Domaine Labruyère - Moulin-à-Vent Coeur de Terroirs 2021

The Labruyère estate is one of the oldest in the Moulin-à-Vent appellation. In 1850, Jean-Marie Labruyère, a vineyard worker, settled in Les Thorins, a hamlet of Romanèche-Thorins. Since then, successive generations have managed the estate’s 10 hectares. During this time, the family acquired the appellation’s only clos, the Clos du Moulin-à-Vent. In 2008, Édouard Labruyère took over the estate with the goal of establishing it as one of the appellation’s leading producers. Under the guidance of winemaker Nadine Gublin (who also oversees the Jacques Prieur estate and JM Labruyère champagnes), the estate has reached new heights in recent vintages. The wines, which can be austere upon first opening, reveal a depth and complexity that live up to the ambitions set forth a decade ago. Clos du Moulin-à-Vent holds its own, with a superb 2017 vintage.

After making their fortune in the retail industry, the Labruyères invested in wine, purchasing shares in Dom. Jacques Prieur in Meursault in 1988. Since 2008, they have also reconnected with their Beaujolais roots: an ancestor had settled in Les Thorins in 1850, managing, among other things, the renowned Clos du Moulin-à-Vent monopoly. Édouard Labruyère took over the estate, retaining only the finest plots. The vineyard now covers 14 hectares.

The Moulin-à-Vent Coeur de Terroirs Vieilles Vignes 2021, which accounts for the majority of this year’s production due to the challenging growing conditions of the vintage, is a blend of grapes from the Le Carquelin, Champ de Cour, and Le Clos du Moulin-à-Vent plots. It offers an elegant nose with aromas of spiced plums, red berries, citrus zest, and geranium petals. On the palate, lively acidity forms the backbone, supported by flavors of velvety purple fruits and sweet spices, all underpinned by a subtle thread of light tannins.

2018 is the finest vintage I’ve tasted to date from Domaine Labruyère. Not only was the Moulin-à-Vent finally spared from hail—which devastated the appellation in 2016 and 2017 —but the 2018s are the most integrated wines I’ve tasted from the estate to date; their aging has resulted in a much more subtle contribution to aroma and structure than was the case in the previous vintages I’ve encountered. The winemaking process here is what is sometimes referred to as “Burgundian-style”: that is, the grapes are destemmed and macerated for 2 to 3 weeks in concrete tanks before aging in barrels and demi-muids.

With its carefully selected vineyard plots, this 2021 vintage reaches a rare level of excellence! We must commend the success of “Coeur de Terroirs” in this truly unique vintage. The nose offers a fresh profile without any vegetal notes, featuring hints of wild cherries and fresh raspberries. On the palate, it is refined, dynamic, and precisely structured. A wine with great aging potential.

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 winemaking facility has been modernized, and the estate expanded. In 2000, the Clos du Moulin-à-Vent was added to the vineyard holdings. Nadine Gublin is in charge of the cellar, and Michel Rovere oversees the vineyards. The “Burgundian” winemaking method (destemming followed by barrel aging) produces wines with full yet smooth tannins that age beautifully.

This is a flavorful and subtly spicy red wine, with a nose revealing notes of forest floor and smoke, as well as aromas of moss, roasted porcini mushrooms, and black fruits. It offers a lovely roundness, a silky and refined texture on the palate, and depth and savory complexity. Enjoy now or celller.