Even with the resurgence of interest in Beaujolais, Juliénas, one of the region’s 10 crus, has been overlooked or under-rated. With Domaine Mont Bessay, Philippe Pascal and Guillaume Marko are changing that and, in the process, are redefining the wines from that cru. Pascal notes, “Juliénas lost its allure after the (Second World) War, but it has the potential to come back.” He explains that 80 percent Juliénas is bottled by négociants who usually just blend wines from around the village, losing any distinctiveness of terroir. Compare that to Fleurie or Moulin-à-Vent, where 80 percent of the wines are Domaine-bottled and express the vast individuality of those crus. The En Bessay bottling comes from plots scattered over a steep slope around the winery. The difference in elevation, and hence ripeness of the grapes, accounts for a four-day difference in harvesting from the first to last plot. The wines are fermented and aged separately, then blended, which imbues the finished wine with tremendous complexity. Wine from individual plots not up to their exacting standards are vectored into a second wine, Les Amourettes. Although there are still plenty of red and black fruit notes, the focus of the 2023 En Bessay shifts from a fruit-focused wine to one with a complex savoriness. Enticing nuances of minerals, earth, and herbs notes sit on a suavely texture base and complement each other. The inherent acidity of Gamay keeps this mid-weight beauty lively throughout a meal. This is Juliénas on a different and higher level than what almost anyone has experienced. It shows that the Gamay variety, when treated by people with focus and commitment, can make exceptional wine.
94 Michael Apstein – May 28, 2025