Burgundian Louis Boillot was not looking to expand outside the Cote d’Or, but when he saw the quality of old-vine terroir available in Beaujolais, he found it ‘irresistible’; he told me he chose Moulin-à-Vent over any other Beaujolais village because the terroirs here are closer to those of the Cote d’Or. Louis’ son Clement is now increasingly involved in managing the domaine (and Clement is also increasingly involved in managing his mother Ghislaine Barthod’s domaine, as well). The decision to acquire a Fleurie vineyard was very much Clement’s, when he came across a plot for sale he thought they couldn’t say ‘no’ to.

While in their Cote d’Or wines the Boillots destem everything, in a nod to Beaujolais tradition and practice they use some whole bunches in their Moulin-a-Vent and Fleurie fermentations. Finely-made, ageworthy, single-vineyard cru Beaujolais. (NT 30/08/23)