Chateau du Moulin-a-Vent Lieu-dits Mixed Case - 2020

(2020) Burghound 92:Discreet if very pretty aromas grudgingly offers up a broad array of floral nuances on the ripe aromas of both red and blue gamay, pepper and spice wisps. The succulent and delicious medium-bodied flavors possess good verve as well as good detail, all wrapped in a solidly powerful, compact and serious finale that delivers excellent length. This too is very good and notably denser if perhaps not quite as refined while also offering fine value.

(2020) Wine Enthusiast 91: Full bodied, this wine has ripe tannins and layers of black fruits. Acidity and structure mark it out for long-term aging, giving a rich wine that should be ready from 2025.

(2020) Burghound 91: A more expressive if still relatively restrained nose is compositionally similar though in this case, there is more spice but less floral influence. Once again the medium-bodied flavors are strikingly delicious while possessing a sleek, intense and beautiful texture, all wrapped in a dusty, compact, youthfully austere and firm finale that doesn't quite offer the overall depth and persistence. To be sure, this is certainly very good but it has stiff competition.

(2020) Wine Enthusiast 93: One of a series of single-vineyard wines from the notable estate, this full wine has power, with a dark, firm character that needs plenty of time. The wine's structure shows the intensity of a fine Moulin-à-Vent, rich and ageworthy.

(2020) Wine Spectator 92: Elegant and refined, with some real power, too. This has nice integration to the black pepper, charred apple wood and black tea notes that underscore red plum and cherry. A polished, balanced red, with good depth.

(2020) Burghound 93: This is more floral still with a more elegant, cooler and airier combination of essence of red cherry, dark raspberry and a whiff of exotic tea. The utterly delicious and wonderfully vibrant if only moderately concentrated medium weight flavors possess a finer mouthfeel before terminating in a dusty, focused, powerful and strikingly long finale. Like the Couvent des Thorins, this beauty won't wow you with its size, weight or density but the overall package is lovely. I would add that while this could reasonable be approached after 5 or so years, the capacity to age for a decade plus is certainly present.

(2020) Decanter 93: A bold and powerful Moulin-à-Vent with spicy, ripe black cherry, wild bramble and smoky aromas. Deep, plush, defined dark fruit on the palate with firm tannins that grip, yet balanced with a refreshing, juicy quality. Finishes with a stony, savoury, earthy intensity. From 35-year-old vines grown at the foot of the famous windmill on granite soils. Hand-harvested grapes underwent a pre-fermentation cold soak, and it was then aged 30% in French oak barrels.

(2020) Wine Spectator 92: Stands out for its fruit purity, with red cherry, potpourri and pepper-dusted plum beefed up by dried herbs and toasted alder base notes. Silky in texture, with a savory beam of acidity driving balance and length.

(2020) Vinous 92: Has a perfumed and more floral bouquet that is well-defined, a mixture of baked cherries and bilberry. The palate is medium-bodied with silky tannins, a fine bead of acidity and touches of white pepper and clove enhancing the harmonious finish. Persistent aftertaste.

(2020) Wine Enthusiast 95: The top wine from the estate, this is rich, opulent and full of both fruit and structure. It is one of the single-vineyard wines produced at the property, dense and with immense potential.

(2020) Wine Spectator 92: Shows nice concentration and density, with a distinctive salty brine note infusing a base of sweet cherry and dried strawberry. Reveals leather and smoke, while black pepper graces the svelte, persistent close.

(2020) Tasting notes: Aromas and flavors of juicy red fruits such as cherry and blackberry lend nicely to the subtle white pepper notes. A wine with great minerality, structure and length.

(2020) Vinous 93: It has an enticing bouquet with darker fruit, subtle scents of potpourri, licorice, clove, brown spices and sage. Plenty of fruit here. The palate is medium-bodied with the finest tannins of the crus that I tasted from the Domaine. Very well balanced, elegant with a judicious touch of white pepper towards the sustained finish.

(2020) Wine Spectator 93: A powerful, smoldering red, with a tightly wound profile. Offers grilled mesquite, smoke and black tea notes that infuse a core of red and black fruit, with refined tannins holding everything aloft. Modern-styled with nice lift, thanks to snappy acidity and dried sage details.