Domaine Julien Sunier, Cru Three-Pack

Julien Sunier’s continued presence on SommSelect is a powerful testament to the consistently outstanding wines being crafted at this artisanal French estate. We’re far from alone: Over the past decade, his low-quantity, high-quality Fleurie, Morgon, and Régnié Crus have mesmerized legions of restaurateurs and patrons. Unfortunately, a modest-sized village could deplete Sunier’s total production in a matter of hours, which is why everyone has their ears perked and wallets at the ready for each limited release. 

Since we’ve pushed our way to the front of the line for many years, we’re now afforded the opportunity to offer all three magnificent Crus at once. With this single purchase, you’re locking in one of the greatest French values imaginable: The Régnié is a bright and refreshing wine for instant satisfaction; the Fleurie is remarkably finessed and Burgundian; and the Morgon is a plush, textural stunner. In short, the class and purity of all three are dialed way up, and they’ll keep evolving/improving over the next five years. As always, there isn’t much to go around. Up to four packs per person. 

Sunier is one of a new wave of producers who’ve helped raise the profile of Beaujolais as a stronghold of natural farming and winemaking. Following in the footsteps of local legends like Lapierre and Foillard, Sunier would also be considered a disciple of the legendary Jules Chauvet, who was preaching the natural wine gospel in Beaujolais as far back as the 1950s. Yet while he hails from Burgundy (Dijon), Sunier wasn’t from a wine family; his mother was a hairdresser who counted vigneron Christophe Roumier as a client. In his twenties, Sunier followed the itinerant “cellar rat” path, interning in California and New Zealand before landing back in Burgundy, where he worked with the likes of Nicolas Potel and Jean-Claude Rateau. He then worked for the large négociant firm Mommessin, where, among other things, he became intimately acquainted with the terroir of Beaujolais and its Gamay grape.

Throughout all of Julien’s parcels, each vine is chemically untouched and tended 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 “Cru” bottlings 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. The specifics of each ’21 cuvée are below. 

2021 RÉGNIÉ
Despite sharing a long border with world-famous Morgon, Régnié remains a severely underrepresented Cru that holds some of the best value for old-vine Cru Beaujolais. Sunier’s is sourced from three organic parcels averaging 60 years of age: “En Oeillat,” “Les Vergers,” and “Basse Ronze.” In 2021, each cluster was hand-harvested at absurdly low yields of 18 hl/ha. In the cellar, a natural vinification and nine months of aging occurred in an equal combination of old Burgundian barrels and foudres. Always Sunier’s most accessible wine upon release, this offers up delicious notes of wild strawberry, ripe cherry, cranberry, licorice, forest floor, baking spice, and wet stone. Few things in life are more mouthwatering and flat-out enjoyable than this—like eating smashed berries off a cold granite countertop. Decant for 15 minutes and serve in Burgundy stems. Drink now or cellar for 2-3 years.  

2021 MORGON
Sunier’s Morgon 2.5 hectares of organically farmed, 60-year-old vines across Morgon are among the finest in Beaujolais. Harvest is strictly manual and yields in 2021 were incredibly low at 30 hl/ha which is right in line with Grand Cru Burgundy. Fermentation is natural and the wine aged for nine months in neutral Burgundy barrels. His Morgon is a masterclass in ampleness and lift: The palate—the biggest of his three crus—is supple and multi-layered but 12% alcohol and superb energy give it mindblowing finesse. You’ll uncover ripe Morello cherry, strawberry, candied rose petal, damp earth, spiced plums, and heaps of pulverized minerality with a hint of smoke. Decant for at least 30 minutes and enjoy over the next 3-5 years.  

2021 FLEURIE
Sunier’s crown jewel. Sourced from “Grand Pré” and “La Tonne,” two premium parcels situated at varying elevations. The former is lower and brings more polish and concentration whereas the latter clings to a precipitous granite slope at higher altitude, resulting in finesse and minerality. These high-density, low-yielding vines must be entirely worked by hand. Vinification is 100% natural and aging occurs in neutral Burgundy barrels for nine months. This is always the most “Burgundian” of Sunier’s wines, offering up intense florality—damp wildflowers, violet, crushed rose petal—and breathtakingly pure red fruits intertwined with fresh herbs, subtle spice, and a deep presence of crushed rock. 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, full-picture experience will begin in 2024.