Winemaker Notes
The family chose the location near the station because horse-drawn carriages had only a short distance to cover to load their wines on trains travelling to destinations throughout Europe. As Messrs Petit Laroche put it at the time: "The purpose of the Entrepôts de Moulis Company is to market, both in Bordeaux and abroad, Médoc wines stored in cellars built by the company opposite Moulis station, a central location between Margaux, Pauillac, Saint-Julien and Saint-Estèphe."
Given the organoleptic qualities of Chateau Maucaillou, many wine writers have compared it with the Grand Cru Classé wines of the Médoc: "This growth has constantly enhanced its quality and is today undeniably at the level of a (good) cru classé" (Didier TERS).
One of the most—if not the most—famous red wine regions of the world, the Medoc reaches from the city of Bordeaux northwest along the left bank of the Gironde River almost all the way to the Atlantic. Its vineyards climb along a band of flatlands, sandwiched between the coastal river marshes and the pine forests in the west. The entire region can only claim to be three to eight miles wide (at its widest), but it is about 50 miles long.
While the Medoc encompasses the Haut Medoc, and thus most of the classed-growth villages (Margaux, Moulis, Listrac, St-Julien, Pauillac and St. Estephe) it is really only those wines produced in the Bas-Medoc that use the Medoc appellation name. The ones farther down the river, and on marginally higher ground, are eligible to claim the Haut Medoc appellation, or their village or cru status.
While the region can’t boast a particularly dramatic landscape, impressive chateaux disperse themselves among the magically well-drained gravel soils that define the area. This optimal soil draining capacity is completely necessary and ideal in the Medoc's damp, maritime climate. These gravels also serve well to store heat in cooler years.
One of the world’s most classic and popular styles of red wine, Bordeaux-inspired blends have spread from their homeland in France to nearly every corner of the New World. Typically based on either Cabernet Sauvignon or Merlot and supported by Cabernet Franc, Malbec and Petit Verdot, the best of these are densely hued, fragrant, full of fruit and boast a structure that begs for cellar time. Somm Secret—Blends from Bordeaux are generally earthier compared to those from the New World, which tend to be fruit-dominant.