Notes from North Berkeley Imports:

"You can’t ignore the “gryphées,” or seashell fossils, that crunch underfoot as you walk through Pierre Durdilly’s vineyards in Moulin-à-Vent, as if the ocean were just over the next gentle hill.

It’s this unique terroir, with its mineral complexity, that sets the family’s wines apart from other more rustic bottles from the region. How this terroir is expressed in their supple, complex Moulin-à-Vent is exactly what inspired us the first time we tasted at this modest family cellar.

While our history with the Durdilly family goes back at least two decades, today we welcome the family’s third winemaking generation, looking to take the estate in new, exciting directions. Guillaume, Pierre Durdilly’s son, is a keen talent and an eager learner.

He’s also inspired his father to expand the domaine, acquiring vineyards in other Beaujolais cru villages in an attempt to help preserve the region’s many outstanding older-vine vineyards (many of which have been abandoned by winemakers retiring or sadly, giving up the craft entirely). With families like the Durdillys looking to preserve the “patrimoine” of Beaujolais, the region’s history and traditions are secure!"