Winemaker's Tasting Notes
One of three separate cuvées Anita produces from her holdings in the Moulin-a-Vent vineyard of Les Caves, “Reine de Nuit” (“Queen of the Night”) comes from a 1.3-hectare planting of 40-year-old Gamay in manganese-rich granite with southeastern exposition, situated at 280 meters altitude. Its name refers to Anita’s practice of harvesting the fruit for this bottling at night, between 3:00 AM and 9:00 AM, to capture as much freshness as possible. Aged six months in cement after a classic whole-cluster semi-carbonic maceration, “Reine de Nuit” is almost Pinot Noir-like in its sumptuous fruit and refined carriage, and while it offers a sense of structure appropriate for its cru, the tannins are remarkably suave.
98 Points - James Suckling
How can you resist this truly extraordinary wine that redefines Beaujolais? Extremely concentrated yet also incredibly elegant, it has an almost supernatural vibrancy that blasts its way out of the conventions of the appellation. The delicate salinity adds an extra dimension of tension in the finish, making this dangerously exciting. Yes, there’s a cornucopia of black fruit, but none of this extravagance is too much. From a five-hectare block of vines in the Aux Caves lieu-dit. Drink or hold.
91 Points - Wine Advocate
Suave and generous, the 2023 Moulin-à-Vent Reine de Nuit, vinified with whole clusters, offers complex notes of licorice, candied black cherry, chocolate, coffee and eucalyptus. Full-bodied, the wine's layered silky fruit is encapsulated by a structuring of very tight-knit but smooth tannins that gradually cinch the wine, prompting a crisp, salty finish that leaves you reaching for the glass for more.
91 Points - Vinous
The 2023 Moulin-a-Vent Reine de Nuit comes from granitic soils exposed to the southwest from 40-year-old vines, the fruit picked early in the morning. it underwent a semi-carbonic maceration and matured in concrete vats. The nose is quite backward at the moment, a touch of wet granite infusing the dark plummy fruit. The palate is medium-bodied with firm tannins, quite grippy in style, a solid Moulin-a-Vent that just needs time to shave its edges.
