Description
“I have bleated on about the brilliance of Thivin’s Côte de Brouilly, in my mind one of the finest offerings from Beaujolais, an exemplary expression of Gamay from one of its most propitious terroirs. In summary, it is onwards and upwards from Château Thivin.” Neal Martin
“It is no surprise that Château Thivin is the benchmark domaine of the Côte de Brouilly; everything about it is exceptional.” Kermit Lynch
Château Thivin, nestled in the heart of Beaujolais on the slopes of Mont Brouilly—a small extinct volcano—traces its origins back to the 12th century. The first part of its manor house was built in the 14th century, and in 1383, the initial section of its cellars was established, making it the oldest Côte de Brouilly estate and one of the region’s most respected wine producers. Since Zaccharie Geoffray acquired the château in 1877, the vineyard has remained in the family, passed through generations of Claudes, with Claude-Edouarde and Sonja Geoffray currently at the helm. The domaine now spans 27 hectares, cultivated with great care and a commitment to biodiversity and organic practices. Most of its old, organically grown Gamay vines are planted on Mont Brouilly’s southern slopes, producing modest yields of perfectly ripened bunches. During harvest, grapes are gently placed in small crates to preserve their integrity before being sealed in vats whole, untouched for 7–10 days. Natural fermentation begins as bunches crush under their own weight, after which the juice is drained and the remaining grapes pressed. The resulting wine is matured for 6–12 months in large, old oak barrels housed in magnificent vaulted cellars. With vinifications tailored plot by plot, Château Thivin crafts expressive red wines that elegantly reflect their terroir—fleshy, pure, and woven with fine, delicate tannins.
This is well-known to the many Thivin devotees, it’s a blend of 7 plots on the mostly-south facing vines, and this is the best value and most reliable wine in all of Beaujolais! As with the other wines, it has masses of fruit, great richness, heavenly perfume of rose, red berries, cherries, sandalwood, graphite and Asian tea. This is a stunning wine that will also age well. This, like all the crus, is made using 85% whole bunch, 15% crushed fruit, 1% chardonnay and a small portion of ceramic egg-matured component blended with the 3000lt barrel-aged portion. All the wines are transferred using the natural slope and “stacked” cellars for gravity movements.
From the winery about this wine: “Our traditional wine, blended from our 7 plots on Mont Brouilly. A majority of white-juiced Gamay noir, but also some Chardonnay to provide finesse.
“Our seven plots of Côte de Brouilly all lie on the east, south, and west flanks of Mont Brouilly. Each of these plots is distinguished by its orientation or its position on the slope, and each brings its share of complexity to this wine. The soils are dominated by the “blue stone“ (Metadiorite), stonier for the highest plots and more clayey for those nearer the foot of the hill. The vines are at a density of 7,000–9,000 vines/ha laid out with grassed and flower strips for the diversification of the flora and to let our small, light tractors through, we alternate tilling with controlled natural grassing. Hand-picking, converting to organic, Terra Vitis certified for 10 years.
“Vinification – partly in whole bunches in our hillside cellars and matured in oak tuns for 7 months. Blending is performed in the Spring on finished wines. The wine in this blend comes from the following plots: Clos Bertrand, La Chapelle, Les Griottes, Godefroy, L’Héronde, Henri, and Les Fournelles.
“Garnet red with bluish glints, bouquet of hawthorn, peonies, cherry, with a touch of minerality, round on the palate with black fruit, and a spicy finish. We recommend enjoying them after the second year, with a 5–10 years keeping potential.“
93 points, Stuart Pigott, James Suckling “This is like entering a woodland clearing, the floor of which is covered with violets. The juiciness, velvety tannins and elegant acidity create a very satisfying whole on the medium-bodied palate. The fresh and moderately dry finish has good stony minerality and pulls you back for more. From organically grown grapes.”
93 points, Mike Bennie, The Wine Front “A blend of seven plots on various sites and orientations, though a curious 2% chardonnay makes its way in as it is co-planted through some of these locations.
“A delight of a release of this wine, supple but with enough weave of grippy tannin, dark cherry, mocha notes, truffle and faint game meat, some curious minty lift but feels more alpine than strictly sweet-herby. A plushness to the wine too, some richness, a little ripe feel to that cherry profile though, as prior said, quality tannin is to the task. One to settle into. Drinking very well now.”
91 points, Neal Martin, Vinous “The 2023 Côte de Brouilly Les sept vignes was raised in 40-hectolitre foudres. This has a well-defined, minerally bouquet with pure blackcurrant, raspberry and wild strawberry scents. It becomes more floral with aeration. The palate is medium-bodied and cohesive, with higher acidity than you would expect and a pinch of cracked black pepper toward the finish. This is excellent. “
Kenna Wells, The Wine Advocate “.. offers aromas of dark cherry, ginger spice and dried purple petals. Full-bodied and concentrated, the wine opens with broad shoulders, finding more shape along the mid-palate, influenced by a lining of chalky tannins that accumulate weight as it progresses, finishing with a satisfying, lasting impression of wet stones.
RRP $74 Our Special Price $57.99 when you buy 6 or more
