Tasted with Julien Sunier (pictured with brother Antoine) in Avenas, 12 February 2020.
Domaine Julien Sunier
Ferme des Noisetiers
69430 Avenas
Tel: +33 4 74 69 91 74
www.julien-sunier.com
More reports for Julien Sunier
Julien on 2019:
“In 2019 I increased to 8.3 hectares. Actually, 2019 had a similar weather to 2018 but the wines really aren’t comparable. In 19 the wines are fresher. Part of Régnié and a little Fleurie was frosted – but still my average for the year was 35 hl/ha – it’s enough, fortunately, but certainly less than in 2018”
Julien last year on 2018:
“Cool, genial. It was an excellent idea from mother nature to give us this vintage because we had 2 very difficult vintages with hail in 2016 and 2017 – not much more than one harvest in two years. There was a lot of rain to start the year, but is stopped around flowering and was dry and sunny right up to about November. We seem to have experienced almost tropical weather in the last summers; heavy rain followed by much dryness. 2018 brought us fine weather in which to harvest a good yield – really no sorting was needed for the grapes – everything went into the basket. We had clean stems so there was no destemming – the first time I had such a yield since 2011. The same amount of grapes with shitty weather would have been very hard to deal with! The cuverie was really packed as it’s the first time I had a full yield with over 7 hectares. I’m very happy. There was worry about brett and volatiles, but I’m happy to have avoided them.”
The wines…
Super, excellent, great – well-done!
Bottled mid-June – ‘and it takes about a year in bottle before I’m happy – but the wines really grow in the bottle. But I have to say that I prefer the more complicated vintages, with some acidity and I have a fear of dark or black coloured wine!‘ All wines unfiltered with 10mg of sulfur at bottling but none during elevage.
2018 Beaujolais-Lantignié Wild Soul
‘Pur Jus’ on the label and cork to indicate that these are bought grapes from friends. Next year this will be labelled organic – elevage at Château de Basty – foudre elevage
Here’s a nice depth of aroma, faintly spiced above. This is also nice across the palate – open, good clarity, a supple depth to the texture. Flavour that lasts well in the mouth – less long than the crus but this is super.
2018 Fleurie
A mix of high and low parcels assembled.
More depth of aroma, more depth of fruit. Sleek, very silky, some fruit slowly growing. Direct, more mineral, a burst of juicy fruit – so mouth-watering in the finish. A more structural Fleurie – and super for it – excellent.
Red waxed topped. Vines lower down the slope – but including Côte du Py – so a little richer.
More depth of aroma, some small depth of lactic low sulfur, but modest. Also sleek, driving a little more rigour, a touch more sweetness. Super width of slowly mouth-watering flavour. That’s a really great wine – bravo!
The lowest-lying vines so the wine with the most maturity.
Deep, an open nose darker fruit, a certain sweetness, slowly a floral note too. Vibrant, mouth-watering, fruit that’s accented with a faint sweetness, not a bit fatiguing. This has great, open shape, it has freshness and complexity in its energy, faintly saline. Great again – bravo!