Domaine Janin Moulin à Vent Clos du Tremblay 2013

Description

“The Janin’s estate is one of the leading lights of the Romanèche Thorins.  Its manicured vineyards are predominantly planted in manganese rich soils that emphasize the wines spicy, very original taste of terroir and improve their ageing potential.”  Bettane & Desseauve’s Guide to the Wines of France.

This is the area of Burgundy that delivers the greatest values in red wines and when you consider that quality Moulin à Vent can easily live and develop for 40 to 50 years …  you can hardly have too much of the stuff.  From the particularly small, but excellent ripe harvest of 2013 – which yielded Janin an average of just 26 hl/ha –  you can expect something really special from a grower of this calibre.

Janin’s seven hectares of Moulin à Vent vines are scattered over 10 different parcels.  Old vines, low yields and organic/biodynamic viticulture are the norm.  No wonder La Revue du Vin de France lists Janin as amongst their top six Beaujolais growers.  The wines are raised in the same huge 35/hl barrels first purchased by Eric Janin’s grandfather and are neither fined nor filtered.  They are some of the most age worthy wines from the region with a structured, mineral, ferrous intensity that screams “granite “.  This is in fact one of the very few Beaujolais estates forced to strictly allocate their wines … hence the very limited quantities we have available!

From one of Moulin à Vent’s historic vineyards, this single site cuvée has become a beacon for the entire region.  The Clos du Tremblay is a 2 hectare parcel of very old vines (80 to 100 years).  The clos was historically enclosed by a stone wall whose legacy is now only visible from the sky.  The name Tremblay is also a throwback to the past. this was the name given to the climat when it was first granted A.O.C status in 1936.  Today, you won’t find the name on any map as it has been renamed Les Burdelines.  The twisted old bush vines in this parcel produce some of Beaujolais’ smallest yields of intensely flavoured Gamay berries.  The ripe fruit and stems are perfectly suited to the 100% whole bunch vinification that Janin chooses to apply to this site.  The soils, strewn with clumps of pink granite and rich in a high concentration of manganese, play a major part in the wine’s character and pungent, smoky mineral aromatics and flavour.  In short, 2013 gives great Clos du Tremblay.  It’s an intensely fruited, yet also savoury and sappy wine with loads of powdery tannins and racy acidity underpinning the wines layered sweet fruit.  Even though Janin recommends at least 5-7 years before this terroir begins to express itself, the quality of 2013 makes this pretty damn good drinking now.  Of course it’s tightly wound and in need of air and food if served now, but if you are feeling like a wine with some genuine structure and savoury intensity, go for it!  Janin believes it will still be going strong in 20 30+ years time – and we don’t doubt him for a second.

RRP $65