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Château du Moulin.à.Vent

Press Kit

Mou l i n . à .Ven t

appellation Moulin-à-Vent contrôlée

• www.chateaudumoulinavent.com •

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Summary

Château du Moulin.à.Vent / 03 / Introduction

/ 04 / A prestigious history / 06 / The vineyards and the know-how of Château . à .Ven t M o u du l i nMoulin-à-Vent appellation Moulin-à-Vent contrôlée

/ 09 / The wines / 13 / In the most prestigious French restaurants / 14 / Press releases / 15 / Contact

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Introduction Château du . .

Moulin à Vent Château du Moulin-à-Vent is located in the middle of the renowned Moulin-à-Vent appellation in the southernmost tip of the Burgundy region. The estate stretches over 30 ha of vineyards and contains plots of exceptional quality, that belong to some of the greatest terroirs of the appellation, including Champ de Cour, La Rochelle, Les Vérillats, Les Thorins, La Roche and Les Caves.01 The Château’s fame goes back to the 19th century and its then owner,MPhiliberte Pommier (1763-1862), ou l i n . à .Ven t brought its wines local and international recognition.

Her 1854 vintage won a best wine award at the Universal Exhibition in London 1862, highlighting the wine’s great suitability for ageing.

Another figure indelibly linked with Château du Moulin-à-Vent is Alphonse de Lamartine, who was passionate both about the Chateau’s wines and Henriette Pommier, Philiberte’s daughter. appellation Moulin-à-Vent contrôlée

Château du Moulin-à-Vent is now owned

by Jean-Jacques Parinet, whose philosophy is to use this exceptional heritage to drive the excellence of the wines made on the estate. He is helped in this task

by Guillaume Berthier, the estate’s winemaker.

01- David Schildknecht - The Wine Advocate - August 2011

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A prestigious history Château du Moulin-à-Vent, or Château des Thorins as it was formerly called, is located within the finest terroirs of the Moulin-à-Vent appellation and includes the celebrated Thorins plot.

Here is an overview of the château’s rich history.

Château du Moulin.à.Vent

Before 1732 / Louis XIV brings Thorins wines into the Court History has it that it was in the 17th century that Romanèche-Thorins began to be drunk at the Court of the King of France. A winemaker named Claudius Brosse reached the capital after 33 days of travel with his oxcart, which he had filled with wine from the Thorins hillsides. Arriving at Versailles, he drew the eye of King Louis XIV himself, M o u lMoulin-à-Vent i n . à . Vcontrôlée eitnfit t for the Court of France. who, after tasting Brosse’sappellation wine, declared Although it was not yet called Moulin-à-Vent, Thorins wine had already acquired its reputation for excellence.

1732 / Château du Moulin-à-Vent is built and makes Thorins wines.

The first written mentions of the Château date back to 1732 and the records show that wine had in all likelihood been made from the same vineyards since the 16th century,.

In the 18th century, the Château was called Château des Thorins after the hamlet named “Les Thorins” or “Les Torreins” where it was located, and whose vineyards had already gained a reputation for quality, as attested by historical documents of the time and success at the royal court.

La Géographie de nos villages ou dictionnaire du Maconnais, published by Citoyen Puthod, in Mâcon, in the year 8 of the Republic (1801), describes Torreins as follows: “… There is an old proverb of Beaujolais: Every wine is good with a meal, but a meal can’t be enjoyed without Torreins. The merit of this wine is that it is firm, but supple, it has good body but also has lightness, it is ruby coloured and transparent, with a flattering nose and a delicate taste...”

The Château and its vines have only been sold twice in its long history, in 1911 and in 2009, which shows its strong sentimental attachment and emblematic character.

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1763-186 / Philiberte, the pioneer The exceptional qualities of Moulin-à-Vent were first detected by Philiberte Pommier, who noticed that the plots around the Château each had distinct features.

She set about organising the terroirs of the estate, which was called Château des Thorins at the time. Philiberte noticed that a plot next to the chateau had the perfect soil for bringing out the characteristics of the Gamay grape.

In 1862, Philiberte was 99 years old and she finally achieved the recognition her efforts deserved, when her 1854, 1858 and 1859 vintages were ranked the best wines in the Macon region at the Universal Exhibition in London in 1862.

The award for the 1854 vintage, bottled some 8 years before, highlighted another aspect of Philiberte’s pioneering work, her insistence that the wines of the Château could age successfully.

Much of Philiberte Pommier’s philosophy, including individual plots and wine ageing, have rubbed off on Jean-Jacques Parinet.

Château du Moulin.à.Vent

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M o u by lMoulin-à-Vent i nlove à Vcontrôlée e nChâteau t 1811 / Lamartine intoxicated at du Moulin à Vent appellation

French writer, poet and politician, Alphonse de Lamartine, fell madly in love at Château du Moulin à Vent. In a letter he wrote to his close friend Aymar de Virieu, he goes on at length about Marie-Henriette Pommier, the daughter of Philiberte.

“She’s a young woman of 20, small and with a very pretty figure, reserved, knowledgeable and with an excellent education and considerable talents, who fills the days painting or learning Italian or studying other subjects still more difficult, dancing like an angel and with the most reasonable character.

She is an only daughter and possesses a dowry of nearly 50,000 ecus, she has been raised by a mother who adores her and a good-natured father, she is independent of spirit and conducts herself like a young English girl...

As we had much in common, I soon became her friend and thence I had the misfortune to become intoxicated by love.”

In between his many travels, Lamartine became a regular visitor to the Chateau in 1811 and 1812, drawn by his love of Marie-Henriette Pommier. However, the liaison did not meet with his father’s approval and Lamartine was forbidden to see Marie-Henriette any more.

In a later letter he wrote to Aymar de Virieu on 27 May 1812, Lamartine tells how the relationship ended: “… Complaints have been voiced of my supposed coldness, and my parents’ opposition to this union, and I was finally told that in the interest of propriety and the young girl herself, we must separate and bid each other farewell...”

Lamartine was sent off on a trip to Italy to put an end to his relationship with Marie-Henriette and his visits to the Château, for which French literature will be eternally grateful. Many invocations of the Château and his Italian trip are to be found in Lamartine’s poetry and writings.

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Château du

The vineyards and know-how .àthe .Vent Moulin of Château du Moulin-à-Vent Château du Moulin-à-Vent seeks to bring out the individual identity and characteristics of each of the 91 plots in its vineyards. The 30 hectares are planted with a density of 9000 vines per hectare. Yields are kept low to bring out the specific features of the soils.

The granite soil is rich in iron oxide, copper and manganese, and provides ideal conditions for the appellation’s single varietal, Gamay noir à jus blanc (Black Gamay with white juice).

The specific minerality of each soil, (clay, granite sand, etc.), its exposure and the depth of the vine roots produce fruit characteristic of the individual terroir.

Mou l i n . à .Ven t

appellation Moulin-à-Vent contrôlée

The seven remarkable terroirs of Château du Moulin-à-Vent Château du Moulin-à-Vent wines owe their special character to the excellent quality of the terroirs within the estate. The vineyards are located right in the middle of the Moulin-à-Vent appellation, and are planted around the Château and the Mill. The terroirs (or climats as they were once known) enjoy very different soils and exposures, which produce wines of a very high quality and with the different characteristics that make the plot-specific crus so interesting.

The following are some of our finest terroirs.

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Les Vérillats / 2,89 hectares Pink granite sand down to 30 cm, and then a layer of rock that the roots cannot penetrate. The grapes are harvested early.

Château du Moulin.à.Vent

Le Champ de Cour / 3,20 hectares The most clay-dominated of the terroirs of Moulin-à-Vent (yellow and white clays).

The plateau of Champ de Cour is located in the middle of the appellation and has a cool, mineral soil. South-eastern exposure.

Les Thorins / 4,20 hectares Famed for being chosen by Louis XIV. Red clay and sand.

South-western exposure. . .

Mou l i n à Ven t

appellation Moulin-à-Vent contrôlée

Le Moulin-à-Vent / 3,71 hectares Under a layer of sand, the roots can grow down through altered granite.

Northern exposure. This plot includes the Clos du Château, which grows truly remarkable grapes.

Aux Caves / 4,15 hectares The steepest slope of the Château terroirs, with red clay.

La Roche / 0,63 hectares A terroir renowned for its high manganese content.

La Rochelle / 0,37 hectares.

A circle-shaped terroir , probably the warmest of the appellation.

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Château du The vines: . .

Moulin à fruit Vent Respecting the Château du Moulin-à-Vent has adopted integrated control in its vineyards and natural soil amendment, with manual weed control and very few chemical products. An annual soil preparation program encourages the roots of the vines to dig down deep and also aerates the substrates to help the vines benefit from the terroir. The finest plots are manually disbudded to encourage maturity and concentration. The trellised plots are managed according to the weather to maximise leaf exposure and photosynthesis.

The grapes are picked manually, and transported immediately to the winery in small containers to avoid juice pre-oxidation and prevent the clusters getting crushed Mou l i n . à .Ven t

appellation Moulin-à-Vent contrôlée

Vinif ication and ageing: Bringing out the character and elegance of the wines Maceration time and the use of de-stemming or whole bunch fermentation vary according to the richness and concentration of the grapes and their terroir.

Château du Moulin-à-Vent barrels come from the finest coopers.

The capacity, wood, grain and toast intensity are carefully chosen for each individual wine, which is then aged the time needed to strike the ideal balance between fruit and structure, and keep the identity of each wine.

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Château du .à.Vent Moulin The wines With strictly controlled cultivation and vinification, Château du Moulin-à-Vent’s three flagship wines are outstanding examples of terroir wines.

— Château du Moulin-à-Vent is vinified to . V efull Mbring o u l i out n . àthe n texpression appellation Moulin-à-Vent contrôlée of the Moulin-à-Vent appellation.

— Château du Moulin-à-Vent / Croix des Vérillats The charm and suppleness is brought out by a sandy granite soil.

— Château du Moulin-à-Vent / Champ de Cour The vine roots dig down deep into the clay soil to reveal the minerality and structure that make an outstanding wine.

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Château du Moulin.à.Vent

Mou l i n . à .Ven t

appellation Moulin-à-Vent contrôlée

Château du Moulin-à-Vent the soul of the appellation

The best Moulin-à-Vent wines are known to be strong, balanced and elegant. Château du Moulin-à-Vent expresses this Moulin-à-Vent identity like no other.

Tasting notes / A handsome, deep red colour with purple tints and lovely aromas, with perfectly mature red and black fruit, hints of spice and floral notes of rose, peony and violet . Good body with fine tannins and good length, finishing on a spicy note.

Terroir / Château du Moulin-à-Vent is made from old vines planted on the great terroirs of la Rochelle, les Thorins, Moulin-à-Vent and la Roche. The granite subsoil is rich in iron oxide, copper and manganese.

Varietal / Manually-harvested Gamay noir à jus blanc (Black Gamay with white juice).

Vinif ication / 15 to 20 days vinification to bring out all the potential of the terroirs. Over 10 months ageing, using barrels made by the finest coopers, to bring out the wine’s signature aromas and tannins.

Cellaring / Up to 10 years.

An excellent cellaring potential, with gradual development over the years.

Younger wines should be poured into a carafe one hour before serving.

Food pairings / Rib of beef, white rind cheese, red fruit tarts.

Packaging / Available in cartons of 6 or 12 bottles of 75cl.

Magnums of 150cl.

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Château du Moulin.à.Vent

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Mou l i n à Ven t Château du Moulin-à-Vent appellation Moulin-à-Vent contrôlée

Croix des Vérillats charm and suppleness

Château du Moulin-à-Vent / Croix des Vérillats is made from carefully-selected plots on the Les Vérillats lieu-dit. The combination of a sandy soil, an east exposure and specific ageing process produces a wine with silky tannins and a deep, soft body.

Tasting notes / Croix des Vérillats has a deep red colour with an intense nose of black fruit, unusual for the appellation.

The mouth is full and supple, with a delicious smoothness balanced by the freshness of the fruit and spices.

Terroir / Croix des Vérillats has an east exposure, a terroir of pink granite, rich in iron oxide, copper and manganese, and an exceptionally sandy soil atypical of a great terroir of the appellation .

Varietal / Manually-harvested Gamay noir à jus blanc (Black Gamay with white juice).

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Vinif ication / Vinified in tun for almost a month. Over 10 months ageing in barrels, where the origin, grain and toast intensity are chosen according to the vintage.

Cellaring / A wine which can be enjoyed in its youth or cellared for up to 10 years.

Food pairings / Duck breasts cooked with honey, ewe cheese, full-flavoured chocolate. Should be served at between 16 and 18°C. Packaging / Available in cartons of 6 or 12 bottles of 75cl or magnums of 150cl.

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Château du Moulin.à.Vent

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Mou l i n à Ven t Château du Moulin-à-Vent appellation Moulin-à-Vent contrôlée

Champ de Cour minerality and structure

Château du Moulin-à-Vent / Champ de Cour is a plot-specific wine from the great Champ de Cour terroir. Champ de Cour is a plateau which enjoys south-east exposure, with a clay-rich soil containing 5 minerals, giving the wine its unique consistency. Champ de Cour is a complex wine with a superb expression of red fruit and a remarkable minerality.

Tasting notes / The deep red colour of the wine offers the first hint of its massive concentration. The nose is an explosion of red fruit, with empyreumatic and spicy (pepper and saffron) notes. A full-bodied wine of considerable elegance, lively tannins and superb length, with a mineral finish.

Terroir / The Champ de Cour plateau has a south-eastern exposure where the surface granite rock forces the roots to dig down deep to seek their nutrients.

The vines are protected against inclement weather and, every vintage, produce grapes of consistent quality that give the wine its instantly recognisable intensity.

Varietal / Manually-harvested Gamay noir à jus blanc (Black Gamay with white juice).

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Vinif ication / Vinified in tun for almost a month . Over 10 months ageing in barrels, where the origin, grain and toast intensity are chosen according to the vintage.

Cellaring / A wine which will reach its peak after 10 to 20 years cellaring.

Younger wines should be poured into a carafe before drinking.

Food pairings / Game, monkfish, mature cheese. Should be served at between 16° and 18°C. Packaging / Available in cartons of 6 or 12 bottles of 75cl or magnums of 150cl.

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Château du .Ventrestaurants Moulin.àFrench In the most prestigious — Apicius — L’Arpège — La Maison Blanche à Paris — La Maison Courtine — La Place, Radisson Paris — La Tour d’Argent — Aux Lyonnais (Alain Ducasse) — Le Bistrot d’André — Le Comptoir du 7 — L e Cristal Room Baccarat — Le Grand Véfour —

— Le Moulin du Béchet — Le Pavillon Ledoyen — Le Petit Vanves — Le Restaurant . .

Mou l i n à Ven t appellation Moulin-à-Vent contrôlée de l’Unesco — Stéphane Martin — Le Saint Laurent — Le Vin qui Danse — Le restaurant Guy Savoy — Le Pavillon Ledoyen — La Table du Baltimore — Le Carré des Feuillants — Le Laurent —

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Press releases For those who believe that good Beaujolais is more about blending than specific plots need only taste Château du Moulin-à-Vent, Croix des Vérillats and Champ de Cour to be convinced otherwise. The straight Moulin-à-Vent is indeed a blend but the other two individual vineyard wines could hardly be more different(…). In a word, terrific.

Château du Moulin.à.Vent

Allen Meadows – Burghound – October 2011.

Burghound mark: 92 (best mark ever for a Beaujolais wine)

Jean-Jacques Parinet – along with his vineyard and cellar manager Guillaume Berthier, and commercial director Gilles Herr – is out to revive an estate whose 74 acres (and slightly more numerous parcels) arguably constitute collectively the largest single share of top acreage in the Moulin-a-Vent appellation, and to render wines that will be flatteringly compared with those the great Pinots of the Cote d’Or. Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate (by David Schildknecht). Parker mark: 91 Mou l i n . à .Ven t

… A château, the most eminent of its appellation, which returns to the forefront with the colossal 2009 vintage, a rounded, nicely spiced wine with hidden depths concealed behind an enticing initial appeal…. appellation Moulin-à-Vent contrôlée

Bernard Burtschy - Le Figaro Magazine – October 2010

… The prestige of the Moulin-à-Vent appellation is based on the quality and specific features of its terroir and Château du Moulin-à-Vent enjoys the full benefits of the special geology of reputed terroirs such as les Vérillats, Champ de Cour and les Thorins, which would fully deserve a premier cru ranking… The owner of the estate and winemaker Guillaume Berthier are aiming to get the very best out of these wines by making the terroir the focal point of the estate’s winemaking.

Périco Légasse – Marianne - February 2011

… A splendid estate of 30 hectares, with an ideal location next to the famous mill.

The new team could hardly have chosen a better vintage for their first wine than the sumptuous 2009…

Le Guide Bettane et Desseauve des Vins de France 2012

… A lot of money has been put into the vineyards and the cellar of this 30 ha estate, which contains well-known terroirs, such as les Vérillats and Champ de Cour.

Winemaker Guillaume Berthier has all he needs to make terroir-dominated wines…

Le Guide des meilleurs vins de France 2012

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Château du .à.Vent Moulin Contact

Château du Moulin-à-Vent 4, rue des Thorins - Le Moulin-à-Vent 71570 Romanèche Thorins France tél. +33 (0)3 85 35 50 68 info@chateaudumoulinavent.com Mou l i n . à .Ven t appellation Moulin-à-Vent contrôlée

Monsieur Edouard Parinet - Owner tel. +33 (0)1 44 18 93 71 cell. +33 (0)6 44 16 46 96 e.parinet@chateaudumoulinavent.com

Monsieur Gilles Herr - Associate tel. +33 (0)1 44 18 93 71 cell. +33 (0)6 30 12 01 20 g.herr@chateaudumoulinavent.com

You can now visit our website: www.chateaudumoulinavent.com

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