Domaine Thillardon

Who is Paul-Henri Thillardon?

Born in the Pierres Dorées in southern Beaujolais, the son of a winegrower, Paul-Henri Thillardon set up on his own in 2008, aged 22, in the Chénas appellation. An ambitious project that has paid off: Paul-Henri Thillardon is now one of the great names of his region.

Domaine Thillardon, a family story

As well as ambition, Paul-Henri has convictions: from day one he farmed organically. In 2012 he bought Domaine Chassignol, also in Chénas, where he now farms four terroirs: Les Carrières, Chassignol, Les Blémonts and Les Boccards. He also has vines in Chiroubles, Moulin-à-Vent and a little in his native southern Beaujolais, the Pierres Dorées.
The estate grew as a family and became Domaine Thillardon: his brother Charles joined in 2014, their younger brother Jean-Baptiste in 2017 and their sister Aude in 2018.

The vineyards of Domaine Thillardon

Today Domaine Thillardon covers 12 hectares on various terroirs, farmed biodynamically.
The Thillardon family is fully committed to respecting the environment and showcasing its land. Animals are back at the heart of the estate: cows, horses, poultry, pigs, beehives and more. Hedges surround the vines and trees have been planted on Chassignol, creating real biodiversity, a true biological reservoir around the vines.
These plants also protect the vines, acting as windbreaks. And to go all the way, the soils are ploughed with the estate's horses.

Harvest at the estate

The harvest is done by hand in 20 kg crates, then cooled in a cold room to 7-10°C to keep all the grapes' freshness. In the cellar as in the vineyard, intervention is minimal: no additives, destemming for the flagship cuvées, maceration of 15 to 28 days depending on the cuvée, vertical pressing and ageing in concrete tanks. The result: pure Gamay juice!

Chénas, Moulin-à-Vent and Beaujolais

The Chénas appellation, somewhat neglected by the region's big names, is back in fashion thanks to Paul-Henri Thillardon!
The Epi-curieux.com team, Gamay fans, thanks him: he lets us offer you wines of great finesse and lovely complexity.
In Chénas, in La Chapelle-de-Guinchay, Les Carrières comes from vines planted on an old alluvial quarry (hence the name!), on a south-facing slope with flint soil: a fine, chiselled and juicy Gamay.
Also in Chénas, Vibrations blends several old vines on granite, quartz and alluvium, made by carbonic maceration: a "vibrant" aromatic palette, and one of our team's favourites. Chassignol is THE flagship cuvée: old vines, some a hundred years old, on a slope so steep that only horses can work it, on granite laced with quartz. A very great Chénas for true Gamay lovers!
In Moulin-à-Vent, Paul-Henri makes Alizés, a silky, balanced blend of terroirs, and Sous la Roche, off the beaten track with vines at the top of the appellation.
He hasn't forgotten his native land: in southern Beaujolais, on the Pierres Dorées, he makes the Georges cuvée from family vines on clay-limestone, very mineral with lovely tension. Also discover Métis, a red-white blend of Gamay and Chardonnay, super fresh and easy to drink, plus Raisin Libre, Coup Double and Albert.