Mas Jullien 2016

Bettane & Desseauve

About the estate:

Based in Jonquières, west of Montpellier, Olivier Jullien has, through intuition and intelligence, succeeded in raising the quality of the region’s wines to the highest level and has inspired a whole generation of young winemakers. He established his estate in 1985, and today it spans 18 hectares of land with highly varied soils (clay-limestone, silica, sandstone), now cultivated without certification (the estate was certified in the past) using an unlabeled organic approach to avoid rigid rules. Autour-de-Jonquières corresponds to the original terroir of Mas Jullien on plots consisting mainly of limestone scree. Carlan comes from schist soils at an altitude of 200 to 400 meters, and a new cuvée, Lous-Rougeos, originates from high-altitude terroirs that were nearly abandoned, at the foot of the collapse zone of the Larzac plateau. All the reds are among the best in the Languedoc and fully embody the region’s character, with notes of sage, garrigue, and thyme complemented by a consistent freshness. They develop slowly and age beautifully. The whites and rosés are also outstanding.

RVF - La Revue du Vin de France / Guide des Meilleurs Vins de France

About the estate:

More than any other winemaker in the Languedoc, Olivier Jullien commands the admiration and respect of his peers. From his vineyards on the terraces of Larzac, he is one of the leading architects of the revival of meticulous viticulture, exploring the interplay and nuances between diverse soil types and the use of indigenous grape varieties. The sincerity of this visionary, who shuns competition, is reflected in his deep, approachable, and generous wines—wines that are distinctly Southern in the intensity and diversity of their flavors, rather than simply in the ripeness of the grapes or their illusory alcohol content. Fresh, full-bodied reds, aged with meticulous precision and capable of shining for over fifteen years of aging, along with a magnificent white wine that defies trends, make this estate a benchmark.