Château Thivin 2005 Côte de Brouilly, about $18
The French don’t make things easy. That way, they get to keep many of their good wines to themselves. But I’m going to let you in on one of their secrets: Many of the best Beaujolais wines don’t say “Beaujolais.” Like Château Thivin.
The Geoffrays choose to label their best wine “Côte de Brouilly” to denote that it comes from the volcanic slopes of Mont Brouilly rather than just anywhere within the 49,420-acre Beaujolais area.
The difference is like that between generic truffles and handmade fresh truffles: one is perfectly fine, while the other shoots you to the moon with intense flavor and melting texture. Except that truffles are fleeting; Thivin will last for years.
Imported by Kermit Lynch Wine Merchant, Berkeley, Calif.; kermitlynch.com | Tara Q. Thomas
