Champ de Cour, Moulin-à-Vent – 2016
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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 (4,047 vines/acre)
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Vintage Report
- Harvest Date(s): Manual harvest from September 20–26, in small 30-liter containers; one sorting table positioned before the destemmer
- Yields: 20 hectoliters per hectare (Normal yields in the region are 45 - 50 hl/ha, while the maximum authorized is 52 hl/ha.) (1.48 tons per acre)
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Vinification
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20% 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, 100% french oak barrels then 6 months in stainless steel tank before bottling, 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: 13.0%
- 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 – 2016 – Burghound – 91 Points
Once again there is ample menthol and wood influence present on the very fresh nose of warm earth, various red berries, plum and a pretty violet whiff. The succulent but decidedly punchy medium-bodied flavors possess a slightly more refined texture while delivering fine length on the ever-so-slightly warm finish. This could use more depth, but the development potential appears up to the task. Worth checking out.
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Château du Moulin-à-Vent Champ de Cour, Moulin-à-Vent – 2016 – Jancis Robinson – 16.5 Points
Pale blackish crimson. Very shaded. Exotically ripe. Too much so? Almost bloody with fine polished tannins. A little gamey.
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Château du Moulin-à-Vent Champ de Cour, Moulin-à-Vent – 2016 – Wine & Spirits – 93 Points
This 7.9-acre parcel faces east on a slope of colluvial deposits from the hills above, the vines growing in granitic sand over clay, producing thick-skinned grapes with relatively high acidity. One-third of this lot aged in barrel, the rest in stainless steel, coming together in an elegant wine that shows its youthful power with finesse. It fills the mouth with silken layers of green plum, pomegranate, herbal spice and floral tension, flavors that last in a complex matrix. Enjoy this over the next four or five years, while waiting for the domaine’s 2016 Les Vérillats to mellow.
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Château du Moulin-à-Vent Champ de Cour — 2016 – Wine Enthusiast – 93 Points
With increasing maturity, this wine has become rich and open. The structure is still there as are perfumed black fruits. This wine still has several years in it, although it is ready to drink now.