Henry Fessy - Julienas2018

RED WINE

Appellation

Julienas is one of the northernmost Crus of Beaujolais, the vineyard is on a steep slope. This was the first vineyard to be planted in Antiquity, while the rest of the region was still covered with chestnut trees. It may get its name form Jules Caesar himself.

Estate

Located in the heart of Brouilly since 1888, Henry Fessy is family company specializing in the production of Beaujolais Crus. The domaine covers almost 70 hectares and includes vineyards in the appellations of Brouilly, Côte de Brouilly, Chénas, Fleurie, Juliénas, Morgon, Moulin-à-Vent, Régnié, Saint Amour, Beaujolais-Villages, Beaujolais and Beaujolais Blanc. The vines are an average of 50 years old and are trained in the traditional manner en Goblet, which are individual low bush vines. The domaine's vineyards are managed with sensitivity towards the environment with intervention only taking place when it is necessary and beneficial. This philosophy allows them to produce characterful wines which express a true sense of place and origin.

Tasting notes

This wine comes from a five-acre parcel planted on schist. The 50-year-old vines have produced a solid wine, perfumed with red cherries and flavored with rich berry and black-cherry fruit. The tannins are integrating well creating a wine that is elegant and ready to drink.

Vinification

Henry Fessy has remained faithful to the traditional method (no carbonic maceration) which favors the balance between the seductive fruit-forwardness and the supple tannins which guarantee good ageing capability. All harvests are carried out by hand, the grapes are transported in small buckets to the winery, to be sorted. Once in the winery around 20% of the Gamay grapes are put into the fermentation tanks as whole bunches with the remaining 80% destemmed. Fermentation takes place at between 27 and 29 degrees Celsius with one or two pump overs each day. After fermentation the free run juice is drawn off and the grapes are transferred to the press. The first press juices are combined with the free run juice and then placed into cement and steel tanks for approximately a week. The length of the fermentation depends considerably on the vintage. The wines will then age in vats for between 7 and 10 months before being bottled the following spring. The wine is then aged and racked occasionally. It is bottled unfined with a light filtration with a small amount of added sulphur to protect the wine. Henry Fessy wines are also suitable for vegetarians.

Food Pairing

Pair this wine with red meats, roasted chicken, cheese and desserts.

Technical data

Appellation: Juliénas - Cru du Beaujolais
Varietal: 100 % Gamay
Estate vines: 2 ha
Average Vine: Age 50 years
Soil composition: Granite and Schist
Pruning: Gobelet
Harvest: Manual
Density of Vines: 8 000 vines/ha
Average yield: 40-50 hl/ha