Graves is the southernmost appellation in Bordeaux for dry red and white wines. It hugs the left bank of the Garonne river, upstream from the city of Bordeaux. The name “Graves” derives from gravier, or gravel; the area’s intensely gravelly soils were laid down by glaciers during the Ice Age. Château Moutin is a 4-hectare estate - tiny by Bordeaux standards - run by the brother-and-sister team of Jean-Christophe Darriet and Sandrine Darriet-Froléon.
Moutin’s Graves is 80% merlot and 20% cabernet sauvignon from 35-year-old vines, aged in a mix of used and new oak barrels for two years… and then released by the winery after a couple of additional decades of bottle aging in the château. Cheers to mature Bordeaux!
The wine is fresh-fruited and deep, with forest floor and a bright menthol component. This is savory, supple, and remarkably fresh for a 23-year-old wine. And it’s just 13% alcohol, a welcome throwback to the good ol’ days of low-to-moderate-alcohol Bordeaux. It is plenty expressive right out of the gate, but opening the bottle 30-60 minutes before serving doesn’t hurt. Drink it in a Bordeaux glass (duh!) with roast beef or mushroom soufflé.
