2021 Chateau Thivin Brouilly Reverdon Brouilly Beaujolais 750 ml

Lyon is said to be a city of three rivers: the Rhône, the Saône, and the Beaujolais—which is crucial to the revelry and gastronomy for which the city is famous. 

Serious Lyonnaise imbibers have long known that there’s Beaujolais, then there’s cru Beaujolais—and within that category, there’s an upper echelon.

Château Thivin is one of the premier producers in the crus of Brouilly and the Côte de Brouilly—two appellations defined by the unique soils from the ancient, extinct volcano Mount Brouilly. Thivin dates back to the fifteenth century and has been producing profound, age-worthy wines for as long as any resident of Beaujolais can remember.

The Wine Advocate recently called Thivin “among the reference points for classical, age-worthy cru Beaujolais.” The publication declared them “a staple of France's best restaurants” and advised readers who had not yet had the pleasure to seek out and enjoy the wines. 

Thivin’s Reverdon Brouilly strikes a beautiful balance between near-term deliciousness and moderate ageworthiness, especially in an old-school vintage like 2021. The cooler year produced wines with the classic minerality of the region, married to a panoply of dark and red berries and floral tones.

As one of the most classic producers in the region, Château Thivin utilizes a traditional semi-carbonic maceration for fermentation, which helps highlight the vibrant Gamay fruit while preserving a sense of terroir. To accomplish that, they use a clever technique: grillage, a mesh that keeps the cap submerged during fermentation and therefore keeps more berries whole. The aging is done entirely in concrete tanks, where discreet levels of oxygen can soften the tannins in the wine without creating any oaky flavors.