Moulin-a-Vent La Rochelle

Anita owns a 0.44-hectare parcel of 50-year-old vines in the pink granite soils of Moulin-a-Vent’s La Rochelle vineyard, exposed to the southeast and sitting at 240 meters altitude. In line with her “Coeur de Vigneronne,” this cuvée is produced with a mind to cellaring, and a vertical she presented during our first visit was indeed stunning in its complexity. Fully de-stemmed, this undergoes a three-day pre-fermentation cold soak before spending 24 days macerating with daily punch-downs; aging takes place entirely in used barrels for a full year. Despite its ample structure, the acidity here is bright and ringing, and the tannins are gracious, spreading broadly across the palate. A murmuring undercurrent of warm stones and damp earth elevate this cuvée far beyond the fruit-driven frankness of much Beaujolais.