About this WINE
Mas Jullien
Mas Jullien's 15 hectares were developed by Olivier Jullien in 1985. It is located in an area of magnificent wine potential, that of the Terrasses du Larzac (Côteaux du Languedoc), in Jonquières amidst the rocky terraces of the plateau (if that doesn’t sound too contradictory), itself situated 40 km to the north of Montpellier.
The terroir is divided between the argilo and the calcaire (clay and the limestone); the wines themselves come from Syrah, Mourvèdre and Carignan, vinified by parcel and aged for around 18 months in demi–muid, delivering plenty of garrigue-influenced charm and a pleasing purity.
Southern Rhône Blend
The vast majority of wines from the Southern Rhône are blends. There are 5 main black varieties, although others are used and the most famous wine of the region, Châteauneuf du Pape, can be made from as many as 13 different varieties. Grenache is the most important grape in the southern Rhône - it contributes alcohol, warmth and gentle juicy fruit and is an ideal base wine in the blend. Plantings of Syrah in the southern Rhône have risen dramatically in the last decade and it is an increasingly important component in blends. It rarely attains the heights that it does in the North but adds colour, backbone, tannins and soft ripe fruit to the blend.
The much-maligned Carignan has been on the retreat recently but is still included in many blends - the best old vines can add colour, body and spicy fruits. Cinsault is also backtracking but, if yields are restricted, can produce moderately well-coloured wines adding pleasant-light fruit to red and rosé blends. Finally, Mourvèdre, a grape from Bandol on the Mediterranean coast, has recently become an increasingly significant component of Southern Rhône blends - it often struggles to ripen fully but can add acidity, ripe spicy berry fruits and hints of tobacco to blends.
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Description
BBR were amongst the fist to ‘recognise’ the full magnificent potential of the Terrasses du Larzac, the evocatively named, geologically impressive enclave situated just to the north-east of Montpellier
Mas Julien’s 15 hectares were developed by Olivier Julien in 1985 and are located in Jonquières amidst the rocky terraces of a plateau (if that doesn’t sound too contradictory). The terroir is divided between the argilo and the calcaire (clay and the limestone); the wines themselves come from Syrah, Mourvèdre and Carignan, vinified by parcel and aged for around 18 months in demi–muid.
The 2008 is impressive, especially given the tricky nature of the vintage; the wine is aromatically persuasive and then, en bouche, silky and powerful, with rich spicy notes, plenty of garrigue-influenced charm and a pleasing purity.
(Simon Field MW, BBR Buyer)
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