Moulin-à-Vent

If proof is needed that there is more to Beaujolais than carefree quaffing, Moulin-à-Vent provides it.  Regarded as the most serious players in the area, the wines have variously been likened to those of the Rhône for weight and, farther north, to those of Burgundy for structure.  People who know about these things have attributed the individual character of this cru to the manganese content of the sandy topsoils that overlay the granite.  Prices reflect the self-conscious uniqueness of the wines.