Superb Natural Wines from Julien Guillot and the Clos des Vignes du Maynes!
6/20/18 -
We're proud to announce a new shipment from our good friend Julien Guillot at the Domaine des Vignes du Maynes! These are among the finest natural wines of France, from a family with three generations of experience with organic farming and winemaking without sulfur-dioxide. "The vineyard has never had any chemicals used on it and has always been farmed with the greatest respect for the earth. From the very outset, my grandfather decided to make wine organically, using no chemicals, herbicides, pesticides or sulphur. My father, Alain, later took over the domaine, keeping the same philosophy. I joined the domaine in 1998, which is when I introduced the first biodynamic preparations. I then took over the domaine officially in 2001 and decided to convert the entire vineyard of seven hectares to biodynamic farming." - Julien Guillot.
The Clos du Vignes du Maynes in Cruzille is a sort of alternate universe to modern Burgundy, possessing fabulous terroir and living soils and wines that are vinified naturally with zero or minimal sulfur. The reds here are made with a unique combination of carbonic and traditional fermentations with zero added SO2. While the wines cellar beautifully for ten to twenty years, consuming on the day opened is generally advised. The rare and beautiful 2016 Cuvée Auguste, from old vines of Pinot Fin, is particularly recommended for cellaring, while the 2015 Cuvée Manganite, from 60 year-old vines of Gamay Petits Grains is magnificent now or for shorter-term aging. The whites are made in a Burgundian style, with very long, slow fermentations and long aging on the lees without racking, and usually with a small addition of SO2. Both the 2015 "Les Chassagnes" and 2016 "Aragonite" will provide scintillating enjoyment for current drinking and will cellar beautifully as well.
Wines from outside the Clos in Cruzille are from small parcels in the Mâcon and Beaujolais, vinified with the same techniques. Of particular note in today's email are the lovely 2016 Mâcon-Villages which is a superb white Burgundy for current enjoyment or cellaring for ten to fifteen years; and the 2015 Beaujolais-Leynes "Haut de Balmont," from a small parcel of 90 year-old Gamay vines of various old varieties in Leynes, just south of Pouilly-Fuissé. The parcel is at 1200 ft in altitude with granite soils - it's a rich and very complex Gamay that will drink beautifully over the next five to ten years.
Reporting from the vines! It is almost a struggle to keep up with Julien as he darts from one parcel to the next. He's quick-paced and energetic as he explains in broken-english and rapid French, which of his vines will need homeopathic treatments starting at 4am the next day and proudly showing us the 3-year-old selection massale Gouais (a nearly extinct varietal that was a parent of Chardonnay, Melon, Riesling and many others) in his new clos. Brightly colored wild strawberries and exposed limestone break up the lush greenery on the gentle sloping hills. The dark clouds promised more afternoon rain, a pattern that means Julien will be on the lookout for mildew in 2018. Fingers crossed!
His cellar has expanded and looks something like Wonka's factory with stacked barrels covered in whimiscal chalk doodles that describe the contents. Plus, a few new tanks of fermenting pet-nats and aligoté - new projects which confirm that he can't turn down exciting new projects. But, importantly, he manages to improve upon existing ones. His 2017s are taking shape and already showing beautiful complexity despite the difficult vintage. Bravo Julien!
David Lillie and Amanda Bowman
