The Smallest Cru & the Sibling Hand
Domaine Thillardon is the story of four siblings — Paul-Henri, Charles, Jean-Baptiste, and Aude — who have positioned themselves as the future of Chénas, the smallest and most overlooked of the ten Beaujolais crus. Paul-Henri founded the estate in 2008 at the age of 21, after his friend Raphaël St Cyr's father, Thierry, persuaded him to consider the life of a vigneron. He settled in Chénas — an appellation of just 253 hectares that lacked the superstar talent of neighbouring Morgon and Fleurie — and saw in its diversity of soils an extraordinary opportunity. He was soon joined by his brother Charles in 2014, then Jean-Baptiste in 2017 and Aude in 2018. Today, the family farms ~12 hectares across Chénas, Moulin-à-Vent, and Beaujolais, all organic and biodynamic, with a large portion ploughed by two horses. The estate is a polyculture farm featuring cows, pigs, chickens, bees, and 100 heritage fruit trees. In the cellar, the Thillardons chill their grapes to 5°C before whole-bunch semi-carbonic maceration in concrete, press with a 1927 vertical press, and bottle with minimal or no sulfur. The result is Beaujolais of extraordinary purity, vibrancy, and silky elegance — wines that taste of the granite of Chassignol, the alluvium of Les Carrières, and the patient, convivial hand of a family that believes the success of your colleagues tastes as thrilling as your own.
Frontenas, Dutraive & the Four Siblings
The story of Domaine Thillardon begins in Frontenas, in the southern Beaujolais, where the Thillardon family grew grapes to sell to the local cooperative. Paul-Henri often worked in the vines as a kid and aspired to one day make his own wine. It was his friend Raphaël St Cyr whose father, Thierry, persuaded Paul-Henri to consider the life of a vigneron. At age 21, he set out on his own and purchased vineyard land in the cru of Chénas in 2008 — seeing potential in an appellation that lacked the superstar talent of nearby Morgon and Fleurie. He started with a couple of parcels, and in 2012 he was able to buy a small domaine on the higher slopes of Chénas, home to 100-year-old vines — which is where his Chassignol cuvée comes from.
Soon after moving to Chénas, Paul-Henri met Jean-Louis Dutraive and Yvon Métras — two of the original natural wine gang of Fleurie — who live in the neighbouring cru. "They really took me under their wing, and I'll always be so grateful to them," Paul-Henri says. "I didn't come from a natural winemaking family; my father had worked conventionally in the local co-op, but they welcomed me. They helped me out during some difficult vintages. They have always been so voluntary and forthcoming with their knowledge, and I'm so glad that we were able to learn how to make wine with them." He also received guidance from Guy Breton and Julie Balagny, gradually aligning his winemaking with the aesthetics of natural Beaujolais.
In 2014, his brother Charles — who had previously raised cows — joined him officially. In 2017, their younger brother Jean-Baptiste joined, and in 2018, their sister Aude completed the quartet. Today, the four siblings farm ~12 hectares together, with Paul-Henri and Charles at the helm of the winemaking. The estate has grown piece by piece through a patchwork of fermage (rental), métayage (rental paid in wine), and outright ownership — a logistical challenge that the Thillardons have met with extraordinary grace and commercial acumen.
"It's not enough just to work naturally. You have to understand the people who make it, drink with them, taste with them."
— Paul-Henri Thillardon
Chénas, Chassignol & the Two Valleys
The estate is centred on Chénas, the smallest of the ten Beaujolais crus at just 253 hectares, but also one of the most geologically diverse. The Thillardon vineyards are spread across two distinct valleys. On one side — where Les Blémonts and Les Carrières are located — the land was flooded millions of years ago, creating sedimentary soils of alluvial stone with rounded pebbles. Les Blémonts contains clay and manganese, while Les Carrières has more silex and silt. On the other side — where the cellar and the Chassignol parcel sit — the land was never under water; rather, it was an island of sorts, home to a very old form of granite that has decomposed over time into crumbly, sandy soil. The iron seam that runs through blocks of quartz has given these soils their name — Roche Lardée ('lard rock') — as they look a little like bacon.
The Chassignol climat is the appellation's highest, where ancient vines climb a steep slope of sandy granite. The soil here is very poor — less than 3% clay — so vines are one of the only plants that can be cultivated. Rocks of quartz and iron are prevalent. The six hectares of vines on Chassignol are situated right below four hectares of an old forest, originally planted to oak and later home to chestnut and acacia. This forest brings freshness and cool air, a saving grace during the intense droughts of recent years. The Thillardons have also planted 100 fruit trees of rare heritage selections from the association Croqueurs de Pommes — an act of preservation that brings yet more biodiversity to their land.
The family farms organically and biodynamically, with two horses helping to plough the steep slopes. They have reintroduced animals to the heart of the estate — cows, pigs, poultry, bees — and all vines are surrounded by hedges. They are currently trialling cover crops of wheat and peas to protect the soil against erosion, bring nitrogen to the soil, and help the granitic soils retain moisture during drought. The Chassignol vines are worked in exactly the same way that people did 100 years ago when the vineyard was first planted — out of both respect and conviction that farming in the old-school way is indeed the best way.
Domaine Thillardon is based in Chénas, in the northern Beaujolais crus of Burgundy, France. The property extends into Moulin-à-Vent and the broader Beaujolais appellation, with a white wine vineyard in the southern pierres dorées section near Frontenas. The estate is accessible from Mâcon, Lyon, and the A6 motorway, and lies within one of the most historically significant and commercially dynamic wine regions of France. Chénas is the smallest of the ten Beaujolais crus, often overshadowed by its larger neighbours, yet it possesses extraordinary geological diversity that the Thillardon family has made its mission to reveal.
The Thillardon terroir is defined by extraordinary geological diversity. In Chassignol, the soils are very old granite that has decomposed into crumbly, sandy soil with less than 3% clay — the Roche Lardée, named for the iron seams running through quartz that resemble bacon. In Les Carrières, the soils are sedimentary alluvium with rounded pebbles, silex, and silt. In Les Blémonts, there is clay and manganese. In Moulin-à-Vent, the soils are deeper and more fertile, producing wines of greater structure. The white vineyard in the southern pierres dorées sits on blue marl — a thrilling discovery that connects the estate to the Jura. This geological patchwork, combined with the semi-continental climate and the cooling forest of Chassignol, creates a microclimate of extraordinary clarity and balance.
The Thillardon siblings farm all their vineyards according to organic and biodynamic principles. They have worked organically since the beginning (2008) and biodynamically since 2012. Two horses help them plough the steep hillside parcels. The estate is a true polyculture farm featuring cows, pigs, poultry, bees, and 100 heritage fruit trees from the association Croqueurs de Pommes. All vines are surrounded by hedges, and the siblings have reintroduced trees in the middle of the vineyards, particularly on Chassignol. They are trialling cover crops of wheat and peas to protect against erosion, bring nitrogen, and retain moisture in the granitic soils. The result is a living farm where old vines, animals, trees, and native flora coexist in a rhythm of biodynamic harmony and maximum biodiversity.
The old vines at Chassignol are the patrimony of the estate. When some of these centenarian vines inevitably surpass their old age and die, the Thillardons replace them with a massal selection from the same vineyard — preserving the genetic heritage of the site. They have also replaced a clonal planting on the higher slopes with the same massal selection. It takes around six years for the young vines to produce a reliable crop due to the poor soils and recent droughts. The six hectares of Chassignol vines are situated right below four hectares of an old forest — originally oak, later chestnut and acacia — which brings freshness, cool air, and biodiversity. This forest is a saving grace during intense droughts, and its presence is integral to the terroir's identity.
Chilled Grapes, 1927 Press & the Clean Natural Hand
For the Thillardon siblings, the cellar is a place of precision, observation, and minimal intervention. All grapes are hand-harvested in 20kg boxes and cooled in a refrigerated container to 5°C for one day before being placed, whole bunch, in concrete tanks via gravity. For the first couple of days, carbon dioxide is used to prevent oxidation and encourage intracellular fermentation; after that, they rely on the CO₂ produced naturally from fermentation. The maceration period lasts for 20 to 25 days — sometimes 15 to 28 depending on the vintage — and during this period, the Thillardons try not to intervene at all: no pigeage and no pumpovers. This is crucial to ensure the most delicate extraction possible and the silkiest tannins.
In 2018, Paul-Henri made a purchase he feels has been a gamechanger: a beautiful old vertical press, made in Lyon in 1927. "I would often taste with Yvon Métras, and the wines just blew me away. I'd always say, but how? And he pointed to his press, which is like the one I bought, and said, it's down to this. It has made a big difference to the quality of my wines. It creates a very clear juice, which has such purity of fruit. It makes the wines much finer, as it gives you finer lees." After pressing, the wines go to barrels or epoxy-lined tanks, where they remain usually until May — around nine months for the reds, though Paul-Henri wishes to age the whites for two years or longer.
All wines ferment with indigenous yeasts. There is no fining and no filtration. The Thillardons work without sulfites during vinification, which can be risky — especially in warmer vintages when pH levels are higher — so they rely heavily on their noses, smelling the tanks consistently to ensure nothing is going awry. If concerned, they will do microscope analysis to assess the types of yeast and bacteria. They are not dogmatic, however, and if a particular fermentation is concerning, they will add a small amount of sulfites — but this tends to be only around 15mg/L. Before bottling, 15 to 20mg/L of SO₂ is added — though some cuvées, such as the Vibrations, have seen zero added sulfur in certain vintages. The wines are sealed with wax — a costly but beautiful finishing touch.
The Thillardons' evolution in the cellar has been deliberate. In their first year, they used selected yeast — because Paul-Henri didn't know how to make natural wine and had never seen it. By 2013, half the production was whole-bunch semi-carbonic; by 2014, 100% whole-bunch; and by 2015, they had begun chilling the grapes. "I'm really happy with 2015 because for the first time we've really done everything the way we wanted to do it," Paul-Henri said. Today, the siblings produce wines that are clean, pure, and vibrantly expressive — a style that has earned them a reputation as some of the most thrilling producers in the region.
Chilled Whole-Bunch, 1927 Press & the No-Pigeage Rule
The guiding principle of Domaine Thillardon is that the wine is made by the vineyard, spoken by the biodynamically farmed old vines of Chénas, and protected by the minimum possible intervention. The biodynamic farming provides healthy, complex grapes. The hand harvest in 20kg boxes provides pristine fruit. The chilling to 5°C and whole-bunch semi-carbonic maceration in concrete tanks provides the fresh, fruity, floral character that defines great Beaujolais, while the absence of pigeage and pumpovers ensures the most delicate extraction and the silkiest tannins. The 1927 vertical press provides a very clear juice with purity of fruit and finer lees. The indigenous yeasts provide spontaneous, site-specific fermentation. The concrete tanks, epoxy-lined tanks, and old barrels provide respectful ageing vessels that do not impose woody flavour. The absence of sulfites during vinification, and the minimal addition at bottling, provides a wine that tastes of Chénas, not of the laboratory. And the wax seal provides a visual signature of the estate's commitment to beauty and honesty. The cellar is not a factory; it is a quiet continuation of the hillside — a place where chilled patience, press purity, and the refusal to standardise translate Gamay fruit into wine that is clean, nourishing, and unmistakably of its place.
Chassignol, Vibrations & the Carrières Hand
Domaine Thillardon produces approximately 40,000 bottles per year across a portfolio of red and white wines from organically and biodynamically farmed vineyards in Chénas, Moulin-à-Vent, and Beaujolais. The range is built around Gamay for the reds, with a growing collection of Chardonnay, Chardonnay Rose, and Aligoté for the whites — sourced from a massal selection vineyard in the southern pierres dorées on blue marl. All wines share a common foundation: hand-harvested grapes in 20kg boxes, chilling to 5°C, whole-bunch semi-carbonic maceration in concrete tanks, spontaneous fermentation with indigenous yeasts, pressing with a 1927 vertical press, ageing in concrete, epoxy-lined tanks, and old barrels, and bottling with minimal or no sulphur, no fining, and no filtration. The result is a range that is as honest as it is vibrantly pure: each cuvée a different facet of the same Chénas landscape, each vintage a new conversation between vine, stone, and the clean natural hand.
Chénas & the Sibling Hand
Domaine Thillardon is not merely a winery; it is a proof that four siblings, armed with biodynamic conviction, a 1927 vertical press, and a love for the smallest cru in Beaujolais, can transform an overlooked appellation into one of the most exciting addresses in natural wine. In an era when Chénas is still overshadowed by the fame of Moulin-à-Vent and the glamour of Fleurie, Paul-Henri, Charles, Jean-Baptiste, and Aude Thillardon have demonstrated that the same granite can produce both power and elegance, the same sedimentary alluvium can produce both suppleness and minerality, and the same clay-manganese can produce both wildness and refinement — if the farming is biodynamic, the horses do the ploughing, and the philosophy is one of clean natural wine, conviviality, and profound respect for the land.
The legacy of Domaine Thillardon is the legacy of agricultural generosity and community solidarity. Paul-Henri does not enter his vineyards to dominate them; he enters them to observe, to plough with horses as people did 100 years ago, to plant 100 heritage fruit trees, and to accept that the forest of Chassignol will dictate the microclimate. The 100-year-old vines are not treated as commodities but as living history, as gifts from the past that demand massal selection and patience. The 1927 vertical press is not an antique but a tool of purity — a reminder that the best wines are made by hands, not by machines. And the wax seal is not a luxury but a visual manifesto — a commitment to beauty, honesty, and the refusal to compromise.
The future of the estate is tied to the future of Chénas and the old vines that the four siblings continue to tend with biodynamic patience. As the Chassignol centenaires accumulate their final decade of wisdom, as the white vineyard on blue marl proves that Beaujolais can speak in white as well as red, and as the Vibrations finds its audience among drinkers seeking purity and conviviality, Domaine Thillardon remains what the family has always intended it to be: a farm that makes living wines — clean, vibrant, and deeply tied to the granite, alluvium, and blue marl of Chénas and beyond. The story of Domaine Thillardon is the story of four siblings who looked at the smallest cru in Beaujolais and saw not an afterthought, but a beginning — and who proved that the best bottle from Chénas is the one that needs no explanation, only a glass, a meal, and the patience to let the siblings speak.
"We are lovers of wine and nature, we produce clean wines, without artifice and try to go as far as possible in our work to reveal our terroirs."
— Domaine Thillardon