Domaine Gerard Julien & Fils "Les Valozieres" Aloxe Corton 2023
(Burgundy, France) - [BH 88-91]

About the Winery:
The domaine’s beginnings date back to the late 19th century when François Xavier Julien first purchased some vineyard land in Comblanchien and Nuits-Saint-Georges. After the second World War, François’ son Armand set about expanding their holdings by purchasing more vineyards. His son Gérard continued the expansion in the 70s and 80s bringing the estate to roughly 10 hectares, where it is today with his acquisition of parcels of Nuits Villages, Nuits-Saint-Georges and Echézeaux Grand Cru.

Gerard’s son, Étienne (the fourth generation family-member to run the estate) has recently taken over at the domaine, but in a very short time it’s clear he is a real talent who is continuing to improve. In the coming years he no doubt will be one of the fresh faces in Burgundy that everyone will be talking about.

Étienne has set about upgrading things from the moment he took the reins, beginning with the vineyards. A more organic approach was adopted and now they follow a strict “lutte raisonnée” methodology to control disease and pests. Yields are carefully controlled now and there is a sorting both in the vineyard as well as the winery before the grapes are destemmed. After a maceration of a few days with minimal punch downs, the wines are vinified and aged in 228L barrels until spring of the following year before being bottled. For the Côtes-de-Nuits-Villages and Nuits-St-Georges, the wines typically are aged in 30% new barrels, whereas the Nuits-St-Georges 1er Cru and the Echezeaux will see 50% new barrels.

About the Wine:
The vines thrive on an exceptional terroir composed of brown clay and gravel on hard limestone. These shallow soils, formed by the decomposition of the limestone rock, give the wine a unique minerality and complexity. Carefully aged for 24 months in oak barrels, 50% of which are new. On the nose, juicy black fruits mingle with lightly toasted notes and violet. A spicy tertiary touch enhances the overall effect. On the palate, the body is dense and velvety, perfectly balanced by lively acidity. The tannins are fine and elegant, leaving a persistent and aromatic finish.

Ratings & Reviews:

88-91 Points: Allen Meadows' Burghound:
An overtly floral-suffused nose is distinctly cooler with fruit that derives more from the red side of the spectrum along with prominent sauvage and earth elements. I like the texture of the acceptably concentrated medium weight flavors that flash evident minerality on the precise, rustic and lingering finish where a touch of warmth slowly emerges. This is really quite good, especially for a terroir that tends to produce fruit that is underripe in cool vintages and rot-tinged when in warmer years. This threads that difficult needle quite well. (Drink starting 2029)