classic style of Margaux: utilizing Cabernet Sauvignon as the dominant grape variety. Cabernet accounts for 70% of the vineyards, Merlot the remaining 30%. The vines average 20 years of age.

METHOD OF VINIFICATION: Hand harvesting is the only method used at Moulin de Tricot. Only healthy, ripe grapes are selected, any unsound grapes are culled in the vineyard. The grapes are destemmed before being sent to the tanks for fermentation. Bruno Rey vinifies his wines with traditional methods using modern equipment. He has chosen to use stainless steel tanks for fermentation as they allow him to control the temperature if necessary. After fermentation, the wine is pressed and then returned to the stainless steel tanks for the malolactic fermentation (ML). Following ML, the wine is aged for 18 months in small oak barrels (none of which are new; a portion of the wine is aged in 1 year old oak). Egg white fining is the only other treatment the wine receives prior to being blended for final bottling.

Current Releases
Haut Medoc 2000
Margaux 2001

Tasting Notes
Margaux 1999 - A brilliant, deep ruby-red color graces the '99 vintage; red and black currants dominate the palate; the wine provides a velvety texture that leads into a finish marked by firm, chalky tannins that give great length (and an intriguing note of licorice); a promising and serious wine that shows its Margaux breed; approachable now but with the strength to grow for another decade.