2023 Chateau Thivin - Cote de Brouilly (750ml)

Château Thivin is the oldest estate on Mont Brouilly, an extinct volcano whose steep slopes define the Côte de Brouilly appellation. Built as far back as the fifteenth century and acquired by the Geoffray family in 1877, the estate has stayed in the same family for generations and played a direct role in establishing Côte de Brouilly as its own appellation in 1938. Today Claude Geoffray, his wife Evelyne, and their son Claude-Edouard continue the tradition, farming organically and hand-harvesting fruit from vineyards regarded as a benchmark for the entire region.

This bottling, known internationally as Les Sept Vignes, blends fruit from seven distinct parcels spread across the east, south, and west flanks of Mont Brouilly. The vineyards sit on a distinctive blue volcanic stone locally called pierre bleue, with soils growing stonier higher up the slope and more clay-rich toward its base. The wine is fermented partly with whole clusters in the estate's hillside cellars, then matured for about seven months in large oak tuns before bottling.

The 2023 offers aromas of dark cherry, ginger spice, and dried purple petals, with a full-bodied, concentrated palate built on chalky tannins and a long, mineral-driven finish of wet stone. Pair it with roast pork, grilled sausages, or a hearty coq au vin.