Issue link: http://digital.copcomm.com/i/164544
C hristian Moueix was born into wine. by Anthony Dias Blue / photos by John Curley His father, Jean-Pierre, was a legendary Bordeaux wine merchant with a focus on Right Bank wines from Pomerol and Saint-Émilion. Christian studied agriculture in Paris and earned a graduate degree at the University of California at Davis, then joined his father's firm Établissements Jean-Pierre Moueix in 1970, becoming its President in 1991. Christian's passion has always been the vineyard and during his extraordinary career he has introduced a number of modern and revolutionary viticultural practices, including the technique of crop-thinning to intensify and improve wine quality. Today he produces wine from ten family-owned châteaux, including La Fleur Pétrus, Trotanoy, Hosanna and Providence in Pomerol as well as Belair-Monange in Saint-Émilion. He directed Château Pétrus for 38 years. In 1982 Christian indulged his admiration for California by forming a partnership with the heirs of John Daniel Jr., the former owner of Inglenook, to produce wine from the historic Napanook Vineyard in Yountville, which Daniel had owned since 1946. The wine produced there was named Dominus. His emphasis in Napa, as in France, has been on the vineyards. Of the 124-acre estate, 108-acres are planted to predominantly Cabernet Sauvignon with small plots of Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. In 1996, the estate began producing a second wine called Napanook. In 2008, the Schmidt Ranch in Oakville was purchased. Christian is a committed proponent of dryfarming for both ecological and quality reasons. He is also dedicated to the minimalist approach to winemaking. His goal is to produce wines of elegance, complexity and longevity. He has won many awards and honors but his style has always been characterized by modesty, grace, integrity and exceptional charm. Here are some questions I posed to him recently along with his answers: Anthony Dias Blue: You first came to California in the late 1960s to attend school at U.C. Davis. What attracted you to California in the first place? september 2013 / the tasting panel / 89 TP0913_063-103.indd 89 8/22/13 9:24 PM