Wine & Spirits - Winter 2017 - 59

Château du Moulin-à-Vent

Domaine Zind-Humbrecht scores a third Top 100 honor in three years, thanks
to exceptional 2014s from biodynamically farmed vines.

New owners have revitalized the historic Château du Moulin-à-Vent and its
vineyards, bringing the estate's wines to the forefront of Beaujolais.

Great Land: Domaine Zind-Humbrecht was formed in 1959 through
the union of the Humbrecht family vineyards in Gueberschwihr and
the Zind family vineyards in Wintzenheim. Over the next 50 years,
the family accumulated an impressive collection of hallowed vineyards-the Clos Jebsal, Clos Windsbuhl and Clos St-Urbain in Rangen de Thann, as well as parcels of Heimbourg, Hangst, Brand and
Sommerberg-expanding the estate to its current 100 acres. Olivier
Humbrecht, MW, and his wife, Margaret, took over the domaine in
1989, converting the vineyards to organic farming, then to biodynamics (certified 2002).

Three Owners in Three Centuries: The Pommier family founded the
Château de Thorins in Moulin-à-Vent, gaining international attention at the Universal Exhibition in London in 1862. Madame Pommier, at the age of 99, presented her family's 1854, '58 and '59 wines,
ranked the best of the Mâcon at the exhibition. In 1911, the Pommiers sold the estate to the Damoy family, who owned a large department store in Paris. They renamed the property Château du Moulinà-Vent, with ambitions to sell their wine at the store, but eventually
lost interest and began selling the grapes to local co-ops. Jean-Jacques
Parinet became the third owner in 2009. He had grown up with Moulin-à-Vent on the dinner table, and had made enough money in IT to
finance the restoration of the estate. Working with his son, Edouard,
and winemaker Brice Laffond, he set out to renovate the cellars and
replant much of the vineyards at high density.

Formidable Pinot Gris: Perhaps it's the biodynamic regime that allowed
Humbrecht's vines to weather the cool, wet 2014 vintage-July saw
almost twice the average rainfall, and August continued cool. Or
maybe it's that he retains 24 farmers on his vineyard staff. Either
way, the 2014 Roche Calcaire Pinot Gris-mostly from Clos Jebsal,
blended with grapes from Clos Windsbuhl and Heimbourg-is a formidable wine, meaty and saturated with golden apple flavor. Decant
it if you open it now, or tuck it away for another decade.

Château du Moulin-à-Vent photos by Franck Juery

Dueling Rieslings: Olivier Humbrecht also turned out two exceptional
rieslings in 2014. The Clos Windsbuhl sits high up a slope
of muschelkalk, a limestone rich in clay and broken
seashells. Protected from the northern winds by
the Vosges Mountains, it's one of the latest sites
that Humbrecht harvests, and often gives
him his most aromatic dry wines. The 2014
took 15 months to finish fermentation, producing a kaleidoscope of fruit in colors of
lemongrass, yellow flowers, pink grapefruit
and red berries. The tense, mineral-tinged
structure is powerful, built to preserve the
Olivier Humbrecht,
wine as it mellows for a few years in the celMW
lar. It's a different sort of power than you'll
find in the 2014 Clos Saint Urbain from the
Rangen de Thann, a steep, south-facing volcanic outcropping at the southern end of the valley.
Graceful and elegant, with a cool, clean purity of fruit,
it's a glorious riesling, saturated in golden peach flavor and salty
in its minerality. -D.G.

Looking North to Burgundy: Laffond began to implement organic and
biodynamic practices in several of the parcels, working to restore the
wines to the level they had achieved early on, when Madame Pommier was investigating the different characteristics of the estate parcels. Laffond is not making Beaujolais with carbonic maceration: He
destems the bunches, cold soaks the fruit, pumps the juice over the
skins before and after fermentation and ages the wines
for 17 months or more in barrel.
Standing Apart: Most of the château's vines are
planted on granite soils, some veined in pink.
Champ de Cour, with its southeastern exposure, is the most clay-dominated terroir
of their holdings. It produced a powerful
2014 with lush, dark fruit and high notes of
violets and irises. The 2014 La Rochelle has
unbridled energy, thanks to the 70-year-old
vines and its warm, southern exposure at
Brice Laffond
the top of the Moulin-à-Vent appellation. It
sits directly in a wind corridor that helps keep
disease at bay and helps the grapes retain brisk
acidity. Pure and plummy, it's Beaujolais with the
finesse of Burgundy, and it may make you think instinctively of country pâté, earthy terrines or roast rabbit. -S.L.

DETAILS & TOP WINES

Founded: 1620 * Winemaker/viticulturist: Olivier
Humbrecht, MW * Owners: Olivier & Margaret Humbrecht
Acres owned: 100 * Annual production: 16,500 cases
Estate grown: 100% * Importer: Kobrand, Purchase, NY
Website: zindhumbrecht.fr

Founded: 1732 * Winemaker/viticulturist: Brice Laffond
Owners: Edouard and Jean-Jacques Parinet * Acres owned:
91.4 * Annual production: 6,500 cases * Estate grown:
100% * Importer: Wilson Daniels, St. Helena, CA
Website: chateaudumoulinavent.com

94 2014 Alsace Rangen de Thann Grand Cru Clos Saint
Urbain Riesling $120 (12/16)
93 2014 Alsace Clos Windsbuhl Riesling $80 (12/16)
93 2014 Alsace Roche Calcaire Pinot Gris $55 (12/16)

94 2014 Moulin-à-Vent Champ de Cour $54 (10/17)
93 2014 Moulin-à-Vent $39 (10/17)
93 2014 Moulin-à-Vent La Rochelle $59 (10/17)

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BUYING GUIDE 2018

TOP 100 WINERIES 2017

Domaine Zind-Humbrecht

http://www.zindhumbrecht.fr http://www.chateaudumoulinavent.com

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