"A staple of France's best restaurants—and this writer's table—any readers who are not acquainted with these wines are warmly advised to seek them out." -William Kelley
Château Thivin is one of the unsung great producers of Beaujolais.
Sadly, finding many of their top wines in the U.S. is very difficult. There's no doubt that if these wines were more available Thivin would be held in fmuch higher esteem. At their best, Thivin turns out Beaujolais of truly uncommon earthy depth and layered complexity.
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In general, the wines of Côte du Brouilly have sadly gotten somewhat lost amidst the greater star power of the more northern crus, like Morgon and Fleurie. In terms of the diversity and interest that Beaujolais has to offer, this is an unfortunate circumstance. Côte du Brouilly sits on Mt. Brouilly, an extinct volcano. The soil is defined by diorite, which is a hard volcanic rock, with a small influence of clay. The resulting wines have a profound architecture and power along with a soaring cast of aromatics.
Château Thivin has long been a benchmark in Côte du Brouilly. The legendary food writer, Richard Olney, served as Kermit Lynch's translator and somewhat as a guide in Lynch's early days. Olney, a lover of Beaujolais and wine in general, introduced Lynch to Thivin in 1976. As William Kelley makes clear, the estate hasn't missed a beat: "this historic estate continues to rank among the reference points for classical, age-worthy cru Beaujolais".
Today, I'm happy to offer three of their top wines-Griottes, Godefroy, and Zaccharie-from the utterly classic 2021 vintage. This is a vintage that we're really enjoying. The bright snap and blatant minerality is welcomed after a series of ripe vintages.
Starting with Griottes de Brulhié, it is a south-facing site that produces wines with soaring aromatics of flowers, spices, smoke, and bright red and dark fruit. Godefroy is from an east-facing vineyard of 80-100-year-old vines. It's a powerful and structured Beaujolais that delivers really impressive complexity. Finally, cuvée Zaccharie is an old vine bottling from Thivin's two top vineyards, La Chapelle and Godefroy, selected after élevage. Zaccharie is a tour de force that, regardless of vintage, is a mind-bending Beaujolais.
Thivin's 2021s are simply gorgeous. The vintage allowed the aromatics and refinement inherent in their wines to shine. Across the board, they have formidable structures and stern mineral backbones. This is a vintage from Thivin that shouldn't be missed.
To order, email offers@crushwineco.com or call the store at (212) 980-9463.
Joe Salamone
Wine Buyer
Crush Wine & Spirits
