Sylvain Martel Julienas Bessay
$43.00
Out of stock
Vintage: 2019
Region: Julienas, Beaujolais, France
Viticulture: Organic
Grape varieties: 100% Gamay
Sylvain Martel Julienas Bessay is a light and natural red from a single vineyard that is farmed organically.
Song: Fuck and Run by Liz Phair
Additional information
Out of stock
Save 10% when you buy six or more bottles (mix and match)
ABOUT THE PRODUCER
About Sylvain Martel Julienas Bessay
Sylvain Martel Julienas Bessay is a light and natural red from a single vineyard that is farmed organically. An aromatic of energy – mineral, almost steely red fruit – freshness too. Good depth and supple concentration but with a lovely finishing freshness – long, haunting flavors in the finish but subtle – this is no broad or powerful finish – just a very elegant wine.
About Sylvain Martel
Sylvain Martel makes just 3,000 bottles a year in Beaujolais, a region in France resembling Burgundy.
About Julienas
Juliénas is an appellation covering wines produced from vineyards in the north of the Beaujolais region of eastern France. The red, Gamay-based wines of Juliénas often show characters of spice, flowers, and red fruit. These tend to be heavier than those of the neighboring appellation of Saint-Amour and some other southern counterparts. Despite this, Juliénas wines tend to have a shorter lifespan and are best drunk no more than two to three years from vintage. As in most Beaujolais appellation laws, a small amount of white wine is permitted in the Juliénas blend.
The village of Juliénas is named after the Roman leader Julius Caesar. Vineyards have been established here for more than 2000 years. As of 2019, the appellation is home to 568 hectares (1403 acres) of vines. Around 120 producers make about 4 million bottles per year.
The vineyard zone of Juliénas covers the south and southeast facing slopes of the hills immediately west of the Saône River valley. The area includes three other villages; Jullié, Emeringes, and Pruzilly. The small hill of Chénas lies directly to the south of Juliénas. Saint-Amour and the southernmost vineyards of the Mâconnais can be found to the north.
The terroir here is often considered to be the most variable in the Beaujolais region. The soils are transitional, ranging from granite further up the hills in the west to more sedimentary and alluvial in the east nearer the river. These soils often have a high proportion of water-storing clay in them, although the natural slope of the vineyards provides enough drainage that the vines do not become waterlogged. Irrigation is neither necessary nor permitted in the region’s vineyards.
The topography of the area surrounding Juliénas has provided a suitable mesoclimate for the production of wine. The flat terrain of the Saône River valley enjoys unobstructed sunlight throughout the growing season, and warm, dry winds from the eastern slopes of the nearby hills help to keep the canopies of the vines dry. This warmth is moderated by some influences from the Mediterranean Sea in the south. This helps to cool the vineyards during ripening, leading to the development of acidity alongside flavor.