Paul-Henri Thillardon, a native of southern Beaujolais and the son of a winegrower, settled in Chénas in 2008 at just 22, with two hectares of vines. Within a few years, he became a benchmark for the appellation?–?still relatively little-known yet full of potential. From the outset, he adopted organic farming practices, focusing on parcel-based cuvées, setting himself apart from neighbours more oriented towards négociant sales. He first worked as a tenant farmer before acquiring Domaine de Chassignol in 2012.
Since then, he has been joined by several of his siblings, including Charles in 2014, Jean-Baptiste in 2017, and Aude in 2018. The estate’s name naturally evolved from Paul-Henri Thillardon to simply Thillardon. The estate also expanded to include parcels in Chiroubles, Moulin-à-Vent and the Pierres Dorées area in Beaujolais. Today, the estate spans 12.5 hectares, with the majority still rooted in Chénas.
In the vineyard, work is carried out with horses (on the steepest plots) and with winches. The family strives to recreate a veritable farm environment, with horses, cows, pigs, poultry, fruit trees and beehives. The influence of Jean-Louis Dutraive and Yvon Métras is never far away. While the estate once practised widespread destemming, it does so less today. The process for their classic cuvées involves partial destemming (with 30% whole bunches at the bottom of the vat), cold vatting in CO?-saturated concrete tanks, minimal pump overs, fermentation with native yeasts, ageing in concrete tanks, enamelled vats and old oak for 9 to 10 months, minimal filtration, and no added sulphur or chaptalisation. The siblings set no limits, continuing to experiment to craft consistently engaging, nature-leaning wines that champion Beaujolais.

Chassignol is undoubtedly the jewel in the crown of Jean-Paul Thillardon’s domain. Produced in its eponymous lieu-dit, vines grow on a hillside parcel of granite and quartz soil. It is particularly difficult to cultivate here and mechanisation is virtually impossible. This wine exudes fabulous red and dark fruit aromas, lifted by hints of flowers and spice. Full-bodied with great depth in the mouth; fine tannins and minerality strike a remarkable balance.