Château Magdelaine

History of the Saint Emilion Appellation

The eclectic history of Saint-Emilion serves as the perfect backdrop for this medieval town in Bordeaux. The town is named after Aemilianus, an VIIIth century monk who lived as a recluse in a small cave carved deep into the limestone rock. His reclusive life did not last long, as a little community grew around him and he soon had a following of other monks who also found solace at this sanctuary. Upon his death in January of 787 A.D., his followers carved a monolithic church over the original sanctuary. By the XIth century, an organized group of Benedictine monks settled in the area, giving birth to the religious village of Saint-Emilion. 

In 1152, the union of Alienor d’Aquitaine and the English King, Henry II of Plantagenet, brought the Aquitaine region under English control. Saint-Emilion had grown into a very powerful city and wished to become self-governing. This request was later granted by one of the sons of Henry II, Jean-Sans-Terre, on July 8th, 1199, when the Treaty of Chartres was signed in Falaise. A moat and a gate were promptly built to protect the town. The people of Saint-Emilion then created an autonomous administrative, legal and financial system. Two groups controlled this new government; a civil assembly known as the “Jurade” and an ecclesiastical arm controlled by the church. 

The role of the “Jurade” was to govern the legal and economic agencies of Saint-Emilion, as well as to ascertain whether the wines produced were of a high quality. 

The rights granted under the Treaty of Chartres allowed the people and the church of Saint-Emilion to profit from their farming. Thus, by the XIIIth century there were a large number of vineyards throughout the region and the town was enjoying a prosperous growth from the sale of wine. At the same time, the port of Libourne was created which opened doors to trading with the “outside” world. 

During the XIVth and XVth centuries, constant religious conflicts and the war between France and England, known as The 100 Years War, sent the Saint-Emilion region into demise until the reign of Henry IV. 

In the first quarter of the XVIIIth century, the expansion of trade between Guyenne, England and Holland created a demand for wine. This was responsible for the amazing growth of vineyards throughout the region. During that time, Saint-Emilion doubled in size and the region once again began to prosper. The vast number of vineyards attracted many viticulturists with new ideas on farming. They started their own revolution; aiming for quality in vineyard management and leading the way for the growers of Saint-Emilion. 

Prior to the French Revolution the strong autocratic government became a disadvantage to the region, thwarting the development of major properties which explains why the vineyards in Saint-Emilion are much smaller in average size than those of the Médoc. 

After the French revolution the “Jurade” was banned. In 1948 it was resurrected as a body to oversee the vineyards and control the quality of the wines produced. 

In 1999, the vineyards of Saint-Emilion became the first viticultural landscape registered under the worldwide patrimonial protection of the U.N.E.S.C.O. For centuries, the wines of Saint-Emilion have been well recognized and respected, once heralded as the “Nectar des Dieux” (Gods’ Nectar) by Louis XVI. While today, the wines receive world wide acclaim from both critics and enthusiasts.

The world of wine is first nature to EDOUARD MOUEIX who grew up with many Bordeaux harvests. He has immersed himself in the family business over the last several years and is now the proprietor of Château Magdelaine. 

“Château Magdelaine is an important vineyard both for Saint-Emilion and my family” says Edouard, “My goal is to let the great team of the Etablissements Jean-Pierre Moueix produce this very stylish and elegant wine, while communicating the uniqueness of this Estate.” 

Edouard believes the core of producing wine begins with agriculture and cultivation of the land. His passion for the terroir combined with the importance of tradition is a trait he inherited from his late grandfather, Jean-Pierre Moueix and father, Christian Moueix. He considers this combination, along with the careful attention to detail, to be the keys to success. 

Higher education began with a move to California where Edouard attended the University of California at Berkeley to study Marketing and later transferred to The European Business School in London. He then remained in London, working for a wine importer and continued along this path with a similar position in Paris. 

Edouard’s career was interrupted by the mandatory French military service. Following his release from the army, he took a position with a Belgian shipping company, but soon realized that his passion was in the wine industry. Edouard joined the family business and began his career with Etablissements Jean-Pierre Moueix. 

Edouard became an ambassador for his family’s wines and was sent to Japan to promote both the French and Californian wines within the portfolio. After a year, his focus shifted to the U.S. market where he was given the responsibility of Sales Manager for the wines of Dominus Estate: Dominus and Napanook. He traveled extensively throughout North America to educate both trade and consumers about Dominus and Napanook while learning the complexities of the U.S. distribution system. 

Today, Edouard has returned to his native soils and is anchoring his roots at Château Magdelaine in Saint-Emilion, France. This property holds a special place in his heart, as it was the first vineyard purchased by his grandfather, Jean-Pierre Moueix.

Christian Moueix is from Libourne, France, a town some 20 miles east of Bordeaux. He studied agriculture engineering in Paris followed by graduate studies in viticulture and enology at UC Davis in 1968 – 1969. Today, Christian is the President of Etablissements Jean-Pierre Moueix, the firm founded in the 1950’s by his late father. The firm manages the family vineyards, including among others, Château Pétrus and Château Hosanna in Pomerol, and Château Magdelaine and Château Le Prieuré in St. Emilion. As wine merchants, they also purchase and sell hundreds of wines throughout the region each year. In addition to his responsibilities in France, Christian also owns and manages Dominus Estate in Yountville, Napa Valley. 

Christian first developed his interest in the Napa Valley after spending time in Davis in the 1960’s. Later, while he continued his winemaking responsibilities in France, he also consulted with several California winemakers about quality vineyards in the Napa Valley. This eventually led him to the renowned Napanook vineyard established in 1866 by General George Yount, and once known as the backbone of the Cabernet Sauvignon produced for the famed Inglenook wines. Christian became a part owner in 1981 and a sole owner in 1995. He began producing Dominus in 1983 exclusively from the historic vineyard in Yountville where he later built in 1996 with famed Swiss architects Herzog and de Meuron a state-of-the-art winery. Today, Christian continues the Napanook legacy through his Dominus and Napanook labels.