Diochon, Cuvee Vieilles Vignes, Moulin-a-Vent

In search of Beaujolais (Home (Brannan)) : Medium minus ruby in the glass. Notes of underripe dark cherry. Almost pinot-like. No overt carbonic notes. Light body. Very slightly elevated alcohol (13%), medium tannins - surprisingly grippy and drying given the light body. High acid. This is structured and aromatically reticent with darker cherry fruit than the fleurie and very low / not noticeable carbonic presence. On paper, this is a classic Moulin-à-Vent; however, this isn't a style I find as …

2024 vintage

Continuing my recent Beaujolais run, I opened this for Thanksgiving. A very open and forthcoming nose of brooding dark cherries and plums along with heavy amounts of earthy sous bois. Dried flowers, perhaps some potpourri following closely behind. Mild aromas of baking spices. Palate mirrors: heavy on cherry candy and dark cherries, with everything else in the background. Nose definitely far more complex and interesting, but this is a very flavor dense, full-bodied cru Beaujolais. Medium finish with decent length …

2020 vintage

Decanted off small bit of sediment an hour in advance. Slightly edgy on the palate between moderate tannins and appropriate acidity. Flavors somewhat muted. As always outperforms the price ($23 in 2019).

2017 vintage

Delicious strawberry fruit with blood orange flavors, excellent structure, ample acidity, acid dominates fruit

2020 vintage

Rich and extracted. Dark fruit, yeasty, chestnuty nose. Complex, dark cherries, herbs, blood, violets, sage, lavender. Very nice wine.

2020 vintage

Even chilled the entire crowd did not think it has / had found harmony.

2014 vintage

Very nice. Lots of red fruit up front, with an herbal and tart finish. Nice acid balance to keep the fruit in check.

2020 vintage

dark body, cherries, barnyard, green, acidic but integrated

2020 vintage

Charcoal smoke, cherry, strawberry, hyacinth, violet, bramble, pepper, leather, cinnamon, rhubarb, touch mousey. Really, really, really beautiful. Extremely powerful, yet still oozes elegance. Perfect balance, long finish, extremely intense. Crazy complexity, every time I go for another sip a new flavor is jumping out at me. Fine tannins, but powerful tannins. This wine is built to last, and should get even better in 5-10 years. A shining example of whole cluster fermented wine

2020 vintage

Nose: earth (dirt), strawberry, cherry, violets, slight funk + barnyard notes; barnyard blew off after a bit. Palate: Concentrated cherry and strawberry, minerality, herbs, juicy medium+ acidity, medium+ finish, medium+ body, high tannin, slightly hot. Very powerful for Beaujolais, but I think it makes sense coming from Moulin-a-Vent. Drank over the course of 3 days and was probably best on days 2-3. The tannins were not well integrated yet; I think I'd prefer to drink this after a few more …

2020 vintage

V: med-deep purple N: smoky, floral, black fruit P: F: 2/5, 3/5, 3/5 acid, 1/5 sweet

2020 vintage

Aromas of cherry jam, dried cherry. Copious tannins with blueberry flavors. Some stemminess coming frl. the whole cluster. Definitely less airy and more tannic than most Beaujolais. Seems a little rough, but lots of concentration and still pleasurable to drink.

2020 vintage

Medium to dark purple, watery meniscus. Nose of fleeting violet, dark cherry, spices, herbal, earthy/mushroom. Palate of sharp acidity, sgnificant level of medium grain tannin, very herbal, screaming its whole cluster old vine flavors. This is simply too young to drink and a bit unbalanced but this is a gamay worth laying down another 3-8 years. Not enough concentrated fruit to go much longer. 88+ potential; drink 2026-30. Potentially a great value at ~30 USD imported to US.

2020 vintage

Pale ruby color. This wine had a pronounced aroma and flavor of dried herbs which I did not like at all.

2020 vintage

A little flat this time, but it improved with air. Perhaps it is in a quiet period. It could have aged longer and might have some potential at 7-10 years. Still, I always enjoy this wine and it's a good value.

2017 vintage

Awesome, and in a good place right now! A roller-coaster for your senses! Incredibly complex aromas from this 8 y.o. beauty. From the pop, there are waves upon waves of interesting scents: dark cherries initially leading into stewed dark fruits. Mere minutes later we find, what seems to be, a leather tannery mixed with crushed dried flowers. There's a bit of dusty musty old library. The palate offers waves of changing flavors from the first sip! Surprisingly bright and feminine, …

2014 vintage

PnP. Transparent medium ruby. Raw, alcoholic red fruit nose. Sharp, tannic, rubber. Way too young.

2020 vintage

Red fruits, earthiness, herbs and what I thought was vanilla. Medium acidity and some ripe tannins. Really well balanced and enjoyable.

2020 vintage

I liked it, admirable; but over a couple days, at different temperatures, it never had that fleet-footed quality which I like so much in some Beaujolais (even some Moulin-à-Vents and Morgons). Maybe I just didn’t hit the right intersection of aeration and temperature.

2020 vintage

ripe blue and black fruits. Glad I tried it young but plenty of room to improve. hold for a few years.

2020 vintage

Great color. The nose shows aromas of spicy red fruits, earth, minerals, and a hint of herbs. This is medium bodied on the palate with very good concentration and good class. The medium plus length finish features ripe tannins.

2020 vintage

Deep, dark, purple, opaque in color. Full, forward & attractive nose of ripe fruit aromas of cherries, strawberries & cranberries with overtones of floral note of violets & earthy/dusty notes, spices, minerals, herbs & a hint of vanilla in the background. Medium bodied with a very good concentration of well balanced & smooth textured, ripe red fruit flavors of cherries, pomegranates & strawberries with some citrus notes, spices, herbs, minerals & a hint of vanilla. Lingering finish. Drinks quite well …

2020 vintage

Didn't get a terribly good read on where this one was at on day one. Day two was a touch faded so probably should dig back in soon!

2014 vintage

Day 1: Well certainly not a very good start on this wine. Thin, strawberry, sour cherry and floral notes. Not bad but not even close to the pro review. Will revisit on day 2/3. 87 points Day 2: Still not showing much and very disappointed. Dust, muted fruits, earth and floral note. Super short finish and lacks acidity. This is one of the more disappointing wines of the year. 85 points Day 3: Again, broken record 3 day wine approach …

2020 vintage

Deep purple. Pronounced nose, though hard to place. Barnyard and sweat initially, gives way to red raspberry, plum, leather, barnyard, cinnamon, cocoa. Youthful. Dry, high acid, high tannin, medium alcohol. Medium(+) body. Pronounced flavor. Leather, plum, blackberry, cedar. Forest floor. Strong, drying tannins. Funk even more apparent than fruit. Medium finish. Very good. Drink now, potential for aging.

2020 vintage

So nice to grab a Beaujolais that’s really excited you! Sight: Clear Carbonic Maceration with medium inky purple color and heavy purple staining. Nose: Absolutely text book beautiful full nose of Ripe Strawberries, Raspberry, and plums. I also love the secondary notes of White pepper and earthy undertones that really complete it’s profile. Taste: this is a true Moulin-a-Vent it’s boldly structured with good tannins this can age and has good acidity to balance all the ripe delicious fruit. This …

2020 vintage

Presented double-blind. In the glass, the wine is a deep ruby, bordering purple color with medium viscosity and a transparent core with a slightly watery rim. Some rather significant staining of the tears. On the nose, dark fruits dominate with some purple flowers and the slightest hint of baking space. On the palate, some rather significant tannin which I would place at medium+. Acid is also medium+. The wines comes across quite primary and I find myself rather conflicted. Based …

2020 vintage

Didn't give this the time it needed. Still have a case and will ignore it for some time.

2020 vintage

In that floral, blackberry, cranberry, peppery, raw beet, deep purple, precious stone hardness style that I find so appealing. Clean, generous, serious acid and grip. It changes inflection throughout. The whole package, and still so young. Improvement seems likely. Cru Beaujolais rules! High QPR! 92-93.

2020 vintage

Ruby color with a translucent core. Medium viscosity. On the nose, medium+ intensity with a mix of dark and red fruit, underbrush, stone, anise, some VA. On the palate, dark tart cherries…almost Campari-like. With time, the tannins begin to build. Medium + acid. Long finish. Diochon is one of those Beaujolais producers that flies under the radar. Definitely needs time. I expect this will be even more lovely in 5-10 years. Hold or drink with patience.

2017 vintage

Opened and decanted 1.5 hours ahead of chicken and turkey leftovers. Violet-crimson, cloudy color. The nose brings fresh strawberries, baked rhubarb, cloves, and nutmeg. The palate is medium, square, compact, and shy, bringing scattered blackberry, strawberry, pomegranate, and charcoal notes into a tannic finish. Linear but balanced. Still closed and tight, so drink 2023-2028. Technical score: 90. Enjoyment score: 90.

2017 vintage

Nice mature bojo.

2013 vintage

I like this wine - it's a good one to have several of in the cellar. This one had a sharper taste out of the bottle than the last one, and required more airing. Other than that, it was satisfying. It produces philosophical thoughts in the night.

2017 vintage

This was good, and a pretty good value. My fellow diners enjoyed it. Nice balance of Gamay fruit with some gravity and depth. I think it would age well; it wouldn't be the worst idea to buy a case of this wine and set aside half to put in a dark corner for 5-10 years.

2017 vintage

At tasting. Loads of dark berry, blackberry, strawberry, herbs, almost game. Reminds me of Rhône. Also blood/iron but it’s much, much darker than the Chignard Julienas. Linear with the dark herbal character. Body is medium, tannin milder, more masculine. Medium plus finish.

2017 vintage

Plum Market Spring Wine Extravaganza (Chicago, IL) : Never liked gamay, but this one I can get behind. None of the sucralose, but some crunchy red fruit, and a heap of backwards tannins. Very good.

2017 vintage

Plum Market Luxury Tasting (Bad Hunter - Chicago IL) : Walk around tasting, brief note. Old vine concentration and density with good richness and slightly crunchy textures. Liked this a lot.

2017 vintage

$24.99. Abv 13. . 20 minutes air- from bottle, burgundy stem, color-ruby, bright medium +clarity given it’s unfiltered; aromatically quite pleasant, red fruit notes dried crancherry , raspberry over tobacco and earth, v. subtle, not from oak baking spice and dark florals, medium plus intensity, all of which blossoms with air and piques interest in puzzling them out, acid is medium, medium minus body, silky with grippy medium-fine grained tannins with a nice length. Young, pretty and fun. QPR is …

2017 vintage

deep dark burgundy red, medium clarity, ruby hue Nose: black cherry, cassis, tobacco, dust, chocolate, silver, herbs, tannins, oak Pal: cassis, black cherry, tobacco, dust, dark chocolate, silver, herbs, green pepper, tannins, stem, oak Feel: medium, full, acidic Finish: medium, long T8

2017 vintage

Deep, bright, expressive, savory, mineral. Quite enjoyable or three nights.

2017 vintage

P&p. Smells and tastes like violet, earth and tobacco, but flat, joyless, utterly lacking in vibrancy (and fruit); I have to agree with the generally negative notes on this one. I don't see this going anywhere, but who knows. The only thing enjoyable about opening this bottle is the knowledge that it is no longer taking up space in the cellar.

2013 vintage

Dark violet color. Nose with some funky notes, some VA. Palate grapey, sappy, some herbal earthy depth, strong mineral/iron core and finish. A good match with spicy/fatty food, interesting if not transcendent and I think a good QPR overall. 91 pts

2014 vintage

Ripe red fruit, quality gamay. Tart, earthy, easy drinking. Good quality for price.

2014 vintage

Light and dense red fruits, strong chalk and mineral elements, with a baking-soda like top note, on the nose and palate. Satisfying.

2014 vintage

Bright with a little pepper. Needs a couple more years to integrate the acidity.

2014 vintage

Delightful if interrupted by a state inspector.

2014 vintage

Really good structure to the wine with ripe red fruits, a little brett and earth notes, well balanced fruit tannins, and lingering on the palate. 1st time trying this producer, but would definitely go back. Should be rocking for a few years.

2014 vintage

From a half, drank over two days. Great experience to taste this along the planet earth tilting 2015 vintage. Cleary of the same terroir, this wine featured similar (somewhat dialed back), acids, noticeably less tannin, but prettier, fleshy substance...at least for the time being. The queen to the 2015 vintage king, if you will (Burgundy palates might prefer it). Harmonious, pure, and caressing. Had it at 92 on the first day; it took a half step back on the second …

2014 vintage

(Wine Tasting Club) Ruby color, slow legs, no sediment. Strawberry and raising aroma. Garlic, prune, and raisin flavors. Light body, bright texture, short finish, and medium acidity.

2013 vintage

This is straight up killer Beaujolais. Still fairly young at this point but enjoyable. The nose has mostly red and a few hints of darker fruits, lots of mineral and stone, touch of violet, and a little bit of gaminess. The palate is still a little tightly wound, but with food it was very nice and opened some. Reminded me a little of a little Gevrey. Very nice depth and concentration with definite upside. 3-4 more years should see it …

2014 vintage

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Diochon, Cuvee Vieilles Vignes, Moulin-a-Vent

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