I’ve been a fan of Moulin Haut-Laroque since the early eighties. The Hervé family has been running the estate since 1607, and it is interesting to mention that the first Fronsac château-bottling was at Moulin Haut-Laroque already in 1890 - long before most classified growths in Bordeaux started la mise en bouteille au château.
The 1999 Moulin Haut-Laroque is by no means a blockbuster claret. It is, instead, a very elegant, medium-bodied wine, with a seductive fragrance, lush flavours of dark berries, red cherries and spices, an exceptional balance of sweetness and acidity, and plenty of mineral freshness and length. With time, more subtle earthy notes and an unobtrusive hint of dark chocolate emerge on the palate. No hard edges anywhere. 5% of +100 year old Malbec in the blend, 13% alcohol. A wine to contemplate and every bit as noble as an excellent Grand Cru Classé.
Last night, 1999 Cassagne Haut-Canon La Truffière, Canon-Fronsac, was next in line from this undervalued region… Light medium ruby in colour with a restrained nose, this wine shows earthy notes - indeed with a hint of truffle-, somewhat muted berry fruit flavours, spices, and iodine on the palate. Nice, fresh acidity, but a rather short finish. Really elegant, but lacking a bit of depth and complexity. 13% alcohol. A mild disappointment, at first…
What then happened was one of the most thrilling metamorphoses I have witnessed in four decades. Starting with the second glass, the colour undergoes a puzzling change from rather pale to deep ruby, accompanied by a dramatic change of taste. Like waking up a sleeping giant, the bouquet becomes richer and deeper, and the wine develops complex aromas of wild berries, plums, currants, flowers, and exotic spices. The elegant iodine note persists while the truffle note gently fades away. At the very end, even a surprising sour cherry notes emerges, and the delicious finish lingers for minutes. A very classic claret and a fine blast from the past. Breathtaking!
Very interesting–thank you!