Domaine Labruyère - Moulin-à-Vent Coeur de Terroirs 2018

Bettane & Desseauve

About the estate:

The Labruyère estate is one of the oldest in the Moulin-à-Vent appellation. In 1850, Jean-Marie Labruyère, a winegrower, settled in Les Thorins, a hamlet in Romanèche-Thorins. Since then, successive generations have managed the estate's 10 hectares. During this period, the family acquired the appellation's only clos, the Clos du Moulin-à-Vent. In 2008, Édouard Labruyère took over the estate with the aim of raising it to the top of the appellation. Under the expertise of oenologist Nadine Gublin (also in charge of the Jacques Prieur estate and JM Labruyère champagnes), the estate has taken on a new dimension in recent vintages. The wines, which can sometimes be austere when first opened, demonstrate a depth and complexity that lives up to the ambitions set out a decade ago. Clos-du-Moulin-à-Vent holds its own, with a superb success in 2017.

Guide Hachette des vins

About wine:

With beautiful depth, this cuvée—the 2015 version of which was awarded a Favorite develops a rich and intense bouquet of ripe black fruits and peony, tinged with woody nuances and hints of cocoa.

About the estate:

After making their fortune in retail, the Labruyères invested in wine, buying shares in Dom. Jacques Prieur in Meursault in 1988. Since 2008, they have also reconnected with their Beaujolais roots: an ancestor settled in Les Thorins in 1850, notably operating the renowned Clos du Moulin-à-Vent monopoly. Édouard Labruyère took over the property, keeping only the finest plots. The vineyard now covers 14 hectares.

Robert Parker - Wine Advocate

About wine:

Aromas of sweet berries, spices, smoked meats, and candied peel introduce the Moulin-à-Vent Cœur de Terroirs Vieilles Vignes 2018, a medium-bodied to full-bodied wine that is round and fleshy, deep and succulent, with lively acidity and a generous heart of fruit.

About the estate:

2018 is the finest vintage I have tasted to date from Domaine Labruyère. Not only was the Moulin-à-Vent finally spared by hail—which devastated the appellation in 2016 and 2017 — but the 2018s are the most integrated wines I have tasted from the estate to date, with their aging giving a much more discreet aromatic and structural contribution than was the case in previous vintages I have encountered. The winemaking at this estate is what is sometimes referred to as Burgundian: the grapes are destemmed and macerated for two to three weeks in concrete vats before being aged in barrels and demi-muids.

RVF - La Revue du Vin de France / Guide des Meilleurs Vins de France

About wine:

A beautiful introduction that showcases the richness of the vintage and the typical characteristics of the cru. Still lively, notes of blue fruit and graphite stand out. It will be ready in two years.

About the estate:

The Labruyère family has owned this château since 1850. Jean-Pierre Labruyère, who also owns the Jacques Prieur estate in Meursault and Château Rouget in Pomerol, handed over the reins to his son Édouard in 2008. The winery has been modernized and the estate expanded. In 2000, Clos du Moulin-à-Vent was added to the estate. Nadine Gublin is in charge of the cellar and Michel Rovere is in charge of the vineyards. The Burgundy-style vinification process (destemming followed by barrel aging) produces wines with full but smooth tannins that age beautifully.

Wine Enthusiast

About wine:

This producer also owns vineyards in Burgundy and practices Burgundian aging in Beaujolais. Selected from different plots on the estate, this wine is richly textured and fragrant. The tannins are well integrated with the black fruit flavors. Drink this wine from 2022 onwards.