Irresistible 2024s from Charly Thévenet
by Anthony Lynch
Gamay lovers, rejoice: the first of our 2024 crus Beaujolais have landed, and as you’ll see with this trio from Charly Thévenet, it is a vintage to get very excited about. The conditions—a cool, rainy start followed by a perfect end to the season—favored the kind of delicate, aromatic wines loaded with lip-smacking fruit that cement this region’s status as undisputed champion of the light red category.
Meanwhile, Charly has been busy in the cellar fine-tuning the methods passed down by his father, Jean-Paul, and the rest of Morgon’s legendary Gang of Four. His latest releases have a new level of purity and vibrancy, kicking up the pleasure factor to eleven without losing the depth and sophistication bestowed by biodynamically farmed old vines in the Beaujolais’ greatest terroirs.
2024 Régnié “Grain & Granit”
France | Beaujolais
Scented of violets and licorice, this cuvée is as chiseled as its maker—Charly is an avid weightlifter when he is not out in his vineyards. His decision to raise it entirely in concrete—no more wood—gives it a newfound buoyancy, providing dynamic fruit to match its dark intensity. Have a whiff of this beauty and the only weight you’ll be lifting is your glass to your face.
2024 Morgon “La Roche Pilée”
France | Beaujolais
A relatively new addition to the lineup, Roche Pilée comes from a lieu-dit by the same name situated on the slopes just above the village of Villié-Morgon. This is textbook Morgon: bright, floral, and spicy, recalling juicy peach and sour cherry. The rocky granite soil provides a minerally backbone to all the deliciousness.
2024 Morgon “Vieilles Vignes”
France | Beaujolais
Stubbily dotting the lower slopes of Morgon, these ancient vines are rooted in a sand so fine and fluffy the grapes look as if they could be tanning on a beach somewhere. Analogous to the soil’s texture, the juice is exquisitely silky and plush; taking a sip feels like jumping onto a huge pile of feathery pillows. That is, if your pillows smelled like rose petals and heavenly raspberries.