Chateau Thivin

Château Thivin is an estate in the heart of Brouilly, Beaujolais, dating back 600 years. The Geoffray family, the proprietors of the château, rely on the Gamay grape variety to produce their cru and village wines, as well as Chardonnay for their Beaujolais Villages Blanc.

The manor that would eventually be known as Château Thivin was built in the 14th Century. Throughout the late 1800s, the vineyards were expanded, and the Geoffray family was instrumental in the creation of the Côte de Brouilly appellation in the 1930s. In the 1970s, Thivin acquired the Château Le Manoir du Pavé through marriage, and today the Pavé winery is responsible for the vinification of Beaujolais Villages and Brouilly cru wines.

Hand-harvesting allows for optimal grape selection, and the transportation of grapes in small crates ensures the grapes reach the winery in good condition. The winery is located on the hillside in Brouilly to take advantage of gravity instead of using pumps or conveyor belts during the winemaking process. Biodiversity within the vineyards is a key part of Château Thivin's philosophy. There is, for example, a huge hedge that borders the vineyards to protect them from any prevailing winds, and the aisles between vines are planted with a mix of grasses and flowers, which act as a hub for insect activity around pollination.

The wines made at Château Thivin come from around Beaujolais. As well as Beaujolais Villages wines in red, white, rosé and sparkling expressions, Thivin produces single-vineyard wines, which are vinified plot by plot, and a range called Les Sept Vignes, whose grapes come from each of the seven plots located throughout the Brouilly cru. Cuvée Godfrey is one of the château's prestige cuvées, and comes from 90-year-old vines on the slopes of Mount Brouilly.