Anecdotes from the estate The little history of Château Portier and Domaine du Moulin à Vent. The vineyards of Domaine de Denis Chastel-Sauzet, spread across the most renowned Beaujolais terroirs, cover 22 hectares. Moulin à Vent wine is appreciated worldwide. It is too often forgotten that the ten Beaujolais crus are part of Burgundy and, as such, it is fair to say that they are Burgundy wines. The main characteristic that differentiates them from the wines of Northern Burgundy is their grape variety: Gamay noir à jus blanc, renowned for its fruit and bouquet. We have long since demonstrated that it is possible to produce a very good and very elegant wine for aging in this part of Burgundy; the Moulin-à-Vent appellation is particularly well-suited to this. Classified as a historical monument by a decree in 1930, Moulin-à-Vent has been the exclusive private property of the Sauzet family for over one hundred and fifty years. It is the flagship of the appellation. The pride of the estate Our 22 hectares of vineyards in the heart of the terroir produce a wine for aging and of tradition. It takes more than 2 or 3 years for our vintages to come into being. Our wines are vinified using traditional methods and aged in oak barrels, refined in the cellar in bottles. Our traditional Beaujolais winemaking is characterized by respect for the integrity of the grape cluster. Manual harvesting is one of its essential elements. In the tradition of the estate's and château's wines, the grapes from the heart of their appellations macerated for more than fourteen days as whole bunches in grilled vats, then punched down at the end of fermentation. Once alcoholic fermentation is complete, malolactic fermentation takes place in oak barrels for the "Vielles Vignes" and "Prestiges" cuvées in our 17th-century vaulted cellar for more than ten months. For the others, it takes place in traditional vats. After a year of aging, blending and bottling will complete this first stage of our vintage's elaboration. Then a long stay in the cellars will begin for aging and refinement in bottles: (the secret of the Chastel-Sauzet family for generations). Three to four years after the harvest, you will finally be able to enjoy these bottles at your table...