Every Sunday, with an educational edge, I explore specific appellations or sub-regions, taking you along for the ride. If it’s old news, then brush up on some fading facts; if it’s uncharted territory, why not learn something new? If you know something I haven’t mentioned, then feel free to comment and share your experiences. Check out past Sunday posts here.

The guys who know whats up in Beaujolais. If you’re curious, there’s an Interesting video here.

I’ve long been possessed by the wines from the Beaujolais cru of Morgon and recently have loved the few bottles I’ve had from Moulin-à-Vent (Rottiers and Janin ‘Clos du Tremblay’ specifically), but I feel there’s plenty of enjoyment left to be had in the remaining eight crus.

The strip of Beaujolais fills the gap between Burgundy to the north and the Rhône to the south. Northern Beaujolais sits on a pocket of acidic granite soils which differs greatly from the limestone soils more common in Burgundy and even those from the flat sandstone and clay soils of southern Beaujolais. All ten of the crus feed off a base of granite with some differences in mineral breakdowns that offers structure to the Gamay grape that it doesn’t get from the basic Beaujolais AC vineyards to the south.

Map from beaujolais-wine.com that clearly labels the 10 crus, starting in the north with Saint-Amour and Juliénas and stretching to Brouilly in the south.

Le Mont Brouilly

Côte de Brouilly and Brouilly surround Mount Brouilly, a dormant volcano which peaks at 1,500 ft and looks a little closer to something we’d call a hill in North America. The name comes from Brulius, a Roman Lieutenant who settled near the hill way back when. Côte de Brouilly, which covers the upper slopes, is one of the smallest crus at 320 ha (790 acres) and sits on a mix of blue granite and schist. Brouilly is the largest cru at 1,300 ha (3210 acres), surrounding the base of the hill. A little more varying geologically, but still mainly granite and schist.

I have tried a few Brouilly wines at tastings, the best being Vissoux from Brouilly, Bouland and Jean-Paul Brun from the Côtes, but until this week, I had yet to open up a bottle at home. Château Thivin is a producer I’ve seen both in Vancouver and around San Francisco, and figured it was time to give it a try.

Château Thivin ‘08 Côte de Brouilly

Château Thivin, run by the Geoffray family, has been around since the 14th century. They run 26 ha (64 acres) and bottle three Côte de Brouilly labels and one Brouilly, as well as Beaujolais-Villages white, red and rosé. The Château is also certified by Terra Vitis, a body which sets sustainable and organic standards. According to Andrew Jefford, Claude Geoffray always adds a little Chardonnay to his Gamay which is “for finesse and complexity. I don’t like pure varietal wine.”

The top label of the bottle reads “L’éclat de rire de la table”  or “the burst of laughter at the table” and gives you a good idea of how they’d like their wine to be enjoyed.

The wine is centered around tart red fruit and violets with a slight woodsy herbaceous character. It has a nice refined fruitiness that isn’t candied in any way and the finish offers a touch of tannin. While not as serious or structured as the Moulin-à-Vents or Morgons I’ve had, it is quite good wine and especially for the price. I found it in San Francisco for $20 and I’ve seen it at Marquis in Vancouver for $25.

I’ll be looking to jump on any of the lesser seen crus, such as Saint-Amour or Régnié, as I encounter them and continue to explore wine from the world’s best region for value.

As always, please feel free to contribute any information, experience or tasting notes that you feel are relevant and check back next Sunday. See past Sunday posts here.

One Response: