2016 Labruyère Le Clos du Moulin à Vent

Domaine Labruyère

France / Beaujolais / Domaine Labruyère

A unique monopole of the appellation, this 0.92-hectares site is perfectly located by the windmill, the symbol of the cru. Based on a dry, hard, granitic soil, this exceptional terroir produces outstanding Gamay offering structured, mineral, long-lasting wines as iconic as the greatest French wines. 100% Gamay with an average age of 70 years, planted to 10,000 vines per hectare. Grapes are harvested manually in 25kg crates before passing on a double sorting table. The fermentation of 100% destemmed grapes takes place in a single concrete vat, in order to isolate the parcel and to express the unique characteristics of its terroir. The entire system is thermo-regulated. Wine is aged in oak barrels (15% new) for 12 months. Slight filtration and no fining.

February, 2019

Nick Stock

jamessuckling.com

93 points

Very attractive ripe berries and hints of praline and toffee on the nose. This has a very plush palate that carries a wealth of rich blue fruit. Smooth palate. Drink now.

October, 2019

Josh Raynolds

Vinous Media

93 points

Opaque violet color. Potent, mineral-accented cherry, black raspberry and fruitcake aromas, with a sexy floral nuance adding complexity. Offers juicy, impressively concentrated black/blue fruit, violet pastille and dark chocolate flavors that convey both power and delicacy. Chewy and penetrating on the youthfully tannic, spice-tinged finish, which shows excellent clarity and strong, mineral-driven persistence.

January, 2018

Julia Harding MW

jancisrobinson.com

17++/20

Monopole. Barrel sample. Deep cherry red. Smells very different from Le Carquelin, more meaty but still that dark, rocky minerality. Bone dry, chalky. Refined texture, almost chalky but more like layers of paper. A long, dark, savoury finish. Needs time.

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About Domaine Labruyère

Domaine Labruyère is the Beaujolais estate of the top-flight French vigneron family behind Champagne Labruyère and famed Burgundy producer Jacques Prieur. Now in its seventh generation, Domaine Labruyère is one of the oldest wineries in the Moulin-a-Vent appellation. Its history here dates back to 1850, when wine grower Jean-Marie Labruyère settled in les Thorins, a hamlet of Romanèche-Thorins. He acquired 25 acres of well-located vineyards. The later acquisition of the famous “Clos du Moulin-à-Vent”, a unique monopole, epitomises the restless quest for excellence of subsequent generations. Located right beside the iconic windmill, this is one of the most precious jewels in the formidable Famille Labruyère crown.
Jean-Pierre Labruyère, long-serving president of Moulin-à-Vent cru, handed the estate’s reins in 2008 to his son Edouard. Together with talented, long-standing winemaker Nadine Gublin and viticulturist Michel Rovere, Edouard has injected an even greater dynamism into this spearhead of world-class Beaujolais.

About

Nadine has been oenologist at the Labruyère family's Burgundy estate Domaine Jacques Prieur's since 1990. She has been technical manager there since 2009, when she also took the same role at Domaine Labruyère in Moulin-à-Vent. Well-known among fine wine enthusiasts for many years, in 1998 she was name Best French Winemaker by the highly respected Revue du Vin de France. She is an advocate of sustained farming, precise winemaking and optimal ripeness.