Originel Julien Courtois 2018

Originel Julien Courtois Menu Pineau, Romorantin, Biodynamic, unique savoury, terroir wine. Julien Courtois wine is always a terroir driven wine. Originel is Menu Pineau from a low-yielding vineyard in the area of Soins-en-Sologne. Originel is his first wine, mainly the Menu Pineau variety dominates the blend and it is rich, savoury energetic wine made in tiny quantity and with no intervention. Vintage plays an important role of course and the variation in style can be quite marked from year to year.  The complexity of the wine is beguiling and you find a vast array of different flavours. Julien’s wines are always full of vitality and energy, they are not fruity wines but instead show the terroir, vintage and variety in its purest form. They are a unique drinking experience and always rewarding.

Julien Courtois, following in his father Claude's footsteps, created his own vineyard, Le Clos de la Bruyère, in 1998.

Based in Soings en Sologne, the 4.5 hectare domain is run by Julien and his girlfriend, Heidi. They work with seven varieties of grapes, including an ungrafted Menu Pineau, planted in 1978, which is used to make the Originel wine. They adhere strictly to the principle of making wines from low-yield vineyards, so the wines can be as concentrated as possible. Their work is guided by the natural rhythms of nature, and all the work takes place by hand. Chemical treatments are eschewed in favour of plant-based remedies. “We make wines that are different, natural and rich from the values provided by a sane wine-making process,” Julien explains. “Whether in the vineyards or in the cellar, wines are made without any chemical products, which gives them a unique and singular taste.” Tasting his wines is one of those rare wine experiences which make you feel privileged to be tasting something special produced by someone unique.