Stephane Aviron Moulin à Vent, 2016

100% Gamay. Stéphane Aviron has adopted an almost radical return to tradition in Beaujolais: sustainable viticulture, extremely old vines and classic Burgundian techniques. His cru Beaujolais drink like fine Burgundy.

Historically considered “poor man’s Burgundy,” a modern movement toward fruity, simple, quaffing wines boosted sales but eroded the region’s traditional quality. Stéphane Aviron has reversed the trend. By focusing on the Beaujolais village crus, the best sites for unique, expressive wines, and finding old parcels of vines, Aviron creates very expressive, age-worthy wines relying on traditional and new methods, including organic and biodynamic vineyard management. All wines are labeled “Vieilles Vignes,” old vines, because the vines are at least 40 years old. Stéphane Aviron’s wines are authentic in every way.

Made only in exceptional years, this wine is a very limited production.  A similar terroir to that of Chenas, this is a very small production wine of four separate parcels with vines averaging 65 years old, but with many over 100 years.  Grapes are vinified separately until time for the final blending and bottling. The must is macerated in temperature controlled stainless steel vats for 12-15 days and then aged for 12-14 months in a combination of new and used oak casks.