Jean-Paul et Charly Thévenet Morgon Vieilles Vignes 2018

Jean-Paul Thévenet was one of the winemakers instrumental in getting Beaujolais the recognition it deserves among France’s top regions. Organic and biodynamic farming plus minimal intervention in the cellar gives these wines a regional purity that makes them some of Beaujolais’ best, 70 year old close-planted vines icing on the cake.

It’s deeply coloured as you’d expect in Morgan and so much to like – a spicy, stalky lift to start with damson plum and black cherry fruit before it takes a rustic turn with rocky, mineral undertones. It’s a wild ride with Morgon’s black heart also on display. Brooding youthful force then comes through on the palate – dry, firm and dense fruit combine with old oak and more of that rocky character to drive a long and at the moment embryonic finish. Balance is top-notch so all it needs is time before finer details, that are currently hidden under a thin sheet of tannin, begin to emerge.