Château Thivin, Côte de Brouilly (Beaujolais, Burgundy, France) 2017

 Château Thivin is THE producer Côte de Brouilly, one of the ten crus of Beaujolais, which sits on a small ancient volcanic cone.  The Geoffray family purchased the estate, which had been in existence since the 12th century, in 1877.   Leaders in the appellation, they were the first to bottle the wines of Côte de Brouilly rather than sell them in bulk to négociants as was the practice in the 1930s.  The wines from the Côte de Brouilly are very different — firmer and far less fruity — from those of the larger surrounding cru, Brouilly.  This wine comes from seven plots spread over the hillside.  The soil — blue stone rich with iron and copper — explains the wine’s firmness and mineral-like quality.  The focus here is not on fruitiness, but rather on minerality.  Not opulent, it conveys an austerity without really being austere.  The tannins are firm, not hard or aggressive.  A hint of bitterness in the finish reminds you this is serious wine, best enjoyed at the table.  In my experience, the Thivin wines develop marvelously with a decade of age, so it’s worth keeping some in the cellar.