For its 100th anniversary, Moulin-à-Vent wants to treat itself to some Premiers Crus

he Moulin-à-Vent producers’ organisation is celebrating the 100th anniversary of the appellation, established on 17 April 1924, subsequently becoming a full-fledged appellation twelve years later. On December 19, 2023, at its AGM, the organisation approved a list of fourteen localities that have applied for recognition as Premiers Crus, along with draft specifications. The selection was based on criteria defined by the national institute for origin and quality (INAO), with points accrued over five different themes: historic and present-day reputation; claims to locality status; price points and taste criteria. It took two years to taste the 71 designated-site wines blind, with one tasting held every month. The fourteen site designations put forward to INAO cover just under 30% of the appellation area, which totals 640 hectares.

To draft specifications, “a survey of practices was conducted to determine which ones we want to cast in stone”, sums up Brice Laffond, a winegrower at Château du Moulin-à-Vent tasked with managing applications for the Premiers Crus.