The appellation of Juliénas was born on 11 March 1938, but it's history stretches back much further. It is named for Julius Ceasar who mentioned it in his book, Commentaries on the Gallic War, having stopped here to quench his thirst. It is a pretty terroir running alongside the road from Saint Amour to the commune of Juliénas. Les Capitans is a small parcel of great quality.
The grapes come from forty year old vines. The soil lends itself wonderfully to the production of colourful, solid, fleshy wines which are rich in tannins. There are delicious red fruit flavours with touches of peony and iris.
A great wine to serve with Coq au Vin or roasted game birds.
The hilly Beaujolais vineyards stretch out from north to south over 55km, bordered to the west by the Massif Central, and to the east by the Saone river.
Beaujolais vineyards are emblematic in the French national landscape, but are still teeming with secrets to be unearthed. The region has a constent sense of welcome and sharing. Sculpted over centuries it is personified by its 12 AOCs.
Gamay is a thin, delicate purple-black skinned grape which is cylindrical and compact, surrounded by flat, fairly even-edged leaves.
Although granite soils seem to be its soil of choice, the variety is good at adapting. Half of the 30,000 hectares of Gamay planted worldwide are in the Beaujolais region of France, where it covers 98% of the areas that produce Beaujolais wine.
