Yvon Metras - Moulin à Vent 2024
Yvon Métras's estate is a cult name in Beaujolais, sought after by the most passionate enthusiasts for its natural wines of singular purity and finesse. Located on great granitic terroirs around Fleurie and Moulin à Vent, the winemaker works his vines with very low yields, paying extreme attention to the soils, microbial life, and plant balance. Here, Gamay is treated like a great grape variety, with the same exacting standards usually reserved for prestigious Burgundy crus. No synthetic inputs in the vineyard, no artifice in the cellar, only manual harvesting, ripe and healthy grapes, and total trust in the living ecosystem. Moulin à Vent is the most structured and profound side of this universe, a cru renowned for producing age-worthy, serious, and refined Gamays. In the 2024 vintage, Yvon Métras delivers a version that is both intense and vibrant, concentrated yet traversed by a freshness that is very evident.
Yvon Métras Moulin à Vent 2024 comes from Gamay parcels rooted in granitic sands and decomposed schists, on well-exposed slopes that favor complete maturities without excess. The often old vines naturally yield small, concentrated clusters, hand-harvested with a strict sorting in the vineyard to keep only the healthiest fruit, essential for natural winemaking. The cuvée is made in the spirit of great auteur Beaujolais, with a large proportion of whole clusters and a semi-carbonic maceration that preserves the fruit's crunch while adding depth and complexity. Fermentations are carried out exclusively with indigenous yeasts, without inoculation or chaptalization, with sulfur reduced to the strict minimum, or even absent depending on the vintage's natural balance. Aging takes place in tanks and neutral containers, without oak influence, to let the mineral framework of the cru and the density typical of Moulin à Vent express themselves. The result is a sincere, lively wine where power is always held in check by great textural precision.
On tasting, Yvon Métras Moulin à Vent 2024 shows a deep ruby robe with purple reflections, darker than the other cuvées from the estate, indicating more structure. The nose opens with an intense aroma of black and red fruits: blackberry, blueberry, cherry, and raspberry, complemented by notes of peony, violet, white pepper, and a touch of warm stone evoking granite. On the palate, the attack is broad, juicy, carried by pure and vibrant fruit, then the body gains density, supported by fine but present tannins that structure the wine without hardening it. The natural freshness and delicate acidity stretch the palate, giving a salivating length and a very elegant sense of verticality. The finish is long, persistent, marked by spices, a slight floral note, and a mineral background that suggests a very good aging potential over several years. At the table, this Moulin à Vent ideally accompanies a pink duck breast, a grilled beef cut, roasted free-range poultry, a pâté en croûte, or seasonal bistronomic cuisine, and also pairs very well with soft or lightly aged cheeses.
Grape variety: 100% Gamay
