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Château Thivin

Co-proprietor Sonja Geoffray greeted me at Château Thivin, perched on the Côtes de Brouilly, since Claude Edouard was busy out in the vines after a turbulent period of inclement weather. Geoffray told me that they were not hit too hard by frost in 2021 as they have fruit on the second shoots; although, they had lost a little to hail that week in June. “We started the 2020 picking on 24 August for the Beaujolais Nouveau and Rosé, then the heart of the picking was from 28 August,” Geoffray continued. “The grapes ripened quickly, and we were scared about the rising sugar levels, but it was important to keep the good ripeness and the anthocyanins. As the 2020s were fermenting, the perfume in the winery was amazing. I never smelled anything like that. The wines went through alcoholic fermentation quickly, but the malolactics are slow and some cuvées are still going through them. We don’t want to force it. In 2019, I think the wines became a bit blocked in terms of maturity. The wines are quite Burgundy-style after the more opulent 2018s.”

The 2019s from Château Thivin are from the top drawer. I have a personal preference for the Côte de Brouilly La Chapelle, which comes from the top of the hill over the Cuvée Zaccharie and tends to show a little more wood that I find slightly masks the terroir. That said, both will age supremely well. One fascinating wine that I tasted is the 2018 Utopia from an experimental parcel. Here, Sonja Geoffray has planted varieties resistant to fungal infection, a blend of Prior, Chamboucin and Sauvignon Gris. To be honest, it did not rock my boat, but hey, you don’t know until you try these things.

From Back For More Beaujolais (Aug 2021) by Neal Martin

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2020 Beaujolais Blanc Clos de Rochebonne

Release Price: $33

Color: White

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