Jean-Pierre Moueix and now his son Christian (pictured on left) are synonymous with Pomerol: no other family in Bordeaux had such a profound influence on a whole appellation. Dreyfus Ashby is the exclusive importer for some of these properties which are either entirely owned by the Moueix family (Pétrus & Latour-à-Pomerol) or closely supervised by it.
Pétrus is considered to be the most interesting of the Pomerols.
Yet before 1945 it stayed confidential. In 1920 Mrs Loubat inherited that vineyard situated on the highest part of the appellation Pomerol, in the Bordeaux region. Twenty years later she is joined by Jean-Pierre Moueix, wine-merchant established on the quay of the River Dordogne.
Château-Pétrus begins to come out of its anonymity. Madame Loubat presents her bottles in England for HRH Princess Elizabeth and Philip, Duke of Edinburgh's wedding. Across the Atlantic, Pétrus become the special wine of the Kennedys.
In Pomerol there is no classification as in Médoc or Saint-Emilion. But the small surface, 11,50 hectares (9 time smaller than Lafite) of Pétrus makes it rare.
Situated on the higher point of Pomerol. The new barrels are washed in order not to mark the wine to much. The grapes are harvested when fully matured for the purity of taste to the detriment of productivity.
Pétrus, tremendous soil, is first of all the rendez-vous of men in love with wine; Michel Gilet, master of the vines, dreams of nature without chemistry; Francois Veyssiere, cellar-master is also collector of fruit-trees in danger of extinction; the winemaker, Jean-Claude Berrouet brings his enthusiasm of Basque to Pétrus as well as to Lafleur-Pétrus, La Magdeleine and Trotanoy.
Location of Vineyard: 13 hectares, half on the côtes and half on a plateau above the château, adjoining Ausone
Production: around 4,000 cases
Varietals: 60% Merlot, 40% Cabernet Franc
Owners: the Dubois-Challon family (Château Ausone)
Press: "Impressive nose and backbone. Beautifully proportioned, with intense aroma of black licorice and raspberries. Firm tannin and racy fruit." (The Wine Spectator)
Location: on the limestone plateau of Canon (West of Pomerol)
Vineyard: 14 hectares (25 acres)
Varietals; 75% Merlot and 25% Bouchet (Cabernet Franc)
Total production: very small (5000 cases); the lesser quality is never bottled but sold in bulk or declassified
Owner: Christian Cornouaud
Press: "Produced from very old vines, it has an uncanny resemblance to the great Pomerol, Lafleur, at about one-seventh the price. Dense in color with an intense blackcurrant, plummy bouquet, great concentration, full body, and plenty of tannins, this is an amazing wine for drinking over the next 10-15 years. Join me in line for it!" Robert Parker (The Wine Advocate)
Press: "Ample, rich, almost over-ripe nose. Medium body. Good grip. Lovely black fruit. This is a lovely, seductive wine. Very good for a bourgeois Pomerol." (Clive Coates, The Vine)
J.P. Moueix
