Aloxe Corton Les Valozieres Domaine Julien 2020

The origins of the Domaine date back to the end of the nineteenth century, when François Xavier Julien bought for the first time land in vineyards in Comblanchien and Nuits-Saint-Georges. After the Second World War, the son of François, Armand, began to expand their properties by buying more vineyards. His son Gérard continued the expansion in the 70s and 80s bringing the estate to about 10 hectares, which today are vineyards in Nuits-Saint-Georges and Echézeaux Grand Cru.

Recently, the son of Gerard Étienne, Julien took control of the estate. The fourth generation at the helm, Étienne inaugurates a new era of quality. Etienne has decided to improve things from the moment he took the reins from the vineyards. A more organic approach has been adopted and they now follow a rigorous "lutte raisonnée" methodology for disease and pest control. The yields are checked carefully now and there is a selection both in the vineyard and in the cellar before the grapes are destemmed. After a few days of maceration with very little pressing, the wines are vinified and aged in barrels of 228 l until the spring of the following year before being bottled. For the Côtes-de-Nuits-Villages and Nuits-St-Georges, wines are generally aged with 30% of new barrels, while the Nuits-St-Georges 1er Cru and the Echezeaux will see 50% of new barrels.

The Côtes de Nuits villages come from vineyards located in Comblanchien. Included are the climates of Les Loges, Les Essarts, Aux Boulardes, Au Clos Bardot, La Platière, Les Retraits, Les Plantes aux Bois, La Julbigne. In the north of Nuits Saint Georges, there is the 1er Cru "Bousselots", and in the villages there is a single cuvée from the place of "Aux Saint Julien". In the south of the country, a Cuvée Nuits-St-Georges is made from the climates of Fleurières, Charbonnières, Longecourt and La Maladière. Finally, there is the Grand Cru Echézeaux that comes from a parcel right behind the prestigious Clos Vougeot!

Étienne has just taken the reins at the Domaine, and has shown in a short time that he is a real talent that continues to improve. In the coming years it will undoubtedly be one of the new faces in Burgundy that everyone will talk about.