2018 Charly Thevenet Grain & Granit Regnie
The Collective Review
A local boy through and through, Charly Thévenet was born and brought up in the region, nurtured in the credo of traditional winemaking by his father Jean-Paul and by Marcel Lapierre, for whom he worked for a while. ‘Their basic principles were the use of natural yeast (and consequently no chemicals in the vineyard) and to harvest ripe fruit – and for the wines I like it would be impossible to do anything else,’ he says.
Average vine age is around 75 years, organically farmed. Some whole bunches used too, I believe. Importer: Fesq Brightly lit, spice and perfume, but all about the red fruits here, and there’s plenty of that action happening. A dusting of fine grained tannin, some redcurrant and cranberry crunch, fresh picked strawberry in particular, and perhaps some milk chocolate coming through on the finish. So lovely for its fresh and not-trying-too-hard approach. Read more
Critic Reviews
Average vine age is around 75 years, organically farmed. Some whole bunches used too, I believe. Importer: Fesq Brightly lit, spice and perfume, but all about the red fruits here, and there’s plenty of that action happening. A dusting of fine grained tannin, some redcurrant and cranberry crunch, fresh picked strawberry in particular, and perhaps some milk chocolate coming through on the finish. So lovely for its fresh and not-trying-too-hard approach.
The rise of Beaujolais continues and the region that was in the past seen as country wines for everyday drinking are now in high demand around the world. Wines from the greatest producers, such as the Thévenet family, are harder than ever to track down. Here we have a wine from Charly Thévenet, son of the revered Jean-Paul, with his own take on the Régnié Cru. From a 90 year old vineyard, farmed biodynamically, it shows superb energy and brightness of fruit. Aromatically it is pretty, fragrant and vibrant with dried strawberry and fresh raspberry red fruits dusted with dried herbs and Chinese Five Spice. It is a wine you could just sit in the glass and sip for hours. In the mouth its takes on a more casual style – juicy, fun but still highly complex fruits on a light weight palate with silky tannins supporting a long and fine finish. It’s a wine probably best enjoyed young with a platter of charcuterie and fresh cheeses.
Technical Attributes
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![Producer]()
Producer: Jean-Paul et Charly Thevenet
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![Varietal]()
Varietal: Gamay
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![Region]()
Region: Beaujolais
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![Net volume]()
Net volume: 750ml
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![Vintage]()
Vintage: 2018
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Style GuideLight Intense
Producer: Jean-Paul et Charly Thevenet
Varietal: Gamay
Region: Beaujolais
Net volume: 750ml
Vintage: 2018
Tasting Notes
Round, spicy-tinged tart-dark and forest berries drive the palate, wonderful darker berry flavours rise up in this supple and deliciously light wine. Lovely chocolate notes . Vibrant energy in this Gamay that finishes long, with a youthful tannin structure and profile. Lovely wine.
Winemakers Note
Growing up as the son of Beaujolais’ famous Jean-Paul Thévenet, a member of the notorious “Gang of Four”, Charly learnt the trade at a very young age. Gaining extensive experience helping his father, and working in Marcel Lapierre’s winery, he purchased a parcel of eighty-year-old vines in Régnié, west-southwest of his hometown of Villié-Morgon. We visited Charly in 2018 and found a quiet, considered man who had firm opinions about Gamay and the region in general. He prefers whole-bunch ferments of ripe, heavily sorted fruit, at low temperatures, with no filtration. He farms his 3ha vineyard biodynamically, and produces less than 600 cases.