Clos du Moulin Aux Moines

History of Domaine Clos du Moulin aux Moines

The history of Clos du Moulin aux Moines stretches back more than ten centuries. It was in 962, during the Carolingian era, that the monks of the powerful Abbey of Cluny founded a monastery on the heights of Auxey-Duresses, in the Côte de Beaune. The property, a dependency of the abbey, divided its activity between a grain mill and a wine press — two fundamental resources of the time. For more than six centuries, the estate was placed under the authority of the Cistercian Abbey of Cîteaux, which developed the vineyard and built the great Burgundian winemaking tradition. At the French Revolution, the property passed into private hands and belonged successively to several local families, without, however, recovering its former glory.

In 2008, the Andrieu family acquired the estate, then covering 8 hectares, and entrusted its management to Willy Roulendes, a winegrower originally from the Languedoc who built his experience at the prestigious Domaine de Montille in Volnay. With strong ambition and exemplary viticultural commitment, he immediately launched the conversion to organic and biodynamic farming, and embarked on a policy of acquiring new plots in the finest appellations of the Côte de Beaune. In 2020, his friend Michael Schwab, originally from Lorraine and captivated by the Burgundian vineyard, joined him to assist with the management of the estate. Today, the estate spans 16 hectares, is cited in the application dossier for the Burgundy Climats as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and is regularly praised by enthusiasts and critics alike for the increasing precision of its cuvées vintage after vintage.

Terroirs and Vines of Domaine Clos du Moulin aux Moines

The vineyard of Clos du Moulin aux Moines covers 16 hectares spread across some twenty appellations from north to south of the Côte de Beaune: Auxey-Duresses, Bourgogne, Beaune, Chorey-lès-Beaune, Monthelie, Pernand-Vergelesses, Pommard, Saint-Romain and Volnay. The historic plot of Clos du Moulin aux Moines, which gave the estate its name, is the beating heart of the property: three hectares of vines enclosed by a long stone wall (hence the name "Clos"), surrounding a noble 15th-century manor house. This plot is one of the estate's four monopoles, an extremely rare configuration in Burgundy.

The grape varieties are dominated by Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, the emblematic varieties of Burgundy, complemented by Aligoté for a few cuvées. The terroirs are of great geological diversity: clays, marls, fissured Jurassic limestones, stony or sandy soils depending on the plots. The upper part of the Clos, steeper, more arid, and closer to the bedrock, is home to old vines planted in the 1950s, which bring remarkable aromatic complexity to the "Vieilles Vignes" cuvées. Since 2008, the entire vineyard has been cultivated using certified organic and biodynamic farming, without any synthetic chemical products, with biodynamic preparations, rigorous pruning and bud-removal methods, and absolute respect for biodiversity and soil life.

Vinifications of Domaine Clos du Moulin aux Moines

In the cellar, within the estate's centuries-old cellars dating back to the 15th century, Willy Roulendes applies a deliberately low-interventionist winemaking approach, in the great Burgundian tradition. The harvests are entirely manual, generally in September, with rigorous sorting in the vineyard and in the winery (vibrating table and sorting table). The reds are destemmed 70 to 90% depending on the vintage. Fermentations are conducted solely with indigenous yeasts from the grapes, without any chemical inputs. For the reds, the musts can be cooled to 14°C in order to delay the onset of fermentation and extend the maceration time, in a logic of gentle and precise extraction.

The reds ferment in large wooden foudres or concrete tanks, while the whites are vinified in small oak barrels. For the pressing of the whites, the estate favours a long and progressive direct pressing, allowing the musts to oxidise naturally. Ageing lasts between 12 and 18 months depending on the appellation and the vintage. The estate favours barrels without exceeding 15 to 20% new French oak, and increasingly uses larger barrels of around 1,000 litres, which allow gentle ageing without smothering the floral and fruity aromas. The 15th-century cellars offer perfect conditions of constant temperature and hygrometry. This philosophy produces a recognisable signature: terroir-driven wines, without artifice, with Burgundian elegance and depth without heaviness.

The Cuvées of Domaine Clos du Moulin aux Moines

Auxey-Duresses Clos du Moulin aux Moines Vieilles Vignes Rouge (Monopole): the estate's signature cuvée and jewel, crafted from 100% Pinot Noir sourced from old vines planted in the 1950s in the upper part of the Clos. Low-interventionist vinification, ageing 12 to 18 months in barrels (10 to 20% new). Deep ruby robe, complex and expansive aromatic profile, palate with aromas of evolved black fruits, cherry juice, eau-de-vie and stone, a long and refined finish. Ideal with game, white meat or red meat.

Auxey-Duresses Clos du Moulin aux Moines Monopole Blanc: white version of the emblematic Monopole, crafted from 100% Chardonnay on the same exceptional plot. Golden robe with green highlights, expressive nose of citron and mimosa, a palate of great aromatic complexity, dense and elegant, with a frank and supple attack, and an almost saline and iodine-tinged finish. A dense Burgundian white that is a reminder that Auxey-Duresses neighbours the greatest whites of Burgundy.

Pommard 1er Cru Clos Orgelot (Monopole): another monopole of the estate, crafted from 100% Pinot Noir over 1 hectare. Deep robe, expressive nose with spiced aromas, a fleshy and structured palate with a noble tannic backbone. A masterly expression of this great Premier Cru of Pommard.

Pommard 1er Cru Les Pézerolles: single-vineyard cuvée in Premier Cru de Pommard, crafted from 100% Pinot Noir. Deep ruby robe, complex nose of black fruits, spices and earthy notes, dense and structured palate with great ageing potential.

Pommard 1er Cru Clos Blanc: another single-vineyard cuvée in Premier Cru de Pommard, with a distinct signature. A fully realised expression of this great cru of the Côte de Beaune.

Beaune 1er Cru Les Cents Vignes: Premier Cru de Beaune crafted from 100% Pinot Noir. Brilliant ruby robe, fruity and floral nose, silky and elegant palate. A refined Premier Cru de Beaune with a classic signature.

Volnay Les Famines: village cuvée under the Volnay appellation, crafted from 100% Pinot Noir. Light ruby robe, expressive nose with floral and fruity notes, a fine and silky palate with the airy signature typical of Volnay.

Pernand-Vergelesses Les Combottes: village cuvée under the Pernand-Vergelesses appellation. Brilliant robe, fruity and mineral nose, a fresh and precise palate with the balanced signature of this great village neighbouring Corton.

Chorey-lès-Beaune: village cuvée under the Chorey-lès-Beaune appellation, crafted from 100% Pinot Noir. Light ruby robe, nose of red fruits, a supple and generous palate. An accessible and flavourful village wine.

Monthelie Sous le Cellier: single-vineyard cuvée under the Monthelie appellation, a direct neighbour of Auxey-Duresses. 100% Pinot Noir, vinified in the estate's pure house style. A precise and distinctive expression of this great, underrated village of the Côte de Beaune.

Saint-Romain Sous Roches: single-vineyard cuvée under the Saint-Romain appellation, crafted from the lieu-dit Sous Roches. A fresh and mineral wine with the chiselled signature of this great high-altitude village.

Bourgogne Clos de la Perrière Blanc (Monopole): monopole cuvée under a regional appellation, crafted from 100% Chardonnay. Brilliant robe, floral and fruity nose, taut and precise palate with a mineral signature.

Bourgogne Clos de la Perrière Rouge: red version of the monopole, crafted from 100% Pinot Noir. Light ruby robe, fruity and floral nose, silky and refreshing palate.

Bourgogne Aux Seurrets: regional single-vineyard cuvée from the lieu-dit Aux Seurrets. A generous entry point into the world of the estate.

Bourgogne Aligoté: regional cuvée made from Aligoté, a grape variety often overlooked in Burgundy. A fresh, lively wine with a mineral backbone, ideal as an aperitif or with seafood.

Vin de France Pinot Noir "Nature": an original Vin de France cuvée, crafted from 100% Pinot Noir in an even more minimalist approach, without any additions. A free and joyful expression of Burgundian Pinot Noir, with a pure and authentic signature, faithful to the estate's biodynamic commitment.