Christian Moueix

In the world of wine, few have the experience of Christian Moueix.  With almost fifty-five years of producing wines in Bordeaux’s Right Bank and forty in Napa Valley, he has pioneered the practice of adaptive viticulture.


Born in Libourne in 1946, he was given the responsibility in 1970 of managing his family’s numerous chateaux, including Petrus.   He managed Pétrus for over thirty-eight years and today he directs eight family chateaux including, in Pomerol, La Fleur-Pétrus, Trotanoy, Hosanna, and in Saint-Émilion, Bélair-Monange.  Since 1991, he has been the President of Ets. Jean-Pierre Moueix, a top Bordeaux wine merchant established by his father in 1937.

With a vision of singular excellence for his wines, Christian has a deep connection to the land and has always pursued growing the highest quality grapes obtainable.  Since the 1970’s, he has undertaken numerous innovative practices, including experimenting with organic farming, frost control using helicopters and installing drainage systems throughout the vineyards.  In 1973, he began the practice of crop-thinning, a method which has dramatically improved the quality of the grapes and which has been adopted by vineyards throughout the world.  Today he and his teams continue to pursue new techniques to adapt the vineyards to climate change.  

Christian focuses his viticultural and winemaking approach to convey the unique character of each of his chateau’s terroirs. His goal is for the wines to express elegance, and balance.

In 1983, Christian Moueix began producing Dominus from the historic Napanook vineyard in Yountville.  In 2008, he acquired a 40-acre vineyard in Oakville from which he launched the first vintage of Ulysses in 2012.

Additionally, in 2023, a winery designed by Herzog & de Meuron was completed for Château Bélair-Monange, Premier Grand Cru Classé in Saint-Émilion.  This marked Christian’s sixth project with the Swiss architects; the first in 1997 was a winery for Dominus Estate in Yountville, California.

With the goal of ensuring the longevity of his vineyards in both Napa Valley and Bordeaux, Christian, his son, Edouard, and their teams are committed to creating optimum growing conditions in vibrant and sustainable ecosystems.  In France, the vineyards have received the highest certification of HVE (Haute Valeur Environmentale 3) and in Napa Valley, Dominus Estate and Ulysses hold the Organic Certification.

Christian Moueix’s aim has been to ensure the longevity of his vineyards in Napa Valley and Bordeaux and to produce exceptional wines of uncompromising quality.

 

Christian Moueix pruning grape vines