Domaine Labruyère - Grande Cuvée 2012

Bettane & Desseauve

About wine:

Full-bodied on the palate, rich fruitiness complemented by more complex notes of balsamic and dried meat, lovely length and a very distinctive signature of the vintage.

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 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:

The Moulin-à-Vent Grande Cuvée 2012 is more generous on the nose than the 2011, with red berries, wild aromas, and a hint of blackcurrant. The palate is medium-bodied, with supple tannins. Drink now through 2017.

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 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.

RVF - Guide des Meilleurs Vins à moins de 20 euros € - Gerbelle & Maurange

About wine:

This slightly bold 2012 vintage retains a pleasant fruit freshness with a well-structured juice that has been carefully aged. It will be perfect for a Sunday meal this winter.