- Moulis-en-Médoc
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Moulis-en-Médoc
Moulis-en-MédocAdministration Country France Region Aquitaine Department Gironde Arrondissement Bordeaux Canton Castelnau-de-Médoc Intercommunality Communauté de communes Médulienne Mayor Christian Lagarde
(2008–2014)Statistics Elevation 6–42 m (20–138 ft)
(avg. 21 m/69 ft)Land area1 20.56 km2 (7.94 sq mi) Population2 1,596 (2006) - Density 78 /km2 (200 /sq mi) INSEE/Postal code 33297/ 33480 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. Coordinates: 45°03′37″N 0°46′09″W / 45.0602777778°N 0.769166666667°W
Moulis-en-Médoc is a commune in the Gironde department in Aquitaine in south-western France.
Contents
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
Back in ancient times, branded by mixed farming in the form of a latifundium (large property), the vine was cultivated in Moulis as three Gallo-Roman establishments have already been discovered. It is this era that the infamous 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: Molinis / Moulinis. The existing vines belonged to some feudal proprietors and a religious community of which the Roman Churchcontrolled.
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.
Administration
List of Mayors Year of Election End Period Name March 2001 2008 Georges Bayonnette Earlier data are not known Demographics
Demographics (Source: INSEE[1]) 1962 1968 1975 1982 1990 1999 2006 911 972 1,016 1,208 1,326 1,366 1,596 Number recorded beginning in 1962 : Population without duplication Source: INSEE[2]
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.
Places and monuments
- 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
Notes and references
External links
- Moulis-en-Médoc on the National Geographic Institute site
- Wine-growing association of the Moulis-en-Médoc appellation
Categories:- Communes of Gironde
- 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..
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