2022 “Cote de Brouilly” nyr
Thivin
Brouilly, Beaujolais

$34.99 / $31.99 6+ (code: 6SAVES3)

Vineyards situated on steep slopes with a 48% grade exposed South to East
Traditional whole-cluster vinifications
Fermentation lasts from 6-12 days
Only semi-carbonic fermentation
Ages in oak foudres for six months before bottling
Drinks well in its youth and develops beautifully 3-8 years after the vintage

2021 – 92 points Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate
The 2021 Cte de Brouilly has turned out nicely, mingling aromas of cherries and berries with notions of burning embers and forest floor. Medium-bodied, fleshy and vibrant, with a lively core of fruit, powdery tannins and a sapid, saline finish, it marks a return to a more classically proportioned style after several richer, riper vintages. This tasting note refers to the cuve imported in the United States, but readers in the rest of the world will find that the estate’s Sept Vignes bottling, which sees a light filtration, is very similar in profile.

As I’ve written before, this historic estate continues to rank among the reference points for classical, age-worthy cru Beaujolais. The Geoffray family have banished herbicides and insecticides from their vineyards and number among the appellation’s most conscientious farmers, working toward organic certification (something they’ve already attained for several cuves, as indicated in the tasting notes). In the cellar, winemaking is traditional, with semi-carbonic maceration and levage generally in foudrethough some small cuves see a little new wood. A staple of France’s best restaurantsand this writer’s tableany readers who are not acquainted with these wines are warmly advised to seek them out. Despite the challenges of frost, disease and rain, the 2021s have turned out very well and mark a return to a cooler, crunchier style of Beaujolais that we haven’t seen for several years.
– William Kelley, Robert Parker Wine Advocate