Wineshark Wine Journey - Domaine les Gryphees

I visited this domaine in my trip to Beaujolais on 2018. Arriving late afternoon after our visit to the beautiful golden-stone village Oingt, we were greeted by Cecile Durdilly, wife of Pierre and along with their son Guillaume, manages this family estate in Moulin-a-Vent.  

Cecile brought us to the cellar and introduced us to the winemaking process and philosophy of the estate. She also explained how the name of the domaine came about. Gryphaea, or commonly known as devil's toenail, is a type of extinct oyster. There are plenty of the fossilized oyster shell in the vineyard, as if the ocean is just over the next hill, which also gave the vines a unique mineral character.

The father-son team of Pierre and Guillaume Durdilly tend their older vines sustainably, avoiding chemicals and adhering to organic treatments whenever necessary. Vineyards in general are found on very steep, granite-rich hillsides, the classic terroir of Beaujolais. The family likes to plant beneficial herbs between vineyard rows, to both prevent erosion and combat pests. Grapes are harvested by hand and fermented (usually with semi-carbonic maceration, a traditional practice in Beaujolais) in either cement or stainless steel tanks. Wines are often aged in either large, older foudre or tank, depending on the cru, and bottled unfined and unfiltered.

I tasted the range of wines from the estate, from the Beaujolais Blanc, Rose, sparkling, to the Beaujolais Crus, and among those my favorite was the Moulin-a-Vent. Buying a bottle to take back home, we said goodbye to the nice and friendly Cecile before heading back to Lyon, but not before taking a photo of the beautiful garden outside their estate.

Tasting Note (2017 Moulin-a-Vent)

Appearance: Bright and clear, the wine is of light ruby colour with fading rims and legs.

Nose: Clean, with medium intensity aromas of red fruit of cherries and raspberry, black fruit of blackberry, floral notes of violet, herbaceous notes of blackcurrant leaf, mineral notes of salty, maturity notes of gamey. The wine is developing.

Palate: Dry with medium acidity, medium tannin of ripe and grippy texture, the wine has medium alcohol, medium (-) body and medium intensity flavors of red fruit of cherries and raspberry, floral notes of violet, sweet spice of cloves, herbal notes of dill. The wine has a medium (+) finish.

Conclusion: Good quality Beaujolais Moulin-a-Vent with a reasonably intense nose showing decent complexity, the wine is refreshing and vibrant, showing good balance of lively acidity and fruit, with fair concentration of fairly long finish. It is ready to drink now and not meant for further ageing.