Champ de Cour, Moulin-à-Vent – 2015
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Vineyard Profile
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Champ de Cour is located on a plateau between the hills of the windmill and of Fleurie, with an eastern exposure. The granite surface rocks force the roots to dig down deeply to seek their nutrients. Its clay-rich soil contains five minerals, giving the wine its unique character. The powerful winds blowing on the appellation have a decisive impact on the sanitary state of the vineyards, the maturation and concentration of the berries, and depth that give the wine its instantly recognizable intensity.
- Vineyards: ‘Champ de Cour’ stands at the bottom of the hill below the windmill. The top soil is made of alluvium and clearer colored clay. 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; thanks to the exceptionally clement weather, only five biological treatments of the vines were used this year.
- Size: 3.3 hectares (8.1 acres)
- Vine Age: 35-year old vines
- Soil: Alluvion and clearer colored clay
- Density: 10,000 vines/hectare
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Vintage Report
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2015 is the vintage of the century. Berries were of perfect ripeness, from skin to seeds. The wines are rich, concentrated, powerful. Capable of remarkable ageing.
- Harvest Date(s): Manual harvest from August 27 –September 2, in small 30-liter containers; one sorting table positioned before the destemmer
- Yields: 27 hectoliters per hectare (Normal yields in the region are 45 - 50 hl/ha, while the maximum authorized is 52 hl/ha.)
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Vinification
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85% destemmed; pumping-over during cold prefermentation soak and at the end of fermentation to increase roundness and finesse. Punching the cap at the beginning of fermentation; 21 days extraction to bring out the full potential of the terroirs
- Aging: 12 months, 35% new French oak, medium toast; oak chosen from the Allier and Vosges forests; excellent sourcing of oak from the top coopers Taransaud and François Frères to bring out the wine’s signature aromas and tannins; the origin, grain and toast intensity are chosen according to the characteristics of the vintage.
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Technical Information
- Varietal Composition: 100% Gamay Noir
- Alcohol: 13.5%
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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 – 2015 – Vinous – 93 Points
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.
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Château du Moulin-à-Vent Champ de Cour, Moulin-à-Vent – 2015 – The Wine Advocate – 92 Points
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.
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Château du Moulin-à-Vent Champ de Cour, Moulin-à-Vent – 2015 – Wine & Spirits – 90 Points
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.
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Château du Moulin-à-Vent Champ de Cour, Moulin-à-Vent – 2015 – Wine Enthusiast – 93 Points
From a parcel within one of the top vineyards in Moulin-à-Vent, this wine has weight and spiciness from the wood aging. Its tannins, still young, give both structure and emphasize the richness of the fruit. It provides a fine example of the aging ability of great Beaujolais and will probably not be ready until 2020.