Throughout all of Julien’s vineyard sites, each vine is chemically-untouched and tended to by hand—he’s adamant about farming organically with biodynamic principles. At Julien’s winery in Avenas, his Gamay bottlings are crafted slightly differently according to the vintage and terroir. Generally speaking, the “Crus” undergo a cold carbonic vinification with wild, airborne yeasts and zero sulfur additions. An old-fashioned wooden press is used for pressing and the juice is transferred into old barrels via gravity. An unfined and unfiltered bottling with trace amounts of sulfites occurs roughly one year after harvest. 

Fleurie is Sunier’s darling bottling and it’s sourced from “Grand Pré” and “La Tonne,” two parcels situated at varying elevations. The former is lower and brings more polish and concentration whereas the latter clings to a precipitous, pure-granite slope at a much higher altitude, resulting in finesse and minerality. These high-density, low-yielding vines must be entirely worked by hand. Vinification ws 100% natural and aging for his 2020 cuvée occurred in 100% neutral Burgundy barrels for nine months. This is always the most “Burgundian” of Sunier’s wines, offering up intense florality—damp wildflowers, candied violet, crushed rose petal—and breathtakingly pure red-black fruits intertwined with fresh herbs, subtle spice, and a constant presence of crushed granite. It’s über-classy, refined, and dripping with pedigree. Decant 30-60 minutes and enjoy in your largest Burgundy stem. It can certainly be enjoyed now, but the ultimate reward typically comes between its third and fifth birthdays—although a full decade certainly isn’t out of the question. Cheers!