Château des Jacques, Moulin-à-Vent (Beaujolais, Burgundy, France) Clos des Thorins 2020 ($45, Kobrand)

The venerable Beaune-based producer, Maison Louis Jadot, was ahead of its time when it purchased the famed Château des Jacques property in Moulin-à-Vent and set about defining the different terroirs—vineyard sites—in that appellation. Almost 30 years later, a bevy of Burgundy producers are doing the same thing. The 2020 Clos des Thorins sits on a gentle south-facing slope at about 750 feet elevation. The combination of exposure, altitude and soil imbue the bright and racy 20202 with fine minerally, charm and finesse. It’s a joy to drink now, but in my experience, the Moulin-à-Vent from Château des Jacques develop more complexity with a decade or so of bottle age, so there’s no rush.
95 Michael Apstein