The ten crus of Beaujolais are situated in the northern half of the Beaujolais district, collectively covering just over 15,750 acres irregularly surrounded by the villages of the Beaujolais-Villages appellation. The crus occupy the finest and most complex soils of the district, characterized by sand and clay topsoils over a deep layer of schist and crystalline granite, and subtle differences among them account for the individuality of each cru. Total production averages four million cases, about one fourth of the Beaujolais’ annual yield.

Moulin-à-Vent, arguably the most famous of the crus, lies just south of Chénas and north of Fleurie; the appellation covers 1,630 acres of vineyards. Moulin-à-Vent’s wines were once bottled as "Romanèche-Thorins," the commune in which roughly half the cru’s vineyards lie. The name reflects the area’s importance in the cultivation of wheat during the Roman Empire, from the Latin "romana esca," a wheat storehouse. In 1936, the appellation was changed to Moulin-à-Vent for the last remaining windmill in the Beaujolais, built in the mid-17th century. Now a registered historic monument, the ruins of its tower rise from the vineyards to overlook the appellation from the summit of one of its highest hillsides.

In November 1996, Maison Louis Jadot acquired the Château des Jacques, a spectacular estate in Moulin-à-Vent. Of the principal estate’s 67 acres of vineyards, 48.6 are distinguished among five “clos,” or parcels planted to Gamay. The Grand Clos de Loyse, a separate 22 acre domaine incorporated into the Château des Jacques’ holdings in 1943, lies to the north at the border with the Mâconnais, and is planted to Chardonnay.

The estate’s five noncontiguous clos are the Clos de Rochegrès, covering 20 acres; Clos du Grand Carquelin, with 12.4 acres; Clos de Champ de Cour, with 5 acres; Clos de la Roche, with 3.7 acres; and Clos des Thorins, 7.5 acres. All lie on southerly- and southeasterly-exposed slopes characterized by the crystalline granite soils uniquely high in manganese content which typify Moulin-à-Vent. Though subtle geologic variations distinguish each clos, the soils are generally rich in phosphorus, poor in potassium, calcium, magnesium and organic components. This soil profile lends the wines particular intensity of bouquet and flavor. The vines range from thirty to sixty years old and are planted 9,000 vines to the hectare (approximately 3,650 vines per acre). This approach ensures maximum root penetration and consequent complexity in the fruit.

Following a hand harvest, the grapes are brought to the state of the art fermentation facility directly beneath the domaine’s manor house. Fruit from each parcel is kept separate throughout the vinification until just before bottling. Rather than the carbonic maceration technique typically used in the Beaujolais, Château des Jacques practices a traditional Pinot Noir vinification, begun by a 60 to 80 percent destemming of the clusters. The must is then chilled and held for two to five days.

A 20 to 30 day fermentation with indigenous yeasts then takes place in partially sealed vats to evoke the fullest expression of the fruit and terroir in the finished wine. The cap is either pumped over or held submerged with grills to optimize extraction of color, aroma and tannin. Approximately 40 percent of the wine is aged in Alliers, Limousin and Nevers oak barrels of new or up to two harvest’s use for twelve months in the cellars beneath the estate’s grounds. Some of the lots from each clos are blended with wines from the remaining vineyards and bottled under the primary Château label.

Château des Jacques Moulin-à-Vent is a solidly structured, full-bodied, deep garnet wine which shows intense aromas of iris, roses, spices and ripe red fruit. The impressions on the palate are fleshy, velvety and tender, finishing with a firm acidic crispness and long, pronounced final. The wine approaches maturity in most vintages after six to ten years.