Our last winery visit in Beaujolais was at Domaine de Thulon. We made the stop on a recommendation from another producer. When I took a look at their website (http://thulon.com) I was once again sucked in by a great label – with names like “La Cerise Sur Le Gateau” and “Boite A Gamay” – stylized like a picnic basket I had to see if the juice in the bottle matched the packaging. Carine and Laurent greeted us warmly and then we just strapped ourselves in for what was one of the most fun tastings I’ve had. There are some very interesting Cru wines here – but it’s hard to dispute the value found in the Villages wines.
2017 Beaujolais Villages Blanc – **** – Another solid Chardonnay from Beaujolais that leans towards golden delicious apple, and pear on the nose and palate. Light and crisp on the finish. This isn’t complicated nor is it trying to be.
2017 Viognier – **** – Not that I would ever be sick of tasting through the Chardonnay of Beaujolais it is eyebrow raising to see viognier on the bottle. This is a very floral with richness and texture. The floral aromas are met with pineapple and peach on the palate.
2016 Boite a Gamay – ****+ – I love tasting wines like this… I know I’ve said it several times on my podcast but I think as a writer I spend a lot of time hunting for those rich, deeply complex wines that stock the shelves of my collection at home. This attractive bottle has a label that looks like a picnic basket – I jokingly asked Carine and Laurent if they had plans to put this in bag in box so you would have an ACTUAL boite a Gamay – it’s already done! Bottles of this can be found in France for just over 6 euros! What you can expect to find is rich and juicy brimming with nice ripe cherry flavours and aromas. If you’re a Gamay lover my only advice to you is to make sure you pick up more than a single bottle because it’s going to go fast on your table.
2016 Chiroubles – **** – This was the polar opposite of the Boite a Gamay – so if your interest lies more into the complex ageable cru bottles from the region this is the bottle for you. The aromas have nice concentrated dark cherry, and a slightly floral note. On the palate this has a nice richness and a plush texture. The tannin is already soft so you can enjoy this now, but expect it to hold on for 5-7 years easily.
2016 – 1947 1er Millésime – ****+ – This comes off vines that were planted in 1945. The fruit flavours are so concentrated and powerful they practically leap out of the glass. There are notes of cocoa layered over dark cherry, juicy blackberry, and strawberry. While this doesn’t come from a cru – it is most definitely top quality Beaujolais.
