Château Moulin Haut-Laroque is an estate winery in Saillans in the Fronsadais on the right bank of the Bordeaux region. The estate was rebuilt by cooper Edmund Olier after phylloxera. In 1977 Jean-Noel Hervé, a former engineer involved in the French Concorde project, took over. He has a degree in physics. Red wines are made under the Fronsac AOC.

Owner: Jean-Noel Hervé. See also Château Cardeneau.

Directions: the first Saillans property one encounters travelling north from Fronsac itself.

Vineyards: 13ha south west of Saillans. 5,500 vines/ha. Cabernet Franc: 20%. Cabernet Sauvignon: 10%. Malbec: 5%. Merlot: 65%. On both the limestone plateau and steep slope off it. Soil: calcaire à astéries (Guide Hachette des Vins 2004, p.245).

Winemaking: Mid-1990s when I visited–Hand picked. Destemmed. Grapes ferment at a relatively cool 23-27ºC. The cement vats retain warmth for extended post-fermentive macerations, very much in the style advocated by neighbour Michel Rolland (qv). When I visited in 1993 he was using a cane to froth the cap into the fermenting red juice.

Contact

Château Moulin Haut Laroque

Le Moulin, F-33141 Saillans, France

Tel+33 (0)5.57.84.32.07 | Website: moulinhautlaroque/en/home