Technical Details
- Pierre Durdilly (father) and Guillaume (son)
- France
- Burgundy
- Beaujolais
- Moulin-à-Vent
- Sustainable Practices
- 13%
Domaine Les Gryphees Moulin-à-Vent 2022
Sustainable Practices
55% OFF RETAIL!
Domaine Les Gryphées has been a steadfast Beaujolais producer since the ‘70s, and this enticing, under-$20 cuvée is one of the more impressive 2022 Cru Beaujolais we’ve tasted yet! The incredible quality and craftsmanship (not to mention the price!) just make this even more tempting.
Pierre and Guillaume Durdilly are the father and son team at the helm of Domaine Les Gryphées, and they represent the second and third generation crafting this plot of 50-plus-year-old vines on the slopes of Moulin-à-Vent. Like Burgundy, the lower slopes, and especially those that face south like this, are particularly revered for their power and intensity – and Moulin-à-Vent is long known for producing some of the most powerful and age-worthy Gamays in the entire world.
Rare, indeed, that we get an opportunity to showcase a wine with a two-decade-plus shelf-life for less than $20 a bottle. Such is the case here, and if ever there was a wine to opt for a case on – this would be that wine! Sustainably farmed from a place called “En Morier,” these old vines thrive on the sloping hillside of the region’s favored soil – a crumbled, pink granite. Here, the granite is combined with a surplus of gryphées, or seashell fossils, which takes an already prized terroir and amps it up to the next level entirely. Stainless steel and concrete for the native yeast fermentation, followed by aging in used, large-format barrels, completes this traditional Beaujolais – yet with an attention to detail, and an expression of place that makes this a modern voice amongst traditional producers..
The wine’s pronounced minerality abounds in every sip, as does the perfectly ripe and shockingly intense profile of tart red cherries, red currants, raspberries, and plums, speckled about with crushed river rocks and flint, cooling minty and fresh herbs, and a zippy orange essence that uplifts it all considerably. The structure is full and mouth-coating, and seemingly never-ending, with a playful tingly sensation from the partial carbonic maceration. The wine is muscular and angular at first sip, but time in glass, and swirling about works transformative wonders here – unveiling something elegantly exotic and silky with time. A worthy wine at twice the price – and one that simply cannot be ignored for less than $20! While you can, grab as much as you dare!
PAIRING IDEAS: I’m taking a glass of this with a very special, adult grilled cheese. Some nice sourdough bread, bits of roasted, shredded chicken, a light spread of Dijon, and a heaping mound of shredded Comté cheese. Warm it all first in a 300 degree oven, then pan fry in a healthy knob of butter to toast both sides.