This is the only winegrowing sector that has not been given the name of a village. The most prestigious appellation of the Beaujolais region, it stretches across 2 villages: Romanèche-Thorins and Chénas.
The eponymous windmill has existed for 450 years. The activity of milling grain ended in 1850. The windmill is now listed as an Historical Monument.
The soil possesses an exceptional character found in the wines, particularly in Romanèche-Thorins: it is comprised of manganese, in the past a type of rock people called “glassmaker’s soap”, because it served to whiten glass used by pottery works.
This wine marks the origin of the domain. My grandfather purchased his first plots of vines in 1937, situated in the locality named Le Tremblay. Nowadays, this wine is a blend from several localities named Les Greneriers, Les Burdelines, Les Pérelles, Champs de Cour, Les Brussellions and Aux Caves.
We have 3 plots in this named-locality. The largest covers 1.1 hectares and my father bought it in 1967, with vines here planted before 1914. We also have 2 small plots of 0.55 and 0.32 hectares. The name “Les Greneriers” certainly stems from the French word “graines”(meaning grain), because in the past cereals were planted here in place of vines. It is for good reason that the appellation is named “Moulin-à-Vent”, since the windmill stood here to grind the grain.
These very old vines were bequeathed to me by my grandfather and my father. It is my responsibility to care for them so that my heirs may also be lucky enough to make fine wines with them.
Today, this wine is a blend of the oldest vines of the domain in majority, in the localities named Les Greneriers and Les Burdelines.
Saprolite is the name given to the type of granite encountered in Beaujolais. This cuvée is made up of a few plots on saprolite soils that are the most characteristic of the Moulin à Vent appellation. At Les Caves, Greneriers, Bruyères des Thorins, and Burdelines assert a minerality very marked by saprolite soils. This is another face of the Moulin à Vent appellation. Rich and well balanced!
Empreinte means the trace left by the terroir through the 25-30 years-old-vines expressions. It is also through generations of our winegrowers family who make a mark on the terroir by their impact on our vines since 100 years. We can see the promise of a wine that is already asserting itself among the greatest.
Middle of the range wines of the area, the Beaujolais-Villages appellation covers the Northern half of the winegrowing area of 4 209 hectares of vines planted on steep slopes facing East-South-East, at altitudes of between 200 and 500 metres. 38 small towns and villages are concerned by this appellation, spread between the counties of the Rhône and the Saône-et-Loire.
Established in 1950, it is the first French appellation to bear the name “Villages”.
Soils lie directly upon hillsides, sometimes steep with up to 50% of slopes. Facing East-South-East, they are comprised of granite and sand or volcano-sedimentary soils.
Beaujolais-Villages provide a wonderful diversity of expression, ranging from the most full-bodied wines to the fruitiest.
This wine is the result of my curiosity in 2008! I had uprooted a plot of Gamay of 0.63 of a hectare located in Romanèche-Thorins, in the locality named Les Jumeaux. I considered that these vines had no real advantage on this type of soil. I left the plot fallow for four years and then decided to plant Chardonnay, just for the pleasure of exploring something new.
The land of Beaujolais • A century of family history
Our impetus • The wines • Contact
Domaine Paul Janin & Fils
651 rue de la Chanillière
71570 Romanèche-Thorins
03 85 35 52 80
Wine-tasting by appointment from Monday to Saturday,
from 10. to 12. and from 14. to 18.
Excessive drinking is dangerous for the health.
alcoholic beverages should be consumed with moderation.
The land of Beaujolais
A century of family history
Domaine Paul Janin & Fils
651 rue de la Chanillière
71570 Romanèche-Thorins
03 85 35 52 80
Wine-tasting by appointment from Monday to Saturday,
from 10. to 12. and from 14. to 18.
Excessive drinking is dangerous for the health.
alcoholic beverages should be consumed with moderation.
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