Château du Moulin-à-Vent, témoin de l'oeuvre du temps
Combining history, terroir and ageing, this tour is the most complete incursion into the estate. Enjoy 7 wines, including a rare vertical!
A benchmark estate since 1732, Château du Moulin-à-Vent lies at the heart of the appellation of the same name. Nestling among the vines, it houses a chapel at its heart. Situated on the emblematic 'Thorins' terroir from which it inherits its name, it is the former crossroads of the hamlet,
and was incorporated into the estate at the end of the 19th century.
Combining history, terroir and ageing, this visit is the most complete incursion into the estate.
From the privileged vantage point of the terrace overlooking the appellation, they discover the specific characteristics of Moulin-à-Vent: its granite soils and their characteristic expression of pink sand, the impact of the winds that blow over the AOC and the estate, and the diversity of the terroirs, of which 5 of the 69 can already be seen, with their very different environments.
different environments. A dive into the history of the Château immerses them in 3 centuries of history, alongside the great families who have carried the estate forward, their faith still intact today.
In the winery, the focus is on the technical side of things, with explanations of our methods and choices. Here, we decipher the genesis of our wines, from harvesting to ageing, which takes place in the estate's vaulted cellar, which dates back to the 16th century.
The highlight of the tour is a visit to the estate's flagship vineyard, Clos de Londres. Located on the "Le Moulin-à-Vent" terroir, it offers a view of the historic windmill, an icon of the appellation. It was here, on this plot, that our most ambitious adventures began:
From the switch to organic viticulture to the launch of massal selection and the production of our first micro-cuvées, this is where we understand the raison d'être and the raison d'être of the estate.
We then offer a vertical tasting in the Chapelle des Thorins. The Château du Moulin-à-Vent cuvée, the estate's benchmark, is tasted against the backdrop of the 2005, 2011, 2015 and 2020 vintages. These often rare bottles have been kept in the estate's private cellars,
under optimum ageing conditions and illustrate the ageing potential of our wines. The tasting concludes with an assessment of our parcel selections for the current vintage: 'Les Vérillats', 'Champ de Cour' and 'La Rochelle'.