Château Thivin - Cuvée Zaccharie 2016 (Magnum)

Bettane & Desseauve

About the domain :

Château Thivin is currently renovating its vineyards, with a focus on soil management. In organic conversion, trellising on the steepest plots, such as La Chapelle, is now the rule. 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 an address for great wines.

Robert Parker - Wine Advocate

About the wine:

Côte de Brouilly Cuvée Zaccharie unfurls in the glass with aromas of crushed blackcurrant, plum and spice, coated in a rather marked new wood that, for me, is almost distracting. On the palate, the wine is medium-bodied, spicy and firmer in structure, clearly marked by the wood tannins picked up during ageing. It needs 2 or 3 years in bottle to show its best.

About the domain :

This historic estate continues to set the standard for classic Beaujolais cru worthy of its age, and the 2019 vintage is a great success here. 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 ageing generally in tuns - although some smaller cuvées see a little new wood. A staple of France's finest restaurants - and this writer's table - all readers unfamiliar with these wines are urged to seek them out. This year, the Brouilly Reverdon deserves a special mention, as it's particularly good.

RVF - La Revue du Vin de France / Guide des Meilleurs Vins de France