This was our final day on the third Southern Burgundy tour and the sun shone brightly. The Beaujolais region was our destination and the specifically the Cru of Moulin a Vent. Beaujolais has ten Cru villages that sit above the Beaujolais and Beaujolais Villages appellations and Moulin a Vent is one the most revered. Our first stop was at Château de Moulin a Vent – an historic estate that dates back to 1732. On all three occasions we have been hosted by Popka Wood. Popka is on a six month internship at the Château while studying Agronomy and the Business of Wine at Dijon University. Extremely knowledgeable and composed, Popka took us through the terroir of Moulin a Vent AOC, the history of the estate and its three family owners and how their Clos de Londres wine won a gold medal at the 1851 London Expo – and thus put this wine region firmly on the quality map. We took in the 15th century cellar and walked into the fabled Clos de Londres vineyard – on a good day you can see Mont Blanc.
It was the tasting though that really transformed the views of many people and forced us all to review some of the negative preconceptions that have been caused by Beaujolais Nouveau phenomenon.
Their estate blend introduced us to the florality and structure. This was followed by three lieu dits wines – all from 2020 – which showed how different terroir can make an appreciable difference to the style of the wine.
We finished off with the Clos de Londres 2015. Only 1600 bottles were made and it was thus a privilege to taste it. It eminently demonstrated the quality, richness and depth that Gamay can deliver. This was an exceptional visit.
Lunch was at Les Maritonnes restaurant in Romaneche-Thorins. Knowing that we had a four course dinner in the evening, I had tried to keep lunch light. Alas, a wonderful plateful of perfectly cooked duck greeted us followed a crunchy chocolate creation and coffee. Dinner was only 6 hours away so hopefully we would feel hungry.
Our second visit was at Château de Poncié in Fleurie. Owned for a long time by Champagne Henriot, it is now under new ownership. Robin Allouin hosted a great visit which took in the history of the estate and lovely little walk into the vineyard to show the terroir and understand the importance of slope and aspect. The estate history dates back to 949AD when a Roman Emperor owned the property and called it Villa Ponciago.
Robin hosted a lively tasting which encompassed a couple of excellent Chardonnays, a Beaujolais Villages and a selection of Fleuries that contrasted terroirs and also allowed us to see the difference between the lighter style of Fleurie and the heavier Moulin a Vent style.
Our final dinner was at Le Poisson d’Or by the river a few kilometres outside Mâcon. Last week we sat outside in 36 degrees and a hot wind. Today we at firmly indoors as the rain thrashed down. However, the atmosphere inside was warm and sunny and Chef Calloud Jefferson delivered another magnificent dinner. A delicious crab creation, followed by perfectly cooked veal, delicious cheeses and an amazing Assiette Gourmande. All washed down with some great St Veran and Fleurie.
Another great tour and an opportunity to really understand this area of Southern Burgundy. The quality was exceptionally high and offered great value.