I’ve been waiting to offer Olivier Jullien’s epic top cuvée, “Autor de Jonquières,” since we started SommSelect. But, as is often the case with truly elite producers and their most limited wines, something always prevented this dream from becoming reality. So, this year, when the opportunity presented itself, I didn’t wait to pull the trigger.
We purchased every bottle available for California (which, sadly, is not that much). If you’re unfamiliar with this legendary domaine, let me quickly summarize: Imagine one man almost single-handedly revitalizing an entire wine region. Mas Jullien’s wines combine the meatiness of the Rhône Valley, the elegance of pure limestone soil, and an unmistakable refinement that rivals that of top-tier artisan Bordeaux. Olivier’s finest reds are equal parts beauty and beast, and it’s worth mentioning that today’s red is among France’s most reasonably priced “certified classics.” After all, where else can you acquire the top cuvée from an iconic producer in a superlative vintage like 2014 for $52? This is a momentous bottle that drinks gorgeously today but will only improve for another 10-15 years. Don’t wait, as there isn’t much of this profound red to go around!
Ever since playing a starring role in Andrew Jeffords’ defining 2002 text, The New France, Olivier Jullien has occupied a nearly singular status in the Languedoc. I struggle to name another producer who better personifies the region’s miraculous turnaround from it’s jug-wine nadir in the 1970s and ’80s to its current status as a cult wine hotbed. But whereas many up-and-comers have attempted to borrow the spotlight from Olivier over the last two decades, Mas Jullien remains the standard by which others are judged. If you question whether you’ve ever experienced the pinnacle of Languedoc reds, this bottle is a must.
Jullien is a third-generation vigneron who grew up in the vines with his father and grandfather in the small southern French village of Jonquières, about 40 miles from the Mediterranean coast. As a child in the 1970s, he witnessed firsthand the scourge of industrial farming and bulk wine production in his home village. As artisan wine production vanished into history before his eyes, wholesale grape prices plummeted, households fell into poverty, and an entire way of life began to disappear in the Languedoc. Fortunately, after earning a degree in viticulture and enology in 1985, Olivier returned to his hometown, hellbent on quality and craftsmanship. With virtually no outside interest in the region, Olivier was able to acquire a royal flush of top limestone vineyards planted primarily to Mourvèdre, Syrah, and Carignan. The rest, as they say, is history!
Today’s 2014 “Autour de Jonquières” is a blend of 20% Syrah, 40% Mourvèdre, and 40% Carignan planted on limestone soils. Fruit is fermented primarily in concrete tanks, with a small amount of juice in stainless steel in particularly prolific vintages. Jullien ferments the destemmed fruit for two to three weeks before aging in foudre and 600-liter tank for two years, followed by an additional 6 months in bottle before release.
The wine cascades into the glass with concentrated dark ruby and crimson tones. Black currants, black cherries and plums caress one moment, then overwhelm the senses in another. There’s deep, palpable power and tannins here, but also an ever-present sense of finesse and balance. Aromatics are a brooding, subterranean mix of garrigue, black olive, and charred meat—but again, this is in no way a heavy or burdensome wine. As with all Mas Jullien’s finest reds, I found it extremely difficult to keep my glass full. This wine is just so damned delicious and quenching and satisfying. We could talk about this bottles outstanding capacity for cellar aging (easily 10-15 years) but honestly, I suspect that once you pull the cork on your first bottle, the others will not be long for this world! So, for today, please decant for one hour and serve in Bordeaux stems at 60 degrees. You will not regret serving this bottle alongside one of Philadelphia’s greatest contributions to the pantheon of great red wine recipes: Chef Marc Vetri’s slow-roasted lamb shoulder. There’s an undeniable, alchemical affinity between this recipe and today’s extraordinary red; it’s what drinking wine is all about!
