Tasted with Louis-Clement David-Beaupère in Julienas, 11 February 2019.

Domaine David-Beaupère
La Bottière
69840 Juliénas
Tel: +33 9 75 92 61 19
www.domainedavidbeaupere.fr

Louis-Clement on 2018:
“A nice year, we had a lovely production including some new things which we can taste next year! A Beaujolais Villages 1.5 ha just near to Julienas, granitic and in conversion to organic. The vintage had earlier harvesting than 2017, and to be sure not too high degrees of ripeness too. ”

Louis-Clement on 2017:
“2017 was a sunny and dry year, no hail here and I’m now fully commercialising this vintage – but it was nearly half a harvest for us, and only from the dryness – we didn’t have frost or hail here – the limon (silt) here becomes very dry so it’s really a problem of climat Bottières. But overall the year wasn’t too complicated by the climate. Lots of manual work debudding to keep the plants in order. I was happy with the vines, I think that I progress. I’m happy with the wines despite the low volume. My vinifications changed a little as this year I started with a colder temperature – harvested in 20kg cases that I refrigerate for 24 hours. Slowly the fermentation starts around 13° and I use about 20-25% barrel elevage, the rest in tank.

“For me I think I’ve gained a little finesse, I press slower and lighter – and of-course with the cooler start to the fermentations.”

The wines…

Yes, finesse but depth of flavour too. An excellent address.

2017 Julienas Trois Verres
A new cuvee in 2016 – a graphic label, the three glasses – from a plantation done in 2014 in Bottière
A wide and red nose, a cushioned nose – there’s an implied texture here. Wide, a cushion in the mouth too – red fruit with a faint lick of salinity – persisnt and very tasty.

2017 Julienas La Bottière
This is an old-vine cuvée – 70 years-old – the save vinification as 3 glasses, more structure and more core from the older vines. 30% elevage in barrels.
Plenty of colour. Wider, darker fruit a creamy edge to the aromas. Fresher, sleeker, a nice drive to the energy, more depth to the fruit here – this is worth saving a little while – if you can – because it’s another delicious wine. The length is really impressive this year.

2016 Julienas Vayolette
From the west of the appellation on a plain south-facing, steep slope, the soil is blue stone. Have a 3ha parcel. A generous vintage except for Bottière (again) but this year the reason was hail.
Plenty of colour. Lots of aromatic power here – darker fruit with tons of width – very attractive despite a suggestion of reduction. Ooh that has an extra silk to start but there is plenty of tannin that slowly rises towards the surface. Really a concentrated wine – darker fruit. Slowly mouth-watering – it’s a different energy. Delicious but less moreish as the energy is lower today. More luxurious texture, very fine tannin in the finish – but no astringence.