($41, Vineyard Brands): More and more producers in Beaujolais are treating the area, especially Moulin-à-Vent, like the rest of Burgundy — as it deserves to be in my mind.  That is, they are making wine from individual vineyards and labeling them as such.  La Roche, for example, a prized vineyard just below the famous windmill that gives the area its name, has different soil, a slightly different elevation and exposure compared to Clos du Grand Carquelin, a vineyard literally across the road.  Not surprisingly, the wines from these plots made by the same producer taste completely different. As good as Domaine Thibault Liger-Belair’s 2012 Moulin-à-Vent is, their La Roche is — in a word — better.  It conveys a similar lovely granitic firmness, but has more elegance and length.  It’s not more powerful; it’s just more captivating because of its complexity and texture.
93 Michael Apstein Dec 15, 2015