Three things you need to know:
1. Robert Parker, Jr.'s Wine Advocate writer William Kelly tells us that "To my palate, some of the cuvées reviewed here number among the finest values that can be found in French wine, and I warmly recommend any readers who haven't yet acquainted themselves with this estate to try a few bottles."
2. The importer, Peter Weygandt, adds that "Given the life Pierre imbues upon the wines, they are as stable as Premier Cru Burgundy and age for nearly as long in many cases. They are, nevertheless, utterly "gluggable" upon release."
3. Mr Weygandt refers to Pierre-Marie Chermette as a "masterful 5th generation grower". Given how long his family's been at it, you'd assume they've honed their craft quite nicely.
Seems like an oenophile's hat trick if you ask us. There's that, and it's ready to drink.
Robert Parker, Jr.'s Wine Advocate: "Opening in the glass with notes of sweet wild berries, petals, warm spices and loamy soil, the 2020 Moulin-à-Vent Les Trois Roches is medium to full-bodied, lively and nicely concentrated, with powdery tannins and a mouthwatering finish. Jean-Étienne Chermette has one again produced a superb range of wines at this southern Beaujolais reference point. As I've written before, old vines, diligent but traditional vinification and élevage in foudre are the rudiments of the approach here. The younger Chermette—who has launched a label of his own in parallel, reviewed in this report—reminded me of the domaine attained Terra Vitis certification in 2018, which is definitely a step in the right direction. To my palate, some of the cuvées reviewed here number among the finest values that can be found in French wine, and I warmly recommend any readers who haven't yet acquainted themselves with this estate to try a few bottles.
John Gilman, A View From The Cellar: The les Trois Roches cuvée from Jean-Étienne and Pierre-Marie Chermette is one of my absolute favorite Cru bottlings in all of Beaujolais and the 2020 is another classic in the making. The wine is beautifully refined aromatically, offering up scents of cassis, sweet dark berries, a touch of pomegranate, espresso, a fine base of dark soil, gamebird, sweet stem tones, just a hint of thyme and a smoky topnote. On the palate the wine is pure, full-bodied and tangy, with lovely intensity of flavor, great transparency and grip, ripe tannins and impeccable balance on the long, complex and focused finish. This is tightly-knit and seamless out of the blocks and really deserves some cellaring before pulling corks, as there is greatness here just waiting to spring! (Drink between 2026-2060)
Importer: "Given the life Pierre imbues upon the wines, they are as stable as Premier Cru Burgundy and age for nearly as long in many cases. They are, nevertheless, utterly "gluggable" upon release. The wines of Vissoux are a fascinating study in terroir, tradition and talent, with the pricing more befitting a wine half as great.
I search out wines as naturally made as possible, but only if this contributes to the wine being better. Domaine du Vissoux may just be the most perfect expression in my whole portfolio of what I seek, for this very ability to be natural and great, at once. A masterful 5th generation grower, Pierre has maintained the strict traditions of his ancestors and of the region, with more tenacity than most."
Winery: "Moulin à Vent is called King of Beaujolais. This is the Cru with the longest cellaring potential and which is closest to its Burgundian neighours. As it ages, it is sometimes said to “pinote”. This cuvée is the expression of the alliance between finesse and power. The aromatic palate is wide, going from very ripe small red berries through spice to mineral notes. The three different plots of vines we use for this cuvée give a wine that is full and balanced: Rochegrès give finesse, Roche Noire liveliness and fruit while La Rochelle contributes power.
Color: Deep, shiny, limpid ruby with crimson tints: very thick legs.
Nose: Intense with red fruit scents that include raspberry, cherry, blackberry and blackcurrant, partnered by hints of violet and iris.
Mouth: Refined and racy with a full rounded and fleshy juicy fruit attack. Mellow, creamy tannins give a suave, velvety texture. Great complexity of flavors.
Food and wine pairings: All meats and poultry. It’s a great partner to dishes with morel mushroom and camembert or matured Saint Marcelin cheese."
| Bottle |
750ml, cork |
| Varietal |
100% Gamay |
| Alcohol |
13.0% |
| Aging |
6 months, 50% in tuns & 50% in oak barrels, 1-5 years old |
| Region |
Moulin-a-Vent, Beaujolais, France |
Estimated Delivery Time
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Air: 2 days
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