Domaine Anita, Les Caves Tres Vieille Vigne, Moulin-a-Vent, Beaujolais, France, 2023

Winemaker's Tasting Notes
Anita produces this cuvée from a 65-year-old planting on a lower part of the slope (240 meters altitude) in Les Caves in soils of decomposing granite with streaks of manganese. If the “Reine de Nuit” offers a certain lifted elegance, “Tres Vieille Vigne” harnesses the power and sap these old vines are capable of. To that end, Anita ages 25% of the blend in used Burgundy barrels, extending the elevage to ten months—a regimen which underlines the Pinot Noir-like qualities of this site even more clearly than the “Reine de Nuit.” A heady overlay of savory spice calls to mind great Morey-Saint-Denis, and its dark-cast fruit is dense but not overdone.

96 Points - James Suckling
Very cool, silky and precise in spite of the awesome old-vine depth. In fact, it has a personality that’s gentle and polite. The fine-grained texture on the medium-bodied palate makes you feel like you’re licking the granite soil of the site. I love the delicate spicy aromas and touch of red roses. There’s a dramatic mineral freshness in the emphatically dry finish. Fermented with a good proportion of whole-cluster then matured two-thirds in concrete tank and one-third in used Burgundian barrels. Drink or hold.

92 Points - Vinous
The 2023 Moulin-a-Vent Vieille Vigne Les Caves has an open, delineated bouquet with cassis, blackcurrant, and a subtle marine scent emerging with time. The palate is harmonious, silky smooth and a little edgier than the Coeur de Vigneronne cuvee. This has a nicely structured, persistent finish. The 2023 is excellent and perhaps has the edge over the 2022.