Wind, Granite, and Vision: The Revival of Château du Moulin-à-Vent.
A Conversation with Édouard Parinet, Champion of Beaujolais Elegance.
Beaujolais may be known for its youthful charm and festive Nouveau releases, but there is a deeper, more complex side to this region—one that speaks of structure, age-worthiness, and terroir. During our recent conversation with Édouard Parinet, who owns Château du Moulin-à-Vent with his family, we explored this dimension through the lens of one of Beaujolais’ most prestigious crus: Moulin-à-Vent. From the estate’s rich history to its sustainable winemaking philosophy, Édouard guided us through the past, present, and promising future of this storied château.
A Region Reimagined: Beyond Beaujolais Nouveau
To understand Château du Moulin-à-Vent, one must first understand its origins—rooted in one of France’s most dynamic and misunderstood wine regions. Nestled just south of Burgundy and stretching between Lyon and Mâcon, Beaujolais is often pigeonholed by its Nouveau wines: light, fruity reds released on the third Thursday of November.
But Beaujolais is more than that. With only 6,000 hectares for 10 AOC’s, and a diverse array of soils, especially in the hilly northern part of the region, it is home to ten distinct crus. Among these, Moulin-à-Vent stands apart—both literally and figuratively. Known for producing structured, age-worthy wines from Gamay, it bridges the finesse of Burgundy and the depth of the northern Rhône, and has always been seen in the past as the Grand Cru of Beaujolais.
Many labels of the estate show the mention “Grand Cru classé” after Mr Budker recognized Moulin-à-Vent as a lieu-dit of “first class” for wine production.
Centuries in the Making: A Historic Estate in the Heart of Moulin-à-Vent
Château du Moulin-à-Vent sits at the epicenter of this transformation. Located between the crus of Chénas and Fleurie, the estate’s history dates back to at least 1732. Originally named Château des Thorins after the nearby hamlet of Les Thorins, it adopted its current name in 1924, coinciding with the official recognition of the Moulin-à-Vent AOC—making it one of world’s oldest appellations, second only to Châteauneuf-du-Pape.
In 2009, Édouard Parinet and his father acquired the estate, bringing with them a commitment to excellence and authenticity. They were soon joined by Brice Laffond in 2013. The Parinet family and Brice Laffond have redefined the Château’s approach: rooted in tradition, but focused on the future.
A Terroir of Wind and Granite
The name Moulin-à-Vent—literally “windmill”—is not just symbolic. Wind plays a crucial role in this cru, aiding in the ripening of grapes and reducing disease pressure late in the growing season. The estate benefits from a dual influence: cooling breezes from the east near the Saône River and natural protection from the Monts du Beaujolais to the west.
The soils here are just as influential. Sandy granite, rich in iron oxide and silica, reflects sunlight and retains heat, helping to ripen grapes more consistently. This terroir yields small, concentrated berries with thick skins, contributing to the structure and tannins that set Moulin-à-Vent apart. These qualities are unmistakably present in the wines of Château du Moulin-à-Vent.
Farming with Purpose: A Commitment to Sustainability
In 2013, the estate began its conversion to organic farming—a bold decision in a region known for its humid climate and high mildew pressure. Today, all 30 hectares are certified organic. But sustainability at Château du Moulin-à-Vent goes far beyond labels. Since 2013, synthetic treatments have been avoided. The team even ploughs around the old vines using horses to protect their fragile root systems.
While the estate sells all its production of roughly 100.000 bottles per year, the team prefers to focus on its current vineyard, and gain precision for viticulture rather than growing organically, buying wines or grapes outside of their estate “100% of our wine is worked, made, closed, stored by us. When you drink Château du Moulin-à-Vent, you drink the real craftsmanship of Beaujolais”.
Biodiversity plays a central role at Château du Moulin-à-Vent. The estate maintains beehives and encourages a living, breathing vineyard ecosystem. The result? Livelier soils and as seen in the challenging 2024 vintage, very healthy vines, which were able to resist much better to disease. The yield variation is also much smaller, enabling a better consistency in vine and grape developments, with an average yield at 32Hl/Ha (while the AOC permits up to 55HL/Ha).
Winemaking: Tradition with a Light Touch
At Château du Moulin-à-Vent, the cellar philosophy mirrors the vineyard approach: low intervention, high expression. All wines are made exclusively from estate-grown Gamay. Carbonic maceration, often associated with Beaujolais, is avoided entirely. Instead, extended maceration (15–20 days) at moderate temperatures (max 25°C) allows for nuanced extraction. Whole bunch inclusion varies with the vintage—ranging from 10% to 70%—while remontage is gentle and pigeage minimal.
Fermentation is spontaneous with native yeasts, and sulfites are only added before bottling, never exceeding 50 mg/l. The result? Wines that are clean, precise, and deeply reflective of their origin—without ever being labeled as “natural.”
Rising Temperatures, Rising Potential
Climate change has brought its share of challenges, but also opportunities. Warmer seasons now mean more reliable ripening and a decreased need for chaptalization. Harvest dates have shifted earlier—by as much as six days compared to neighboring estates in hot vintages like 2020 and 2022.
Hand harvesting remains mandatory in Beaujolais, and at Château du Moulin-à-Vent, this means recruiting 80 to 120 pickers each year. Canopy management has become a crucial tool for preserving acidity and managing vine health in the face of rising temperatures.
Reclaiming the Prestige of Moulin-à-Vent
“For me,” Édouard tells us, “Beaujolais deserves to be spoken of in the same breath as Burgundy, Rhône, Bordeaux, Champagne, Stellenbosch—any of the world’s great wine regions.” He sees Moulin-à-Vent as a bridge between Pinot Noir’s elegance and Syrah’s structure: “It’s not as light or acidic as Pinot, but it carries similar finesse—plus the spice and texture of Syrah.”
His vision goes beyond the glass. During the appellation’s centenary, the estate opened bottles from 1971, 1976, and 1989. “They were tremendous,” Édouard recalls. One famed UK critic even wrote about the 1989 of the Château that he would be curious to “Sneak this bottle into a vertical of Château Rayas”.
His advice? “If you own a case of 2020 or 2022, don’t drink it all now. Keep a few bottles for the next 20 or 30 years. Serve them next to Pomerol, Gevrey-Chambertin, or Saint-Joseph—you’ll be amazed at the complexity they reveal.”
Wines Tasted: A Reflection of the Land
For this interview we tasted two wines of Château du Moulin-à-Vent. Below our findings.
Château du Moulin-à-Vent 2020
This estate-grown Gamay from Château du Moulin-à-Vent is a textbook example of how this noble Beaujolais cru can combine elegance with depth. The wine opens with a shimmering ruby hue and expressive aromatics of wild strawberries, red cherry, and hints of rose petal. There’s a distinctive red fruit gelée character—suggestive of precision winemaking and gentle extraction—accompanied by vibrant acidity that keeps the palate lifted throughout.
Fermented with indigenous yeasts and aged in a combination of stainless steel and used French oak, the wine offers a balance of purity and complexity. The tannins are exceptionally fine and polished, contributing to a silky mouthfeel that speaks to the estate’s careful vineyard management and selective hand-harvesting practices. This is a graceful yet energetic wine, showcasing the finesse that Moulin-à-Vent can achieve in the hands of a dedicated team.
DWA Score: 93/100
Château du Moulin-à-Vent ‘Les Vérillats’ 2021
‘Les Vérillats’ is a signature single-vineyard bottling from Château du Moulin-à-Vent, sourced from one of the highest-elevation plots in the appellation, situated on well-drained, pink granite soils with excellent sun exposure. The 2021 vintage, marked by cooler temperatures and lower yields, has resulted in a wine of remarkable tension and structure.
In the glass, it presents a darker fruit profile—think black cherry and plum—with subtle floral undertones and a thread of spice, likely stemming from partial aging in larger-format oak barrels. The acidity is pronounced, lending energy and drive, while the firmer tannins signal longevity. Compared to the estate cuvée, this wine shows more gravitas and mineral edge, reflecting the vineyard’s terroir with impressive clarity.
Still youthful and tightly knit, ‘Les Vérillats’ 2021 is a cerebral, cellar-worthy Gamay that will evolve beautifully over the next 8 to 12 years. For lovers of structured reds, this is one to lay down and track as it unfurls with age.
DWA Score: 94/100
Conclusion: A New Chapter for Beaujolais
Château du Moulin-à-Vent stands as a testament to what Beaujolais—and particularly the Moulin-à-Vent cru—is truly capable of. Under the guidance of Édouard Parinet and his team, the estate honors its deep historical roots while forging a new path rooted in sustainability and terroir expression.
Gone is the one-dimensional image of Beaujolais as only youthful and playful. Here, in the windswept granite hills of Moulin-à-Vent, we find wines of depth, dignity, and longevity—worthy of cellaring and celebration alike. Château du Moulin-à-Vent invites wine lovers to look again at Beaujolais—and to discover the beauty of Gamay, redefined.
This article is written by our own Charlotte Sauzet. Picture credits: Château du Moulin-à-Vent. We would like to thank Edoaurd Parinet of Château du Moulin-à-Vent for this time and the pleasant interview. Château du Moulin-à-Vent is distributed in the Netherlands by De Bruijn in Wijnen, and available for direct sale or re-sale.
