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Château Julia, Pauillac

Bordeaux, France 2015 (750mL)
$50.00
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Château Julia, Pauillac

Why is Pauillac arguably the single most elite zip code in Bordeaux? The village’s top wines immediately command hundreds of dollars upon release and for many aficionados, they represent the global benchmark for powerful, sublime red wine.
But today, this historically fascinating region is fueled by billionaire- and corporation-run chateaux with infinite foreign investment, resulting in the critical endangerment of genuine, small-production Pauillac growers. Until recently, we thought only one remained: Château Chantecler, whose single hectare of vines made them one of the region’s tiniest producers. In regards to their ongoing quest to remain a small, independent estate while producing wines on par with the exorbitantly priced titans that surround them, we believed them to be the “last man standing.” And then, out of the blue, Château Julia stepped into the light with an unpresuming grin. Operated by trailblazer Sophie Martin, this emergent, organic-minded estate owns just two-thirds of one hectare wedged between some of the most valuable vine real estate on earth: First Growth Latour and Fifth Growth Lynch-Bages. The result is a lush, soulful, exceptionally pure Bordeaux that undoubtedly is among the finest $50 wines I’ve ever found in Pauillac. Now that, my friends, is saying something. There are only a handful of cases in America—act quickly.   
[NOTE: This wine will be arriving at our warehouse one week from today.]

With Lynch-Bages and Latour fetching prices in the hundreds and thousands, respectively, why wouldn’t Sophie crank up her pricing by a few multiples? The short answer is that she feels no need. The longer answer is all about wine politics. Having released her first vintage in 2009, many would argue that there’s no “pedigree”—as in absent from the 1855 classification. But I would argue that she has all the pedigree and panache that is currently desired in today’s modern world: Sophie is an intrepid (Merlot-dominant wines in a Cabernet-dominant region) and incredibly gifted winemaker that focuses on organic farming and a gentle upbringing in the winery. 

She and a very small team hand farms her .62 hectares—which again, neighbor the vines of Latour and Lynch-Bages—and makes sure each cluster is of optimal ripeness before hand-harvesting. After a manual sorting in both the vineyard and winery, the qualifying Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon crop is kept separate. The Merlot sees fermentation in stainless steel and the Cabernet in 400-liter French barrels. Following, the wine is blended and aged in 50% new French oak for 14 months. 

With so much opinionated buzz surrounding Bordeaux ‘futures’ and the crime of drinking Bordeaux too young (Latour recently abandoned the system in order to hold back their wines until deemed ready), Château Julia provides an alternative breath of fresh air with her own version of Pauillac. By employing a massive dose of plump, lush Merlot to her wine, fleshed out with a touch of sturdy Cabernet, her aim is to provide you with an opulent Grand Vin that can and should be enjoyed now—although they will certainly stand up to many years in the cellar. She’s nailed it with today’s 2015. 

It’s a master class on the luxuriousness and accessibility that top-shelf Merlot provides, but nuanced notes of Cabernet keep it completely serious and completely Pauillac. It erupts with plush red-black fruit interlaced with baking spices that linger on a dusty, gravelly finish. With a 15-30 minute decant and a large Bordeaux stem, you’ll also discover supple aromas of redcurrant, black raspberry, blue plum, dried cherry, cacao nibs, cigar wrapper, rose petal, and a savory touch of wild herbs. The polished tannins provide fine-grained textures to the vibrant core of fruit alongside a wonderfully refreshing acidic lift. I recommend following Sophie’s orders on this one: Drink now, and drink often. Still, keep one or two for the long haul and don’t be surprised when it dominates a Bordeaux tasting in the next 5-10 years. Cheers!
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Country
France
Region
Bordeaux
Sub-Region
FrancePauillac
Soil
Gravel
Farming
Lutte Raisonnée
Blend
Merlot 90%, Cabernet Sauvignon 10%
Alcohol
13.5
OAK
50% New French
TEMP.
60
Glassware
Bordeaux Stem
Drinking
Now-2030
Decanting
30 Minutes
Pairing
Entrecôte Bordelaise

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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