Chateau Thivin 2023 Cote de Brouilly, Beaujolais

Thivin has been going through some transition in recent vintages.  Once very pretty in all aspects, it went a few vintages that were denser and darker and brooding.  This vintage it is somewhere in the middle.  There is a distinctive green-leafy herbaceousness to the aroma, somewhat complex, that also adds to the flavor of crushed blackberries.  Grapey, dry, with some grip, it is a wine with a more serious attitude than playful.

The Beaujolais and its reds may be known first and foremost for their exuberance, but with ten crus and spread across nearly 15,000 hectares, the region’s many terroirs are capable of expressing a wide range of personalities beyond silky, high-toned nectars.

One of the region’s great examples of Gamay’s more structured, noble, and earthy side is Château Thivin’s Côte de Brouilly. Originating along the steep slopes of Mont Brouilly in an incredibly unique soil of pierre bleue—a strikingly blue volcanic stone—this flinty red vividly evokes the mountain’s special terroir. Notes of brambly fruit, pomegranate, and spice dance atop a minerally foundation, making for a wine that exudes both the convivial charm of Gamay and the crunchy intensity of the Côte de Brouilly.

Thivin is not only the Côte’s benchmark domaine but also one of the great estates in the entire region.