This vineyard is at the bottom of the hill, in deep, clay-rich soils. When Patricio Tapia, our critic for Spain, tasted this wine, the bloody, earthy, flowery Beaujolais led him to remark, “Sometimes I get confused between mencía and gamay.” And this does have surprising intensity for a gamay, concentrated in its black-skinned blueberry flavors and bitter jasmine florals. It needs cellar time to rest and relax.

The 2015 Moulin A Vent Champs de Cour comes from granitic soils and is 35% aged in oak using the same percentage of new wood over 12 months. It offers lovely brambly red berry fruit on the nose, crisp and well defined with hints of rose petal. The palate is well balanced with supple, ripe tannin, well judged acidity and neatly integrated oak. There is just a hint of salted licorice that lends complexity to the finish. I love the mouthfeel here, with a touch of graininess towards the finish that lingers long in the mouth.

Deep ruby. Explosive, oak-spice- and mineral-accented aromas of red and dark berry liqueur, incense and vanilla pick up cola and earthy rhubarb notes with aeration. Sweet and deeply concentrated but almost shockingly lively and focused on the palate, offering intense raspberry preserve, cherry cola, spicecake and floral pastille flavors and a bracing jolt of minerality on the back half. Finishes smooth, sweet and extremely long, with resonating floral and spice notes and velvety tannins that come in slowly to add shape and gentle grip.

Revealing notes of sweet berry fruit, espresso roast, smoke, candied peel and plums, framed by a touch of oak spice and vanillin, the 2017 Moulin-à-Vent is medium to full-bodied, fleshy and layered, with a fine but firm chassis of tannin and a delicately wood-inflected finish. This is an elegant middleweight from the Château de Moulin-à-Vent that should come into its own after a year or two in the cellar.

Greyish crimson. Lifted dark wild small berries. Fine, dusty tannins that I associate with granite and top-notch beaujolais, and real finesse – paper-fine tannins, wonderful freshness. Tiny little black-berried fruit. Juicy and yet should age. Dark and savoury on the finish but still juicy.

Opaque ruby. Primary red and dark berries on the deeply perfumed nose, along with a suggestion of pungent flowers. Fleshy, spice-laced blackberry and bitter cherry flavors stretch out and become sweeter with air. Rich but nicely energetic as well, finishing long, broad and juicy, featuring repeating dark fruit character and smooth, harmonious tannins that lend grip.

A more modern, meaty and spicy style with plush, ripe red cherries and red plums. Some roses, too. A very smooth array of tannins and plenty of freshness. Drink now or hold.

There’s black raspberry richness at the center of this wine, concentrated within tannins that draw their power from both grape skins and oak. Brice Laffond destems this fruit, then cold-soaks it with pumpovers before and after fermentation, so there’s no carbonic maceration of the berries. Then he ages it for a year and a half in oak barrels. The barrel spice comes across in notes of cumin and coriander, charred meat and clove, while the fruit is powerful enough to outlast it with generous umami grace. For the cellar.

This wine is beautifully balanced, with rich tannins and great concentration. Ripe black fruits dominate the structure, giving it density that is enhanced by the wood aging. The aftertaste is balanced, juicy and ready to drink.

Opaque ruby. Powerful cherry and blackberry aromas pick up smoky mineral and floral qualities as the wine opens up. Weighty, in the manner of the vintage, but showing very good energy as well, offering gently sweet black currant, cherry and violet pastille flavors that firm up slowly on the back half. Dusty tannins come in late on the finish, which hangs around with suave floral and spice notes. This wine is quite civilized both for the appellation and for the vintage.

This is a blend of fruit from three parcels exposed to the wind; their thick-skinned grapes produced a generously rich wine in 2017. Although only 20 percent aged in barrel, the oak is apparent, melding with the silky tannins, blunting the finish for now. It would open up in the company of a steak.

The 11 acres of 45-year-old vines at Les Vérillats face east into the morning sun, sited at the top of a mass of granite that might as well have layered itself into the wine. This 2016 is all about rock, especially in the powerful tannins, their tension and mineral austerity relieved by bright, tart cherry flavor and deeper blue-fruit tones. It’s youthful and dynamic, showing little influence of the oak barrels in which it aged, other than its preparedness for long aging in bottle.

The 2015 Moulin A Vent Croix des Verillats comes from granitic soils known as "gorrhe" that are rich in manganese. The fruit is 75% de-stemmed and 65% is aged in oak for 12 months, 20% new wood. It has an elegant bouquet with red cherries, wild strawberry and crushed violet aromas. The palate is well balanced with supple tannin, crisp acidity and a lithe, almost citrus fresh finish. The new oak is deftly used here, lending a sheen to the wine without encroaching upon its mineralité or terroir expression. Superb.

The dark berries and lemon zest are very important here. There are also some dried meat and bark undertones. Full body, tight tannins with lots of ripe fruit and a warm finish. A big wine with a backbone that gives it form and focus. Drink now.

Deep ruby-red. Expansive blackberry, cherry and incense qualities on the nose; smoky mineral and potpourri nuances gain strength with aeration. Juicy and impressively concentrated, offering sappy dark berry liqueur, spicecake and violet pastille flavors that show excellent delineation and minerally lift. Shows the heft of the vintage but comes off surprisingly graceful and finishes sweet and long, featuring building spiciness and fine-grained tannins that come in late.

The 2015 Moulin A Vent la Rochelle comes from 85-year-old vines that were cropped at just 20 hectoliters per hectare, and 65% is aged in 50% new oak (Alliers and Vosges) for 12 months. It has a complex bouquet—a mixture of red and black fruit, hints of cold stone and violet. The palate is well balanced with supple redcurrant, cranberry and hoisin notes, fanning out with a structured, salted licorice-tinged finish that leaves the mouth tingling. It is a lovely wine, even if I might just err towards the elegance of the Champ de Cour this year.

Bright violet. Heady cherry, blue fruit and vanilla aromas show very good energy and a spicy accent that gains strength with air. Juicy and concentrated on the palate, offering powerful boysenberry and bitter cherry flavors and a sweetening touch of candied flowers. Closes supple, spicy and very long; youthful tannins frame the energetic dark fruit.

Intense aromas of blackberries, orange peel, and tile with hints of white peppers, all of which follows through to a medium body. Firm, silky tannins and a powerful finish. Shows structure and depth. Drink now or in two or three years. One to keep in the cellar.

This comes from a single vineyard facing southeast across the Saône Valley. Ripe tannins and great concentration are balanced by opulent, spicy fruit and wonderful richness. The wine is just approaching maturity and will benefit from further aging. Drink from 2021.

Deep ruby. Powerful, deep-pitched raspberry liqueur, cherry and floral pastille aromas are lifted and sharpened by a peppery element. Rich and fleshy but energetic as well, offering appealingly sweet red fruit and spicecake flavors that show excellent concentration and are given spine by juicy acidity. Smoothly plays power off vivacity and finishes very long and sappy, with silky tannins lending shape and gentle grip.