Mas Jullien "Coteaux du Languedoc" Rosé, Languedoc, France 2022

FROM ROSENTHAL

THE WINE: This is a saignée rosé made from juice that is bled off the skins of red grapes from Jullien’s vineyards on the Terraces du Larzac. In descending order of percentage, it is Cinsault, Carignan, and Mourvèdre, though the blend can change from vintage to vintage. Fermentation takes place in stainless steel with native yeast, aging in Stockinger foudre of mixed ages. Truly a wine of terroir, this is the one of the most structured rosés we see each season, a somewhat wild wine of deep, earthy complexity that does beautifully at the table with virtually any grilled fare.

THE PRODUCER: Mas Jullien controls 15 ha of vines scattered around the village of Jonquières, north of Montpellier and 40 km inland from the Mediterranean. The vines grow on the rocky terraces of the Larzac plateau at the foot of Mont Baudille, planted at up to 900 m, at some of the highest altitudes in the region. Our first meeting with Olivier, late in a winter afternoon in the mid-1980’s, still speaks to the Domaine’s strength today. The encounter was electric with anticipation, enthusiasm, even revolution. There was not much to admire in the Languedoc at that point but here was a creative genius whose moral mandate was to prove the worth of his land. His triumph is to be found in the bottles of wine he has produced and continues to produce that are, quite simply, among the most important and compelling wines of our portfolio.

FARMING

Practicing organic and biodynamic

TREATMENTS

Copper sulfate only

PLOUGHING

Annual ploughing to promote soil health

SOILS

Limestone clays and gravels; schist and sandstone for the cuvée Carlan