Château Thivin - Cuvée La Chapelle 2013

Bettane & Desseauve

About wine:

A true expression of the blue rock—mineral-driven and straightforward.

About the estate:

Château Thivin has begun renovating its vineyard with a focus on soil management. In conversion to organic farming, trellising on the steepest plots, such as La Chapelle, is now the norm. The range is wide: fruity whites and reds, Côte de Brouilly (Sept Vignes, Griottes de Brulhié). The magnificent trio of Godefroy, Chapelle, and Zaccharie particularly impressed and moved us this year. A priority for wine lovers and a source of some truly great wines.

Robert Parker - Wine Advocate

About wine:

The 2013 Côte de Brouilly Cuvée La Chapelle comes from vineyards located at the top of a south-facing hill. It displays slightly more intense fruit on the nose than the Cuvée Godefroy, with a more red-fruit profile—red cherry, raspberry, and cranberry. And this cranberry note continues on the palate, revealing a delicate tannic structure and a lovely finish with notes of cherry and minerality. Who said Beaujolais couldn’t be elegant?

About the estate:

This historic estate continues to be one of the benchmarks for classic Beaujolais wines worthy of their age, and the 2019 vintage is a great success. As I wrote last year, the Geoffrays have banned herbicides and insecticides from their vineyards and are among the most conscientious farmers in the appellation, working towards organic certification. In the cellar, vinification is traditional, with semi-carbonic maceration and aging generally in large oak vats—although some small cuvées see a little new wood. A staple of France's finest restaurants—and this writer's table—any readers unfamiliar with these wines are strongly encouraged to seek them out. This year, the Brouilly Reverdon deserves a special mention, as it is particularly successful.