The wine estate is spread around the Château, the windmill, and the hamlet of “Thorins.” Its old Gamay noir vines planted in high density thrive on 23 different terroirs, whose wines express themselves brilliantly. The longevity of Château du Moulin-à-Vent on the international stage is proof of its extra soul: great things have been, and will be (!), achieved at the estate. It is this strong conviction that has brought together, over the centuries, the various owners of the estate.
Château du Moulin-à-Vent was acquired in 2009 by the Parinet family, after having remained in the Pommier family since 1732. Through patience and perseverance, Édouard and Brice Parinet have brought the estate back into the spotlight. Convinced that Moulin-à-Vent is a land of great wines, they have put their enthusiasm, curiosity, and passion to work: with pragmatism and clarity, they create wines of excellence and shape the vineyard of tomorrow.
The Moulin-à-Vent appellation
On April 17, 1924, the Moulin-à-Vent Appellation d’Origine (AO) was created by the winemakers of the two villages of Romanèche and Thorins to prevent fraud, which was frequent at that time. The new AO, one of the first in France, naturally took the name of our emblematic windmill, built in 1550. Before that, the wine was either called ‘Romanèche’ or ‘Thorins’. The latter was produced on each side of the ridge where the windmill is located: on granitic, sandy, and silica-rich soils. At that time, les Thorins was the birthplace of some of the “finest and most delicate wines in the country”. Just like the neighboring crus of ‘Musigny’ and ‘Chambertin’ with their home villages of Chambolle and Gevrey, the name ‘Thorins’ naturally embellished the name of its village in 1872, becoming the present-day Romanèche-Thorins. In 1924, the wine from ‘Moulin-à-Vent’ was more highly valued than the Grand Crus of Burgundy. That’s why there was so much fraud! In 2024, the centenary Moulin-à-Vent will submit its classification for Premier Crus. Time is the best ally of the vine and wine. Château du Moulin-à-Vent has benefited from the advantages of time for 100 years and this will continue…
