Tasted in Moulin à Vent with Delphine Lardet, 04 February 2019.
Maison Le Nid
Hameau Moulin à Vent
71570 Romanèche-Thorins
Tel: +33 6 82 88 61 01
www.lenid.fr
Delphine on 2018:
“It’s our first vintage where we’ve had some quantity and quality – before it was only quality (smile). We had plenty of rain early in the year but then came the sun. I currently see the wines as something between 2015 and 2016 – the density of the former, more the fruit and freshness of the 2016.”
Delphine on 2017:
“2017 was difficult but in the end it’s a nice vintage – full of freshness and fruit – the cuvée Tradition is our usual assembly of parcels, but in 2017 it also includes the grapes from La Rochelle as there wasn’t enough for the separate cuvée. It’s about 60% of a normal harvest here in 2017 – all due to the hail – so it’s a black vintage for us – and it had started so well, too! In 15 minutes the storm went one way then came back the other! It was as much a sand-storm as a hail-storm – I’d call it a tempest. After that, the high parcels didn’t produce more than 10 hl/ha, but the quality of what we had at harvest was a very good quality – it was more a question of how much(?)”
“We’re not an old domaine,” says Delphine, “But we continue to invest in the vines, replanting et-cetera. So 2016 and 2017 haven’t been easy – but at least there’s a correct volume vintage in the cellar with 2018. We had a little more in 2017 than 2016, but only a little.”
As usual the domaine likes to show their bottled wines, hence, always on year further back for this tasting – but given the hail also in 2016, it was a quick tasting!
The wines…
A quick visit but an excellent pair of wines…
2017 Moulin à Vent ‘Tradition’
Will be on the market in another 2-3 months, the sales of the 2016s are not quite finished here.
Hmm – wide and deliciously floral – a great invitation to drink. Hmm – nice volume, silky texture too – going deep, sweetness of red fruit – cherry but concentrated cherry. Lovely persistence in the finish – really quite mineral here. Long. Excellent.
2016 Moulin à Vent Rochegrés
70 year-old vines at the top of the hill.
A big nose, more obviously oaked, and spiced – rounder, a little swirling releases darker fruit and again a little floral extra. Weight, more composed, great texture again, small but wide layers of finishing flavour. Persistent but on a larger scale than the last. Excellent again.