Rosé of Gamay, Château Thivin

Thivin’s Beaujolais-Villages vines sit opposite the Côte-de-Brouilly, where steep expanses of pink granite cascade down from wooded hilltops toward the valley below. These Gamay vines are over fifty years old—rare in rosé production—and you can sense a mouthwatering salinity that mimics the old-vine roots licking up mineral salts from the granitic bedrock.

Also unusual for rosé production, the Geoffrays ferment this wine with native yeasts and embrace malolactic fermentation. The result is a silky mouthfeel and delicate fruit that reflects the gentleness of these natural methods. The choice to harvest early assures a low alcohol content and a spark of freshness that enlivens one’s palate.

With its delightful peachiness and stimulating hints of its granitic terroir, Thivin’s rosé really is the ideal mise en bouche. Pouring a cold glass is just what’s needed to charm the senses in anticipation of more great things to come.