Thillardon ‘Chénas Les Blémonts’

Thillardon ‘Chénas Les Blémonts’ – grace, humility and patience; qualities that can be tasted in every Domaine Thillardon cuveé. The gifts of form and function are bestowed upon these wines- expressly, they personify the soul of Paul Henri’s twelve hectares. This suave and sultry expression of Gamay behaves with a little more greed, it is hungrier. Lunging maliciously from the glass are soaring wafts of morello cherries, red and black berries with a touch of rose. The floral hints seek that armour chink before launching a meleé of wild mountain herbs and peppery notes. Mounting layers of fresh red fruits, violet and supple, textural tones obliterate your remaining defences. Knees buckle; extremities numb; this palette-painting elixir has you in its grasp. All you can do is succumb.

One can trace Paul Henri Thillardon’s origins to Frontenas, in Southern Beaujolais, where his father produced wines of his own. The youngster settled in Chénas with merely twenty-two years and staunch, philosophical defiance behind him. Having been inspired by the likes of Yvon Métras and Dutraive, he transitioned from selling grapes to full immersion in low-intervention viticulture. Consequently, his infectious enthusiasm seeped into his siblings and as of 2018, all four Thillardons are managing the estate. Their vines are spread over the Chénas, Moulin-á-Vent and Chiroubles appellations and they work according to biodynamic precepts. They harvest manually; cooling the grapes before lowering them, whole-bunch, into concrete vats. Additionally, there is neither remontage nor pigeage and maceration lasts between 15 and 28 days. Furthermore, ageing occurs in enamel, stainless steel or old wooden barrels and the wines are neither filtered nor fined.

Thillardon ‘Chénas Les Blémonts’ – an authentic depiction of “vins de terroirs”; profoundly complex, yet affably delicate. In any case, Thillardon bottles his wines with passion and vigour; sure, they very nearly pour themselves.