Dominique Piron Moulin a Vent Vieilles Vignes 2014

Dominique Piron’s family has been growing grapes here since the 16th century, and Dominique took over the estate in 1971. Working side by side with his American wife, enologist Kristine Mary, the Pirons farm 45 hectares of vineyards scattered among several different crus in Beaujolais, namely Morgon, Chénas, Brouilly, Régnié and Moulin-à-Vent. They own some parcels, rent others, and also buy 20-hectares worth of carefully selected grapes from their neighbors. Regardless of where the grapes are sourced, the Pirons are responsible for every aspect of quality-control from the vineyard management to the marketing of the finished wine. They take such great care of each of their crus that even the simple Beaujolais and Beaujolais-Villages wines are carefully selected from single-vineyard parcels. Each of their terroirs is unique, yet they are all granite-based soils—the ideal grounding for the Gamay grape. The Pirons farm sustainably, although they have also been experimenting with organic methods to achieve a rich biodiversity in the vineyards.