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Domaine Lassagne, Juliénas Vieilles Vignes

Beaujolais, France 2014 (750mL)
$27.00
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Domaine Lassagne, Juliénas Vieilles Vignes

The village of Juliénas, the most northwesterly of the 10 Beaujolais “crus,” is also one of the lesser-known. Generally speaking, there are fewer examples of Juliénas in our market in comparison to, say, Fleurie, Morgon, or Brouilly—which made us all the more delighted to find this impressive bottling from Domaine Lassagne. In addition to being a new discovery for us (we’re told that only about 100 cases make it to the US), Lassagne definitely raised some eyebrows around the tasting table with this 2014 Juliénas.
It’s what some might call a ‘Burgundian’ style of Beaujolais, not because it tastes like Pinot Noir but that it presents its own grape, Gamay, in a similarly perfumed, nervy, soil-expressive style. Technically, Beaujolais is red Burgundy, but even among the cru villages there are some styles that show the plumper, juicier side of Gamay and some that are more angular and mineral. This is the latter, and it’s blessed with an inviting perfume and great energy. It’s the latest of many cru Beaujolais to wow us lately—not least for its incredible value-for-dollar. Not to sound too much like a broken record, but this is a LOT of wine for the money.
André Lassagne is the current proprietor of this small estate, which has been in the Lassagne family for 50+ years and boasts old vines to match. In total they farm 15 hectares in Saint-Amour (where the winery is headquartered) and Juliénas, the two northernmost crus in the zone. Unlike some of the more purely granitic soils to be found a few clicks south, Juliénas is more of a tangle of different soil types, with both schist and granite at higher elevations and more sedimentary sand, clay, and gravel closer to the Saone River. The Lassagnes describe their Juliénas sites as containing granite, clay, and some limestone as well, a mix that’s reflected in the structure and freshness of the wine. Comprised of 100% Gamay from 55-65-year-old, dry-farmed vines, this wine was fermented in concrete tanks then aged in a mixture of concrete and used French oak barrels for nine months.

In the glass the 2014 is a translucent ruby moving to violet at the rim, with a bright and lifted nose of tart red cherry, blackberry, rose petal, warm spice, crushed stones, and a touch of that iodine mineral bass note that many great cru Beaujolais have. Medium-bodied on the palate, its core of red/black fruits is framed by lively acidity and supported by a profound mineral backbone. It is plenty ripe and delicious to drink now but it would be a great candidate to lay down for a good five years; over time the flavors will broaden and the aromas deepen while the acids and dusty tannins soften. It really is a well-structured wine, deep and savory enough for burgers on the grill, maybe even a bistro-style steak au poivre. If enjoying this wine now, decant it about 30 minutes before serving in Burgundy stems. Like so many of its cru Beaujolais brethren, it would make a superb “house wine” to have around in quantity. At this price-to-quality you can’t afford not to have a least a few!
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Country
France
Region
Beaujolais
Sub-Region
FranceJuliénas
Soil
Granite, Clay, Limestone
Farming
Sustainable
Blend
Gamay
Alcohol
13.5
OAK
Neutral French
TEMP.
60-65
Glassware
Burgundy
Drinking
Now-2025
Decanting
30 Minutes
Pairing
Steak au Poivre

France

Bourgogne

Beaujolais

Enjoying the greatest wines of Beaujolais starts, as it usually does, with the lay of the land. In Beaujolais, 10 localities have been given their own AOC (Appellation of Controlled Origin) designation. They are: Saint Amour; Juliénas; Chénas; Moulin-à Vent; Fleurie; Chiroubles; Morgon; Régnié; Côte de Brouilly; and Brouilly.

Southwestern France

Bordeaux

Bordeaux surrounds two rivers, the Dordogne and Garonne, which intersect north of the city of Bordeaux to form the Gironde Estuary, which empties into the Atlantic Ocean. The region is at the 45th parallel (California’s Napa Valley is at the38th), with a mild, Atlantic-influenced climate enabling the maturation of late-ripening varieties.

Central France

Loire Valley

The Loire is France’s longest river (634 miles), originating in the southerly Cévennes Mountains, flowing north towards Paris, then curving westward and emptying into the Atlantic Ocean near Nantes. The Loire and its tributaries cover a huge swath of central France, with most of the wine appellations on an east-west stretch at47 degrees north (the same latitude as Burgundy).

Northeastern France

Alsace

Alsace, in Northeastern France, is one of the most geologically diverse wine regions in the world, with vineyards running from the foothills of theVosges Mountains down to the Rhine River Valley below.

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