Moulis-en-Médoc

Moulis-en-Médoc
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Moulis-en-Médoc
Location within Aquitaine region Moulis-en-Médoc
Coordinates:
Country	France
Region	Aquitaine-Limousin-Poitou-Charentes
Department	Gironde
Arrondissement	Bordeaux
Canton	Castelnau-de-Médoc
Intercommunality	Médulienne
Government
• Mayor (2008–2014)	Christian Lagarde
Area1	20.56 km2 (7.94 sq mi)
Population (2008)2	1,714
• Density	83/km2 (220/sq mi)
INSEE/Postal code	33297 / 33480
Elevation	6–42 m (20–138 ft) (avg. 21 m or 69 ft)
1 French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km² (0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) and river estuaries. 2 Population without double counting: residents of multiple communes (e.g., students and military personnel) only counted once.

Moulis-en-Médoc is a commune in the Gironde department in Aquitaine in southwestern France.

Geography

The village is situated in the Médoc on a hill, overhanging the Tiquetorte stream, which flows into the Gironde estuary.

Districts: Le Bourg, Bouqueyran, Grand-Poujeaux...

History

In ancient times, vineyards were cultivated in Moulis as three Gallo-Roman establishments have already been discovered. It is this era that the famous grape variety biturica dates from, an ancestor of the cabernet variety. The term "biture" meaning "booze-up", relating to "ivresse" or "intoxication" comes from this variety of grape.

During the Middle Ages, the Médoc was the granary of Bordeaux. This is demonstrated by the presence of numerous mills to grind the grain. It is from the term "Moulin" that Moulis takes its name: "Moulinis." The existing vines belonged to some feudal proprietors and a religious community of which the Roman Church controlled.

In the 14th and 15th centuries in Haut Médoc, the vine was planted inside rather than at the edge of the estuary to avoid detrimental effects caused by humidity from the river and fog, which can decay and decimate the vineyards.

The vineyards developed quickly in the 18th century. The quality of the land was not left unaffected by merchants from Bordeaux, who had made their fortune in the business of islands, and invested in Moulis.

The French Revolution did not help the vineyard, but it picked itself back up again quickly to reach its peak at the end of the 19th century with an area of 1,500 hectares, before being decimated by the Phylloxera aphid.

Population

Historical population of Moulis-en-Médoc

Year	1962	1968	1975	1982	1990	1999	2008
Population	911	972	1016	1208	1326	1366	1714

Administration

List of Mayors

Year of Election	End Period	Name
March 2001	2008	Georges Bayonnette
Earlier data are not known

Population

Historical population
Year	Pop.	±%
1962	911	—
1968	972	+6.7%
1975	1,016	+4.5%
1982	1,208	+18.9%
1990	1,326	+9.8%
1999	1,366	+3.0%
2008	1,714	+25.5%

Wine

Moulis-en-Médoc is a commune in the wine-producing area of Médoc. The commune produces wine with a great reputation which benefits from the appellation of Moulis, one of the six communal appellations of the Haut-Médoc vineyards. While not forgetting the classification in 1855 - the best properties of the appellation - such as Château Chasse-Spleen, the Château Poujeaux, the Château Brillette, the Châteaux Antonix, the Château of Dutruch Grand Poujeaux, the Granins Grand Poujeaux Château, the Maucaillou Château, the Biston Brillette Château or even the Moulin à Vent Château, have all made a name amongst the biggest wines of Médoc, notably thanks to the classification of the Crus Bourgeois.

Sights

• One of the most interesting monuments is the Church of Saint-Saturnin. It stands on an early Christian site and is a beautiful example of Romanesque art. This church was named for the first time in 1268 in Recognitiones feodorum in Aquitania, a set of administrative texts for the Duke of Aquitaine, then the King of England..
  It is dedicated to the Saint Saturnin, the first bishop of Toulouse, who died a martyr around the year 250

• Archaeological excavations have found sarcophagi dating from the early Christian ages, which are evidence of early Christian settlements in the South West of France.

• The Maucaillou Château is home to a museum of wine and vineyard art and artefacts.

See also

• French wine
• Bordeaux wine
• Plan Bordeaux
• Communes of the Gironde department

References

• INSEE

External links

• Wine-growing association of the Moulis-en-Médoc appellation