2020 JULIEN SUNIER WILD SOUL BEAUJOLAIS VILLAGES
2020 JULIEN SUNIER WILD SOUL BEAUJOLAIS VILLAGES, BURGUNDY, FRANCE. 100% Gamay.
From the Importer: "100% estate Régnié fruit, 100% tank. 100% delicious. Plenty juicy but with a more mineral expression than previous releases."
"I have a special relationship with Julien Sunier. We're the same age, we've been working together since his first vintage, the challenging '08, and we've witnessed and supported each other through some hard times. In his words, "we grew up together" professionally and also personally. So, my excitement whenever a new shipment comes in goes beyond merely the quality of the wine. It's personal. In the best of ways.
Dijon born surfer turned Cru Beaujolais, natural wine champion, Julien cut his teeth with Burgundy notables Christophe Roumier and Nicholas Potel and has been making soulful Cru Beaujolais under his own label since 2008. Vintage in and vintage out, his wines are deft, clean, and clearly express site with a captivating transparency. The domaine of Julien Sunier debuted in 2008 with 3 hectares of old vines in some of the top sites in Morgon and Fleurie, which he immediately converted to organic farming. He has also started incorporating biodynamic principles. Today the estate has close to 6.5 hectares of predominantly old vines in sought after single parcels in all 3 of his Crus, including Py in Morgon.
The winery is located in Avenas, which is well over 500 meters and the high elevation coupled with the fact that Julien does not temp control fermentation translates to long & slow ferments, a delicacy of flavor and extraction, and a elegance vintage in & vintage out. Hand harvests, basket press, native yeast ferments, ageing in neutral wood and tank, minimal to no sulfur.
The 2020 vintage falls perfectly in line with his clean, elegant style. It was a challenging year - lots of mildew pressure throughout the growing season, lots of rain and it's a lighter vintage overall. Julien mitigated these challenges by 1. working like a dog (his words) in the vineyard 2. de-classifying some of his Régnié fruit into his Beaujolais Villages "Wild Soul" 3. fine tuning the elevage of each of the Crus with all of them seeing less wood than usual. This is the first year I've seen such differences in the elevage between the Regnie, Fleurie and Morgon. The Fleurie is the only one to be 100% in fûts. Régnié and Morgon were both partially in tank. I'd say he made the right call because while all 3 crus are lighter than previous vintages, they clearly show their classic terroir character and balance juiciness with fine mineral expression. No surprise from a master who knocked his first vintage out of the ballpark, which was the challenging 2008.
From the Importer: "100% estate Régnié fruit, 100% tank. 100% delicious. Plenty juicy but with a more mineral expression than previous releases."
"I have a special relationship with Julien Sunier. We're the same age, we've been working together since his first vintage, the challenging '08, and we've witnessed and supported each other through some hard times. In his words, "we grew up together" professionally and also personally. So, my excitement whenever a new shipment comes in goes beyond merely the quality of the wine. It's personal. In the best of ways.
Dijon born surfer turned Cru Beaujolais, natural wine champion, Julien cut his teeth with Burgundy notables Christophe Roumier and Nicholas Potel and has been making soulful Cru Beaujolais under his own label since 2008. Vintage in and vintage out, his wines are deft, clean, and clearly express site with a captivating transparency. The domaine of Julien Sunier debuted in 2008 with 3 hectares of old vines in some of the top sites in Morgon and Fleurie, which he immediately converted to organic farming. He has also started incorporating biodynamic principles. Today the estate has close to 6.5 hectares of predominantly old vines in sought after single parcels in all 3 of his Crus, including Py in Morgon.
The winery is located in Avenas, which is well over 500 meters and the high elevation coupled with the fact that Julien does not temp control fermentation translates to long & slow ferments, a delicacy of flavor and extraction, and a elegance vintage in & vintage out. Hand harvests, basket press, native yeast ferments, ageing in neutral wood and tank, minimal to no sulfur.
The 2020 vintage falls perfectly in line with his clean, elegant style. It was a challenging year - lots of mildew pressure throughout the growing season, lots of rain and it's a lighter vintage overall. Julien mitigated these challenges by 1. working like a dog (his words) in the vineyard 2. de-classifying some of his Régnié fruit into his Beaujolais Villages "Wild Soul" 3. fine tuning the elevage of each of the Crus with all of them seeing less wood than usual. This is the first year I've seen such differences in the elevage between the Regnie, Fleurie and Morgon. The Fleurie is the only one to be 100% in fûts. Régnié and Morgon were both partially in tank. I'd say he made the right call because while all 3 crus are lighter than previous vintages, they clearly show their classic terroir character and balance juiciness with fine mineral expression. No surprise from a master who knocked his first vintage out of the ballpark, which was the challenging 2008.
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SKU
51-I-SUNWSBV
$27.99