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2015 Moulin-à-Vent “Vieilles Vignes”

Domaine Diochon
Discount Eligible $24.00
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This vintage may put the whole “I don’t drink Beaujolais” thing to rest once and for all. Try the 2015 on your most recalcitrant anti-Beaujolais acquaintance. It’s got guts and brawn, deep, dark color and layers of flavor,with a fruit profile bordering on Pinot. As the price of land in Burgundy shoots through the roof, Burgundians are buying up acreage at a record pace in the Beaujolais—and, nine out of ten times, in Moulin-à-Vent in particular. No surprise that they call this the most “Burgundian” of the Cru Beaujolais. –Chris Santini

Technical Information
Wine Type: red
Vintage: 2015
Bottle Size: 750mL
Blend: Gamay
Appellation: Moulin-à-Vent
Country: France
Region: Beaujolais
Producer: Domaine Diochon
Vineyard: 50 years, 5.05 ha
Soil: Pink Granite, sandstone, with a manganese-rich sub-soil
Alcohol: 14%

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About The Region

Beaujolais

map of Beaujolais

After years of the region’s reputation being co-opted by mass-produced Beaujolais Nouveau and the prevalence of industrial farming, the fortunes of vignerons from the Beaujolais have been on the rise in the past couple of decades. Much of this change is due to Jules Chauvet, a prominent Beaujolais producer who Kermit worked with in the 1980s and arguably the father of the natural wine movement, who advocated not using herbicides or pesticides in vineyards, not chaptalizing, fermenting with ambient yeasts, and vinifying without SO2. Chief among Chauvet’s followers was Marcel Lapierre and his three friends, Jean Foillard, Guy Breton, and Jean-Paul Thévenet—a group of Morgon producers who Kermit dubbed “the Gang of Four.” The espousal of Chauvet’s methods led to a dramatic change in quality of wines from Beaujolais and with that an increased interest and appreciation for the AOC crus, Villages, and regular Beaujolais bottlings.

The crus of Beaujolais are interpreted through the Gamay grape and each illuminate the variety of great terroirs available in the region. Distinguishing itself from the clay and limestone of Burgundy, Beaujolais soils are predominantly decomposed granite, with pockets of blue volcanic rock. The primary vinification method is carbonic maceration, where grapes are not crushed, but instead whole clusters are placed in a tank, thus allowing fermentation to take place inside each grape berry.

Much like the easy-going and friendly nature of many Beaujolais vignerons, the wines too have a lively and easy-drinking spirit. They are versatile at table but make particularly good matches with the local pork sausages and charcuterie. Though often considered a wine that must be drunk young, many of the top crus offer great aging potential.

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Sampling wine out of the barrel.

When buying red Burgundy, I think we should remember:

1. Big wines do not age better than light wine.
2. A so-called great vintage at the outset does not guarantee a great vintage for the duration.
3. A so-called off vintage at the outset does not mean the wines do not have a brilliant future ahead of them.
4. Red Burgundy should not taste like Guigal Côte-Rôtie, even if most wine writers wish it would.
5. Don’t follow leaders; watch yer parking meters.

Inspiring Thirst, page 174