Tasted in Jullié with Jérôme Corsin, 21 February 2024.
Domaine de la Milleranche
283 rue de l’Eglise,
69840 Jullié
Tel: +33 4 74 04 40 64
www.milleranche.fr
Jérôme on 2023:
“Very happy – quantity and quality – we had practically finished when the rain arrived and of course, it was hot during the harvest – it even roasted some of the grapes. We started 4 September in the Mâconnais – as we could see the acidity starting to reduce – the reds were not far behind and had started to shrivel a little we started on Saturday 9th September. I used a machine and the advantage was that you start at 4-5 o’clock and stop midday as it was getting too warm – some days we were done in the vines at 10h30! I think the wines are concentrated and they have quite high alcohols – 14-14.5° in Julienas but they have a nice balance, still.”
Jérôme on 2022:
“We had a little less volume than in 23 as we have quite a lot of young vines – I even made more wine in 2021! Fortunately, a hot year dries off the weeds too so the competition for water wasn’t that bad. We harvested at the end of August – the degrees were a bit lower than in 23 but still getting close to 14°. I’ve done multiple bottlings – the whites were done in February, then a second wave in April/May for BJV and Juliénas. The sales are about 50% supermarkets and most of the rest is to private clients – there’s not much export – that’s from the volume that we commercialise ourselves, about 30% is still sold in bulk to the négociants.”
The wines…
Second visit – second excellent range of wines!
2022 Beaujolais Villages Jullié
Hmm – there’s a concentration to this nose, incisive and good dark-fruited width. Direct, fine, growing juicy character – crunchy fruit. Long, faintly graphite mineral in the finish too – That’s a simply excellent BJV!
2022 Juliénas
Larger scale and more complex aromas. Direct, more lithe muscle here, chiselled and intense in the middle flavours – pure but a wine to wait 2 years for, it’s super!
2022 Juliénas Cuvée Origine
A parcel selection – from Bois de Chat – old vines. This commercialised a year later than the previous – older vines, local yeast.
Hmm more airy, less forward style today but with extra depth too. That’s very impressive – broad, indeed mouth-filling – also growing in intensity but with a little more fluidity to the flavours. There is extra, almost chewy, length. This is not to be commercialised before the end of the year but you should wait 2-3 years. It could be an excellent Juliénas!
2022 Juliénas Elevé en fût de chêne
‘It’s the label of my grandmother!’ Nearly two years 228-l barrel elevage for this.
A more direct nose, accented with the barrel. Directly extra width and sweetness – the barrel starting to show itself in the middle and the finishing flavours – quite creamy. A very concentrated and rather long-finishing wine. You know I don’t like to taste oak in my wines but this is more than good – it won’t be commercialised until 2025 but I’d still be waiting until it’s 5 years old…
And some whites?
2022 Beaujolais Villages BlancThe last bottle!
Malo not done
Warmth of ripe fruit aroma. Mouth-filling with a little generosity – but this isn’t lacking balance. Easy, slowly fading flavour – it’s good!
2022 St.Véran
Had these vines since 2017 – 2 ha – no barrel elevage.
A narrow nose, some depth. Here is more dimensions of flavour – really good flavour, a small textural generosity and finely, slowly fading flavours. That’s very good.
2022 St.Véran
This with some oak elevage. Bottled last February.
A broader nose, also with a small cushion. The oak is very subtle, indeed additive here – a wine of lovely complexity and an almost juicy flavour profile without losing a modest generosity – it’s a delicious wine.
2022 Beaujolais-Villages Rosé
A vertical nose. Good width and juicy in style – a delicious wine with a modest finishing sucrosity. A lovely finish too. Yum!