Moulin-à-Vent AOC

The appellation of Moulin-a-Vent was officially established in 1936. The winemaking territory was first demarcated in 1924 however.

The most important aspect of Moulin-a-Vent's terroir is the pink granitic soils that characterise not only this appellation, but also many of the other Beaujolais Cru vineyards. There is also quite a lot of sand, silica, iron oxide in the soils here, which creates wines of additional concentration and structure.  A distinctive wind corridor also distinguishes it from neighbouring appellations, and has the effect of accelerating the ripening process in the final days of the harvest. The result, is a noticeable concentration of darker fruit character.

Moulin-a-Vent is one of the longest lived wines of all of the Cru Beaujolais Cru names. Its firmer structure, denser fruit and more prominent acidity generally ensure that the wines age positively for at least a couple of decades.

Moulin-a-Vent is produced exclusively with the red skinned Gamay Noir. 
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The strength of Moulin-a-Vent is partly found in its delicacy and perfumes. Many feel that the biggest challenge facing growers here is the rising temperatures of climate change. Gamay is fairly well suited to the sandy soil and therefore potentially quite adaptive to hotter, drier conditions. Organic viticulture will help regulate the vines in particularly difficult years, meaning that viticulturally, this is the biggest trend.

The appellation's push for official recognition of up to 14 Premier Cru sites will inevitably lead to more single vineyard expressions. As a result, we're likely to see small quantities of some wines, and an uplift in prices to reflect this.

In 2009 the Parrinet family purchased one of the appellation's landmark properties - Chateau du Moulin-a-Vent. Edouard Parinet is now one of the driving forces behind the promotion of the territory. At Chateau des Jacques, winemaker Julie Pitoiset oversees the vinification of single vineyard wines for Maison Jadot. Charlotte Perrachon runs the family property Chateau Bonnet with her brother Julien.  
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