13% abv, Baron Thénard, Givry, imported by Classified Wines, Houston, TX.
Smallholder Baron Thénard is most well-known for being a Montrachet producer who also excels at the wines of Givry, his home village in the Côte Chalonnaise, down below the town of Chalon-sur-Saone where the hills of Bourgogne spread out and the reddish clay-limestone soils favor predominantly Pinot Noir. Here in Givry, much of the hillsides (nearly 50%!) planted with east and south-facing exposure are classified as Premier Cru. Thénard’s parcel in “Les Bois Chaveaux’ is east-oriented on middle slope and features some spectacularly old vines of around 80 years of age. The grapes are de-stemmed and fermentation (spontaneous, natural yeasts) takes place in large, wooden open-top fermenters that are more that are imepressively centurion. Aging then takes place half in large foudres and small neural oak barrels; there is no new oak on this cuvée. According to the BIBV, the red wines of Givry are laden with structure and spice: “the bouquet generally evokes violets, strawberries, and blackberries with variants which include liquorices, game, and sometimes spice (cloves). It is quite tannic in its early youth but after 3 to 5 years in the bottle it becomes suppler and fuller. It boasts a firm structure.”
As the inscription on a neck label of the Domaine Thénards wines remind us (““Preferé du Roi Henri IV”) this Chalonaisse village’s claim to fame was with the great Bourbon King Henri IV of France, who preferred it among all wines!
Tasting note: The 2014 ‘Les Bois Cheaveau’ is light ruby in color with a clean nose of medium+ intensity fragrant with aromas of toasted chestnut, iron, organge peel, raspberry, and forest floor. On the palate this wine is dry with high acidity, medium+ tannins, medium alcohol, medium body, medium+ flavor intensity and a medium+ finish with flavors of dried strawberry, liqourice, iron, leather, smoked game, and black tea leaf. This has a nice core of structure and some real edges from fruit extraction but lacked the proper polish one would expect from a Premier Cru Pinot Noir from Bourgogne. Drink now, this wine is good: 8.9/10.