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Domaine de Thulon, Régnié

Beaujolais, France 2016 (750mL)
$20.00
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SommSelect

Domaine de Thulon, Régnié

We are about to enter Cru Beaujolais season in earnest—the time of year when lighter-weight, chillable, quenching styles of red wine are just the ticket—but come to think of it, Cru Beaujolais season is all year long around here. There’s so much superb wine coming out of villages such as Morgon, Fleurie, and today’s village of choice, Régnié, that Cru Beaujolais has become one of the most-offered wine categories of all on SommSelect. 
And no matter how many wines we feature from this region, a few things bear repeating: (1) Beaujolais is part of Burgundy, and its Gamay-based reds regularly deliver the same levels of pleasure, buoyancy, soil expression, and aromatic complexity as their Pinot Noir-based brethren; and (2) these are perhaps the greatest red wine values on earth right now. When you taste as much wine as we do, at all price points, a wine like this $20 Régnié from the family-run Domaine de Thulon is a wonder. All you can say is “Wow” and tip your hat as it runs circles around other reds on the table that cost much more. I’d strongly suggest grabbing Thulon’s ’16 by the case because it is sure to be the wine that disappears first on whatever table you put it on!
The fact that this wine is also from a small, family-run farm only adds to its appeal: Annie and René Jambon purchased the 15th-century Thulon farm in 1987, after 20 years working as métayers (sharecroppers) on the property; today, their two children, Clarine and Laurent, oversee sales and production, respectively. Based in the village of Lantignié, right at the edge of the Regnié appellation, they farm a total of eight hectares of vineyards and produce wines not just from Regnié but Morgon and Chiroubles as well. Their farming is the “reasoned fight,” or lutte raisonnée, method, in which organic practices are followed except in cases of emergency.

Régnié (rain-YAY), like its southern neighbor, Brouilly, is traditionally thought of as one of the more forwardly fruity crus, a touch gentler than its northern neighbor, Morgon, in terms of minerality and palate weight. Vineyard altitudes in Régnié skew a little higher across the board, with soils comprised largely of the famed pink granite of Beaujolais, and the result is typically a more linear, perfumed expression of Gamay. We found this to be very true of Thulon’s 2016, which shows terrific snap on the palate and lots of aromatic persistence on the finish. It’s refreshing and eminently drinkable, but it manages to linger awhile as well—no small achievement for a $20 bottle of wine!

The Jambons crafted this 2016 from mostly destemmed grapes (80%), which resulted in a bright and soft style driven by ripe red fruits. In the glass, it’s a medium ruby with hints of pink at the rim, with aromas of wild strawberry, cherry, and cranberry layered with a subtle hint of warm spice, rose petal, and hints of black pepper and underbrush. It is medium-bodied and softly contoured on the palate, with lots of freshness lending mouthwatering vivacity. It’s ready to drink now and over the next few years and will show even more wild berry fruit with a bit of a chill—take it down to 50-55 degrees and get it on your picnic table now (and all summer long) with burgers, ribs, chicken, and just about anything else you choose to throw on the grill. Its relatively low alcohol and tannin, combined with its juicy fruit, mean it can handle a little spice should you decide to throw some at it. This is an extremely easy wine to drink so (a) be careful and (b) calibrate your supply needs accordingly. Enjoy!
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Country
France
Region
Beaujolais
Sub-Region
FranceRégnié
Soil
Pink Granite
Farming
Sustainable
Blend
Gamay 100%
Alcohol
13.0
TEMP.
55-65
Glassware
Burgundy Stems
Drinking
Now-2024
Decanting
Optional
Pairing
Baby Back Ribs

France

Bourgogne

Beaujolais

Enjoying the greatest wines of Beaujolais starts, as it usually does, with the lay of the land. In Beaujolais, 10 localities have been given their own AOC (Appellation of Controlled Origin) designation. They are: Saint Amour; Juliénas; Chénas; Moulin-à Vent; Fleurie; Chiroubles; Morgon; Régnié; Côte de Brouilly; and Brouilly.

Southwestern France

Bordeaux

Bordeaux surrounds two rivers, the Dordogne and Garonne, which intersect north of the city of Bordeaux to form the Gironde Estuary, which empties into the Atlantic Ocean. The region is at the 45th parallel (California’s Napa Valley is at the38th), with a mild, Atlantic-influenced climate enabling the maturation of late-ripening varieties.

Central France

Loire Valley

The Loire is France’s longest river (634 miles), originating in the southerly Cévennes Mountains, flowing north towards Paris, then curving westward and emptying into the Atlantic Ocean near Nantes. The Loire and its tributaries cover a huge swath of central France, with most of the wine appellations on an east-west stretch at47 degrees north (the same latitude as Burgundy).

Northeastern France

Alsace

Alsace, in Northeastern France, is one of the most geologically diverse wine regions in the world, with vineyards running from the foothills of theVosges Mountains down to the Rhine River Valley below.

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