2018 Chateau Moulin de Taffard Medoc Cru Bourgeois

Château Moulin de Taffard is a family-owned Cru Bourgeois estate in Saint-Christoly-Médoc, about ten miles north of Saint-Estèphe near the Gironde estuary. The Peyruse family runs it hands-on: Sébastien makes the wine and his sister Laure runs the estate. They also make Château Tour Castillon next door. There are no big investors and no corporate owner, just farmers making honest Bordeaux.

The vineyards sit on Garonne gravel and clay-limestone, the classic Médoc mix that gives Cabernet Sauvignon its structure and Merlot its plush fruit. The vines average around 30 years old and are farmed under France’s HVE sustainability certification. Part of the wine is aged in oak, enough for polish without hiding the fruit.

In the glass, expect ruby color and balanced, well-rounded fruit—cassis and blackcurrant backed by ripe tannins. Fresh and dry but with good fruit, the wine shows nice balance and good typicity. Light but very pleasant, it's the kind of Medoc that punches well above its price.

The 2018 vintage delivered a rainy first half that tapered off sooner than the Left Bank, giving way to dry conditions in the second half. The late-ripening Cabernet Franc — the key player in this blend — thrived in the extended season, developing concentration without losing freshness. The result is a wine that balances power and elegance, with garnet color in the glass and subtle aromas of black fruit.