Moulin Rose de Malescasse was one of the highlights for me at the Majestic press tasting, so I was keen to revisit it in more detail. It comes from the Haut-Médoc area of Bordeaux and is produced by Château Malescasse. The estate holds an impressive status as one of only 14 Cru Bourgeois Exceptionnel properties in the region, the highest level in the Cru Bourgeois classification system. For those curious, I’ve previously written more on the tiers and their significance in my article on Understanding Cru Bourgeois du Médoc.
Moulin Rose is the estate’s second wine. A château’s second wine is a lower-tier but still good-quality wine made by the same estate as the grand vin, using barrels or plots not selected for the main wine and sold at a lower price.
Despite what the name might suggest, this is not a rosé but a red wine. The 2020 vintage comes in at 13.5%. The name Moulin Rose pays tribute to the estate’s landmark windmill, around which the vines flourish, adding a touch of romance to the setting. The blend is made up of 46% Cabernet Sauvignon, 44% Merlot and 10% Petit Verdot. It has undergone 12 months of ageing in a mix of used oak barrels and wooden vats, which lends complexity and refinement. The previous 2019 vintage impressed critics, taking home a Decanter Silver medal with a score of 92 points.
There’s a deep blackcurrant character on the nose, supported by cedar and a whisper of violet. On the tongue, it brings together flavours of plum and prune, with a gentle herbal twist, soft tannins and a rounded, smooth texture. The structure sits in the medium to full body range, offering both presence and elegance.
It’s ok straight from the bottle, needing no time to open up, but if you give it half an hour the expression deepens, revealing more oak-driven aromas with a touch of caramel that adds a welcome layer of warmth. After a day, the taste shifts to very flavoursome blackcurrent. I tried it alongside food, though I found the relatively low tannins meant it was actually better appreciated on its own, where the subtleties really shine.
At the tasting, we were told it had a price of £17.00, but it’s currently on shelves for just £12.50 when bought as part of a mix-six case from Majestic. That’s an outstanding deal for a wine of this calibre from a Cru Bourgeois Exceptionnel estate. The château recommends drinking now and will store for up to seven more years.
