Château du Moulin-à-Vent : Les Vérillats 2016

Formerly known as the Croix des Vérillats, the 2016 Moulin-à-Vent Les Vérillats unfurls in the glass with notes of plummy, spicy fruit and creamy new oak. On the palate, the wine is medium-bodied, with melting tannins and creditable concentration and acidity given the difficult year, concluding with a wood-inflected finish.

A brooding style, with steeped cherry and raspberry gelée notes, supported by licorice and floral details that are matched to savory hints of herb and black tea on the structured finish. Drink now through 2024. 500 cases made, 20 cases imported.

Fragrant and complex, this is a sophisticated Moulin-à-Vent that has good structure, as well as plenty of sour cherries. The touch of tannin on the finish is already well integrated. Drink or hold.

(This cuvée used to be called Croix des Vérillats; new name from the 2016 vintage.) From a single lieu-dit. Pink granite with shallow soils. Lots of silica – reflects light and doesn’t degrade easily, therefore not much clay. Windy, so the sugars are concentrated. Winds are very important here, says owner Édouard Parinet, especially high up in the cru. 33% aged in tank, 67% in barrel, none new. Greyish crimson. Much more dusty/rocky mineral aroma than their blended Moulin-à-Vent; dark finesse, dark fruit without sweetness. The wine opens up more quickly than the other single-site wines. Almost austere in its freshness and dry texture, paper-fine yet upright. Lightly peppery. (JH)

In Les Vérillats, the rose reveals its timeworn charms with a hint of graphite. Wrapped in a fleshy, winey texture, it embodies the cool presence of the terroir. It will mature gracefully.

The nose is aromatic, powerful and elegant, offering concentration as well as subtle intensity. It reveals notes of blackcurrant, toasted nuances and, more delicately, juicy red berries, combined with hints of vanilla, chocolate, racy minerality, blackberry, fine touches of spice, and a discreet hint of pepper and grilled/coffee. The palate is fruity, balanced, very finely tight, and offers lovely definition, juiciness, a clear guideline, flesh, a mineral framework (racy minerality), fine tension, finesse/delicacy and a discreetly creamy touch. On the palate, this wine shows notes of black cherry, juicy plum and, more lightly, blackcurrant and juicy/crisp red berries, combined with small touches of minerality, chocolate, cardamom, grilled notes and a very discreet floral hint. The tannins are fine, elegant and finely firm. Good length. (2020)