Jean-Paul & Charly Thevenet Regnie "Grain & Granit" 2023
We have 11 in stock (Inventory is live and accurate)
The Land
Régnié is the youngest of the ten Beaujolais crus, promoted by decree on December 8, 1988, and for years the cru nobody asked for by name. The village sits in the hills between Morgon and Brouilly, with vines planted around 350 meters on mostly southeast-facing slopes. The soil is shallow, light pink granite, and Régnié carries a higher share of granite than Morgon. The cuvée name says it: grain, the coarse sand that granite weathers into, over granite bedrock. That thin, fast-draining ground keeps vigor low and sends roots down into rock, which is why Gamay from Régnié tends to combine Morgon's structure with Brouilly's bright red fruit and a stony, spicy edge.
The Wine
Jean-Paul & Charly Thevenet Régnié "Grain & Granit" 2023 is 100% Gamay from old vines, picked by hand at full ripeness and fermented as whole clusters in the traditional Beaujolais way. It is bottled unfined and unfiltered. Charly has adjusted the vinification for warmer years, chasing freshness and a profile closer to Beaujolais than to the Rhône, and 2023 put that to the test. June was the hottest in Beaujolais since 2003 and 2017, July stayed hot, and véraison came early before a cool, wet start to August. Picking began in early September, with volumes about 20 percent above 2022. Expect dark cherry, raspberry, and crushed granite, earthy spice through a juicy, concentrated middle, fine tannin, and a stony, peppery finish.
The People
Charly Thevenet grew up in Villié-Morgon, the son of Jean-Paul Thevenet, third generation at the family estate and one of the four Morgon growers Kermit Lynch dubbed the Gang of Four for following Jules Chauvet's natural methods. Charly's own story starts with a classified ad. He spotted a listing for a parcel of very old vines in Régnié and fell for them. His father thought he was crazy: Régnié was the youngest cru, little known and hard to sell. Charly bought it anyway, and Grain & Granit has done as much as any wine to earn the cru its current respect. Back home, Charly convinced his father to give up herbicides and plow the vineyards, and the family has farmed with organic and biodynamic practices since 2008. Today father and son make all the cuvées together.
Food Pairing
Grain & Granit has the weight for a real dinner and the freshness to take a light chill. Roast a chicken over sliced potatoes and onions with plenty of thyme; the juicy acidity cuts through the schmaltz-soaked potatoes. Grilled Toulouse sausages with green lentils and a mustard vinaigrette work because the wine's spice meets the pork and the low tannin stays out of the vinegar's way. Duck confit with a frisée and lardon salad lets the acidity reset the palate after each bite of crisp skin. Roasted beets and mushrooms over farro with goat cheese play to the earthy side. This is the Beaujolais to bring to a friend's dinner when you want someone to ask where it came from.
We ship wine to most states with a $100 minimum order for shipping. We don't ship spirits nor beer.
Weather shipping advisory: Orders placed during times of extreme heat or extreme cold will be held for no charge until more favorable weather returns.
Beaujolais stands on its own as a unique source of the world's greatest Gamay wines and one of the birthplaces of the natural wine movement. The 10 crus on the north side provide the most serious versions including Morgon and Moulin-a-Vent, but the more basic reds further south are vibrant and affordable. There's also a rare white made from Chardonnay.
Beaujolais
A red wine grape most associated with Beaujolais, Gamay makes fresh, fruity red wines with berry and violet aromas. It is grown around the world outside of France where it is often a darker and less tannic cousin to Pinot Noir in cool climate regions such as Oregon and Victoria.
