Moulin-à-Vent Gamay from named terroirs, with Champ de Cour's dark fruit and muscular build.
The producer
Édouard Parinet and Brice Laffond manage Château du Moulin-à-Vent, a Moulin-à-Vent producer working across named terroirs. The range includes the fresh, fruity Couvent des Thorins, the darker and more muscular Champ de Cour, the bright Les Vérillats, and the energetic Clos de Londres. Cellar work has moved toward softer extraction, reduced oak ageing and greater whole-bunch fermentation, producing a refined, supple texture.
Known for
Moulin-à-Vent terroir Gamay
Notable facts
Édouard Parinet and Brice Laffond currently manage the property.
Les Vérillats sits at 300m on sandy, shallow soils.
Clos de Londres is a micro-cuvée from 0.56 ha at the windmill base.
Estate winemaking has moved toward softer extraction, reduced oak ageing and greater whole-bunch fermentation.
The story
Parinet Family Repositioning
Jean-Jacques and Édouard Parinet acquired the estate in 2009, and Brice Laffond joined the winemaking team in 2013. Together, they reversed the château's association with light, youthful Beaujolais Nouveau and repositioned it around age-worthy wines. The cellar then moved toward softer extraction, reduced oak ageing and greater whole-bunch fermentation, producing a refined, supple texture. Édouard Parinet and Brice Laffond now manage the property, while the range covers named Moulin-à-Vent terroirs including Champ de Cour, Les Vérillats and Clos de Londres.
From the atlas
Château du Moulin-à-Vent
Château du Moulin-à-Vent makes Gamay from named Moulin-à-Vent terroirs, with Champ de Cour among its darker, more muscular wines.
At A Glance
Appellation
Moulin-à-Vent, Beaujolais
Main grape
Gamay
Signature wine
Champ de Cour
Defining feature
Softer extraction, reduced oak ageing and greater whole-bunch fermentation
The Producer
Édouard Parinet and Brice Laffond currently manage Château du Moulin-à-Vent. The estate's wines come from named Moulin-à-Vent terroirs, including Champ de Cour, Les Vérillats, La Rochelle and Clos de Londres.
Estate winemaking evolved toward softer extraction, reduced oak ageing and greater whole-bunch fermentation. These choices aim for a refined, supple texture in the wines.
Place
Moulin-à-Vent is a Beaujolais appellation for Gamay. The producer's range separates the appellation into wines from multiple terroirs and named sites.
Les Vérillats sits at 300m on sandy, shallow soils, producing wines marked by charm and audacity. La Rochelle comes from granite-silica and clay soils, with wines that can be austere in their youth.
Wines
Couvent des Thorins is the broadest style in the range, a fresh, fruity and accessible wine blended from multiple terroirs. The Château du Moulin-à-Vent reference cuvée is fine.
Champ de Cour combines darker fruit with a muscular build. Its full-bodied palate has lively tannins and a long finish, with a couple of years needed for the wine to soften fully. Les Vérillats is brighter and more vivid, with focused berry and cherry fruit and mineral notes.
La Rochelle is multidimensional and complete, while Clos de Londres is a micro-cuvée from the windmill base that produces wines of great energy.
Final Word
Château du Moulin-à-Vent pairs named-terroir bottlings with softer extraction, reduced oak ageing and greater whole-bunch fermentation. Clos de Londres is a micro-cuvée from 0.56 ha at the windmill base, producing wines of great energy.