2017 Charly Thevenet Régnié Grain et Granit Beaujolais 750 ml

The region of Beaujolais, beloved by sommeliers and fans of fresh, food-friendly, and versatile red wines, is tucked along the edge of Burgundy’s famous slopes, and its wines share similar terroir to their luxury-priced northern neighbors. One benefit of top Beaujolais, like icon Charly Thévenet’s Régnié Grain et Granit, is that they retail below $35...about 1/10th the cost of Burgundies with a similar pedigree.

After months of trying to secure an allocation, this bottle stunned us when the sample finally arrived: We swooned over its bright, youthful ruby color, and its expressive nose: fresh strawberry and Bing cherry overlayed by aromas of white pepper, crushed stones, wild lavender, and rose petals. We couldn’t stop talking about this charming red, as its flavors of wild raspberry unfolded alongside exotic spice undertones and exquisitely fine tannins. From the renowned Beaujolais cru of Régnié, Thévenet’s latest release is Burgundian in structure, but with the vibrant and vivacious soul that only comes from top Beaujolais.

Today, our 22 cases represent the last bottles available to Wine Access members until the 2018 is released next year, so don’t wait to add this stellar Beaujolais to your cellar.  

James Suckling raved about Grain et Granit’s aromas of “rich raspberries and a touch of red flowers,” and the “seriously juicy array of quite powerful, defined tannins.” Simply put, this single-vineyard gem has everything going for it, and at a price that rarely yields such a show-stopping wine.

It comes from Régnié, one of the most exciting of the ten Beaujolais crus: villages that produce wine of such high quality that the name Beaujolais doesn’t even have to appear on the label. Mere mention of the name of the village is enough to let you know that it’s one of the best. And Thévenet’s vineyard there, comprised of 80-year-old vines that grow on the famous pink granite of the cru, is farmed biodynamically and harvested by hand, ensuring that only the best individual berries make it to the crusher.

Charly Thévenet, son of Beaujolais legend Jean-Paul Thévenet, is leading his home region’s charge into the future with releases like this one, which gushes with a medley of berries, herbs, exotic spices, crushed stones, and lavender. Charly’s not yet 30 years old, but he’s already setting the world on fire with his incredible red wines—which outperform nearly every other Beaujolais you’ll find for below $35.

Wine made with this level of care usually costs twice as much, especially given its pedigree. Best to stock up before word gets out.