Chateau Thivin Brouilly Reverdon – 2020

From 40 year old vines grown on the unique pink granite slopes of Brouilly, this has lovely density of dark cherry and plum fruit flavours, silky tannins and lively balancing acidity. Very good Gamay from a wonderfully traditional, family-owned chateau since 1877.

“The 2020 Brouilly Reverdon has turned out very nicely, bursting with aromas of wild plums, spices, berry fruit, violets and figs. Medium to full-bodied, rich and layered, with a concentrated core of fruit and impressively tangy acids, it’s reminiscent of a livelier version of its 2018 counterpart.

This historic estate continues to rank among the reference points for classical, age-worthy cru Beaujolais. As I wrote last year, the Geoffrays have banished herbicides and insecticides from their vineyards and number among the appellation’s most conscientious farmers, working toward organic certification. They’re also experimenting with a tiny planting of naturally disease-resistant hybrids that require no agrochemical interventions, and I blind tasted a micro-cuvée produced from these vines, which was impossible to identify. In the cellar, winemaking is traditional, with semi-carbonic maceration and élevage generally in foudre—though some small cuvées see a little new wood. A staple of France’s best restaurants—and this writer’s table—any readers who are not acquainted with these wines are warmly advised to seek them out. After the more delicate, ethereal 2019 vintage, the 2020s represent a return to the richer, more muscular register exemplified by 2018, 2017 and 2015, and they have turned out very well.”

91pts Wine Advocate