2013 Moulin a Vent Vieilles Vignes
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Tasting notes
15-10% whole bunch, using the stems of the best bunches from the first of two passes through the vineyard. 15% new oak. Bottled May 2015. The VV is his biggest-volume wine, from 8 different parcels. A late and difficult vintage with only 30% of the crop selected. Slightly deeper crimson than the 2014. The oak is more in evidence on the nose with a touch of vanilla sweetness but also the darker – more rocky/mineral – quality that I find in the Liger-Belair wines. Spice and pepper to the fore. Less open and generous than the 2014, even tighter and needing more time, the structure is more obvious as the fruit is less rich. Finesse and freshness still dominate the finish. As the wine opened up, the whole-bunch component became more evident in a lightly stemmy/herbal quality but not at all in excess. (JH)
Critic scores
Average Score
Jancis Robinson MW
Julia Harding MW, jancisrobinson.com
More reviews and scores
The 2013 Moulin-à-Vent Vieilles Vignes has a tightly wound, "rocky" bouquet that appears to have closed down a little since I tasted it earlier this year, but the palate is lively with good structure and a welcome touch of bitterness towards the finish, yet demonstrating both persistence and class. This is very fine although perhaps more patience will be required that I initially thought.
The 2013 Moulin-à-Vent Vieilles Vignes comes from 60- to 80-year-old vines. It has a very subtle and complex bouquet of blackberry, boysenberry and mineral scents that unfold in the glass. The palate is medium-bodied with supple black fruit on the entry, but the back end exerts quite a grip. It does not quite have the panache of other vintages that I have tasted, but it is still an impressive Moulin-à-Vent that will repay those with the patience to cellar for several years.
Exceptionally dark – blackish purple! Intense nose but a little brutal at this stage. Very different from the Beaujolais norm. Tough finish for the moment. Ambitious but it is not displaying its charms yet. (JR)