This wine is sourced from the terroirs of La Delatte, Les Rouchaux and Les Maisonneuvesin, which are the lower areas of the Moulin-à-Vent appellation. These are terroirs which produce bigger berries with more freshness. Down in the valley between the mountains and the Saône River, the soils are well hydrated, therefore the vines are not stressed. Maturation of the fruit continues without interruption through the summer, and thus the fruit is much better preserved at harvest.

2012 was a very challenging vintage because of the alternating rainy and sunny weather during the summer that resulted in uneven ripening and mixed maturation of the grapes. Yet thanks to the number of Château du Moulin-à-Vent vineyards, the winery selected carefully from the vines at harvest and then again on two sorting tables at the winery. As a consequence, yields were very low (just 16 hl/ha), but the fruit was beautiful and ripe. The wines of 2012 are precise and very tense; it is a vintage to be compared with 2010.

Variable destemming/whole-cluster carbonic maceration for two weeks; pumping-over to break the cap and increase extraction at a maximum of 30 C (86 F) to obtain a rich mouthfeel and intensity of fruit

Light, slightly earthy bouquet; medium-bodied with supple ripe tannins; rich palate of fresh dark fruits. An immediate pleasure, this wine is ready to drink now through 2015+.