Champ de Cour, Moulin-à-Vent — 2018
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Vineyard Profile
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‘Champ de Cour’ stands at the bottom of the hill below the windmill. The top soil is deep and heavier than in the rest of the appellation, it retains more water which scarcely stops the ripening process.
- Viticulture: Lutte raisonnée (“reasoned protection”): natural soil amendments, manual weed control and integrated pest management.
- Size: 3.3 hectares (8.1 acres)
- Vine Age: 35-year old vines
- Soil: Deep granitic soils, rich with clay
- Density: 10,000 vines/hectare (4,047 vines/acre)
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Vintage Report
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A cold and rainy winter led to a warm and dry summer. The first quarter of 2018 was the most humid since 1964. As a consequence, mildew spread fast, but in May and June, sunny conditions dispersed the humidity. “La fleur a coulé” meaning that the clusters were long, loose and with millerandage: the fruit was small and concentrated. Juice is rich and powerful, very specific to the 2018 vintage. The heavy rains in the first quarter of the year enabled good development of the plant. More elegant than 2015, the 2018 will be a powerful one.
- Harvest Date(s): Manual harvest from August 31 – September 10, in small 30-liter containers; two sorting table positioned before the destemmer.
- Yields: 34 hectoliters per hectare (less than 2 tons per acre)
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Vinification
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70% whole cluster; pumping-over during cold per-fermentation soak and at the end of fermentation to increase roundness and finesse. Punching the cap at the beginning of fermentation.
- Aging: 12 months; 20% French oak barrels, 80% stainless steel, then six months in stainless steel tank before bottling, oak chosen from the Allier and Vosges forests.
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Technical Information
- Varietal Composition: 100% Gamay Noir
- Alcohol: 13.0%
- Optimum Drinking: 9+ years, with gradual development over the years. Younger wines should be poured into a carafe one hour before serving.
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Tasting Notes
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The deep red color of the wine offers the first hint of its massive concentration. The nose is an explosion of red fruit, with roasted and spicy (pepper and saffron) notes. A full-bodied wine of considerable elegance, lively tannins and superb length, with a mineral finish.
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Images
Reviews
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Château du Moulin-à-Vent Champ de Cour, Moulin-à-Vent — 2018 – Wine Spectator – 93 Points
This focused, light-to-medium bodied red offers a medley of steeped black cherry, tangy blackberry and apricot notes flanked with tea, cedar and anise elements. A vivid hint of rosewater defines the long finish.
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Château du Moulin-à-Vent Champ de Cour, Moulin-à-Vent — 2018 – Wine & Spirits – 92 Points
A smoky and luxurious barrel scent introduces this wine, woven in harmony with the rose overtones of the fruit. The wine is powerful and gracious, blackberry flavors filling the tannic extract.
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Château du Moulin-à-Vent Champ de Cour, Moulin-à-Vent — 2018 – Decanter – 91 Points
Champ du Cour is a windy single-vineyard sited on typical granite/clay soils. Very attractive violet and peony aromas with intense dark berry and cherry fruit on the palate, backed up with brisk acidity. Refined, elegant Moulin-à-Vent with character but also a lot of class. Slightly grainy tannins suggest a few months in bottle will reap further rewards.