Moueix Merges Two St.-Emilion Wineries

James Molesworth
Following the recently announced reclassification of Bordeaux’s St.-Emilion appellation, one of the most surprising moves wasn’t an upgrade or downgrade, but rather an omission.
Château Magdelaine, owned by Christian Moueix’s company, which also owns Châteaus Trotanoy and La Fleur-Pétrus in neighboring Pomerol, among other high-end properties on the Right Bank, was left off the new list, prompting some to think it had been downgraded. Instead, Magdelaine has been quietly merged with Château Bélair-Monange, Moueix’s other flagship St.-Emilion estate.
The new property will retain the Bélair-Monange name—the estate was formerly Bélair until it was purchased by the Moueix family in 2008. Madgelaine has been owned by the Moueix family since 1952. “Having vinified these two vineyards side by side for the past four, very different vintages, we saw a great complementarity and the possibility to produce an even better wine by joining forces,” said Edouard Moueix, Christian’s son and executive vice president of Ets. J.-P. Moueix.
The two property’s combined parcels are located on the limestone plateau at the top of the appellation and on south-facing clay hillsides. The new vineyard now totals 58 acres and the entire property is classified as Premier Grand Cru Classé.
“We can be even more drastic in our selection. There is better balance between parcels of very old, mature and young vines,” said Moueix. “We can also manage the replantation in a more precise and quality-driven manner and we’ll be able to bring more complexity to the wine by having a wider choice for the blend.”
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