2012 Moulin a Vent Croix des Verillats

Single east-facing windy vineyard on granite with manganese from a very small crop: 12 hl/ha. 300m, next to La Rochelle. 65-year-old vines. All destemmed before a three-week cuvaison. Aged for 15 months in oak of which 15% was new – mainly 350 litre. Very good marriage between juicy, refreshing fruit and the oak. Really smooth texture and great drive and refreshment. Succulent fruit. Very fine. Almost delicate. Certainly intricate in terms of flavour elements. (JR)

The 2012 Moulin-a-Vent Croix de Verillats comes from 45-year-old vines and was cropped at just 16 hectoliters per hectare. It offers attractive black currant and boysenberry scents on the nose: straightforward but well-defined and gaining intensity in the glass. The palate is medium-bodied with a sweet and very supple entry. The acidity is well-judged and it feels harmonious in the mouth, the finish sensual and beautifully poised. This delicious Moulin-a-Vent should drink well over the next 6 to 8 years. Drink now-2022. . The historic Chateau du Moulin-a-Vent traces its roots back to 1732, its name deriving from the windmill that crowns the hill of “Les Thorins.” Indeed, the estate was known as Chateau des Thorins until the introduction of the AOC in 1936. The celebrated French poet Alphonse de Lamartine is said to have fallen head over heels for the property and the daughter of its proprietor, Philiberte Pommier. In 2009, Jean-Jacques Parinet acquired the estate and he set about replanting 70,000 vines and overhauling the old wine cellar. There are now 37 hectares of vines that are treated lutte raisonee, with attention paid to specific terroirs within the vineyard, and that was borne out in a selection of very fine 2012s, which made the most of a very challenging vintage. Most of these wines are due for release in the United States in 2015 with the exception of the Couvent des Thorins. Importer: Wilson Daniels, St. Helena, CA. Also available through Flint Wines and Berry Brothers & Rudd in the UK.