Château du Moulin-à-Vent

Château du Moulin-à-Vent takes its name from the ancient windmill that crowns the greatest of Beaujolais' ten crus. This is the most structured and ageworthy corner of the region, where Gamay takes on a depth few expect from the grape. The estate has been a standard-bearer here for decades. The vineyards lie on pink granite laced with veins of manganese, a soil said to give Moulin-à-Vent its power and longevity. Old vines are farmed plot by plot, each parcel vinified separately to capture its character. This is Beaujolais treated with the seriousness of the Côte d'Or. In the cellar, fruit is fermented gently and aged in oak to build structure without masking the wine. The results are deeply coloured, firmly tannic and built to evolve. Young, they burst with fruit; with age, they turn silky and complex. Moulin-à-Vent is often called the king of Beaujolais, and this estate shows why. These are Gamays of real gravity, wines that reward the cellar and hold their own at any table.