Gérard Julien Côte de Nuits-Villages 2015

A bright young winemaker carving out a name for himself in the Côte de Nuits, Etienne Julien is crafting increasingly sought-after Pinot Noirs of innate concentration and joie de vivre.

Founded in the late 19th century, Domaine Julien was among the first producers in Burgundy to bottle its own wines. The estate’s reputation slowly grew as Etienne’s father Gérard began to accrue prime vineyards in Nuits-Saint-Georges 1er Cru and Echézeaux Grand Cru, as well as historic Côte de Nuits-Villages sites around Comblanchien.

Etienne took over in 2012, introducing organic farming, lower yields, and scrupulous sorting practices. This new era marks a leap forward in the quality of the domaine’s wines, which are gaining the attention of Burgundy critics and seeing prices rise with each release.

Etienne’s Côte de Nuits-Villages shows hedonistic appeal and remarkable value for such humble origins. From ‘Longecourt’, ‘La Maladière’ and ‘Charbonnières’ lieu dits, his Nuits-Saint-Georges is structured and lively, with serious ageing potential – especially in magnum. Perfumed and delicate, 'Aux Saints-Juliens' recalls neighbouring Vosne-Romanée, whilst 1er Cru ‘Les Bousselots’ is richly layered and mineral, a result of vines from further up the slope.

This parcel features a selection of Domaine Julien’s wines from 2015 – one of the best Burgundy vintages of the last decade, noted for its combination of ripe fruit, silky tannins and pitch-perfect acidity. With allocations increasingly selling out en primeur, it is rare to see Etienne’s wines with bottle age – rarer still to see a stellar vintage scarcely found today at these market beating prices.

From 8 parcels around Comblanchien. Juicy and vibrant, with plush berry fruit and energetic lift, this is classy regional Burgundy.