Jean-Paul et Charly Thévenet, natural wine stars in Beaujolais
Jean-Paul Thévenet was one of the pioneering band of naturally inclined Beaujolais producers (the gang of four, or sometimes five if Métras is included) who developed natural wine in Beaujolais in the 1980s. This movement of friends was to prove quite the catalyst that helped grow the natural wine movement in its earliest stages.
With the help of the influential Marcel Lapierre, Thévenet began undoing the damage that modern farming had done to his vines, and then in 1981 made his first natural wine, but it wasn’t until a few years later that he got it right.
Now joined at the domaine by his son Charly, who has helped get things right in the vineyard, the domaine has grown as Charly has bought some of his own vineyards in Regnié. They make the wines together following the Chauvet guidelines of a cool carbonic maceration and then finishing fermentation in used barrels from Burgundy. Sulfites are only used in small quantities at bottling.
Jean-Paul et Charly Thévenet Morgon 2021 Beaujolais, France
60 year old vines on sandy granitic soils. Sappy and elegant with stony, mineral red fruits, and a mineral twist to the red cherry and plum fruit. Such finesse and focus here. 94/100
Jean-Paul et Charly Thévenet Morgon Vieilles Vignes 2021 Beaujolais, France
These vines were planted in Planted in 1929, 1936, 1962-63 on sandy granitic soils. Very fine and pure with elegant, stone-laced red cherry fruit. Great concentration and finesse on the mineral palate. Very fine. 95/100
Jean-Paul et Charly Thévenet Régnié Grain & Granit 2021 Beaujolais, France
From old vines planted in 1932 and 1946. Floral, sappy and elegant nose. So refined and pure. The palate is super-elegant with stony, mineral red cherry fruit. Almost weightless with real finesse. 95/100
Older notes:
Jean-Paul Thévenet Morgon Vieilles Vignes 2015 Beaujolais, France
Complex and dense, but pure with lovely black cherry and plum fruit. Brooding and quite structured with some grip, with fresh acidity. This is a beautifully complex wine showing great concentration and intensity. Lovely density to this wine: structured, pure and quite fine, with lovely weight. A very bold expression of Gamay. 95/100 (09/18)
Jean-Paul Thévenet Morgon Tradition ‘Le Clachet’ 2015 Beaujolais, France
13.5% alcohol. Complex, meaty, spicy and herby. There’s a richness and warmth here, with concentrated black fruits, as well as raspberry freshness. This is quite grippy, with some attractive spiciness. Grippy and detailed with a slightly animal edge, which I think is reductive youthfulness. Grainy and detailed. 93/100 (11/16)
