Julien Prelat is a producer that has recently become an absolute favorite. His single vineyard, single varietal bottlings create a perfect balance between profundity, depth of fruit and the mineral-laden tension that all the best Champagnes possess. He seeks perfection in his wines, yet remains humble in realizing that his vineyards will provide for him.

Julien Prelat

Don't miss Karine Prelat's bottlings!

"I am aware I am simply borrowing the lands I have inherited; I am faithful to this principle, cultivating my vines and developing my wines durably and sustainably. "- Julien Prelat

Such simple words yet filled with meaning, the inspired and talented Aube producer Julien Prelat's wines have clearly been imbued with this passion. The third generation of his family to tend the vines in Celles sur Ource, Julien and his wife Karine were the first of the Prelat surname to craft their own wines - the first vintage was 2010. Very much in the fashion of his friend Cedric Bouchard, Julien's vision is to not blend anything - one grape, one vineyard, one vintage.

Though he was born and raised in Champagne, it was in Julien's travels and education in Alsace & Beaujolais that largely informed his winemaking and embracing of a wealth of varietals. "I loved Burgundy in school," Julien admits, "But in Alsace I was impacted more by the grapes - Pinot Gris, Pinot Blanc, Gewürztraminer - and wanted to find something between these two." Julien's early vintages, he sold as Vin Clair to a Maison, as Julien had no cellar, no winery left from his family. Within time, he began to accumulate enough equipment to bottle his own Champagne, starting with a humble 6000 bottles; today the Julien Prelat label will bear almost 30,000 bottles each year.

Julien's 7 hectares throughout the Aube have soils similar to what you'd see in Chablis - Kimmeridgian soils defined by the fossilized seashells throughout, all of which add a distinct minerality and pleasant salinity to the wines. As with a great Burgundy, the wines of the Aube broaden and become more vinous with air, and the same is true for Julien's wines. Presle may sound familiar as it is the same terroir as Cedric's wine of the same name, though Prelat's is entirely Chardonnay. La Lemblée consists of Pinot Blanc, and there is also a rare Pinot Gris called Les Côtes, from similarly-positioned terroirs to Presle. Les Vignes Basses is a Meunier-only cuvée, and two versions of Chantemerle are crafted - one a Blanc de Noirs, the other a Rosé, both of Pinot Noir. We are incredibly proud to bring to the market Julien's vintage wines - Les Reines (100% Chardonnay) and a Millesime, a tiny-production, barrel-fermented Pinot Noir.

Special attention should also be paid to the new wines of Karine Prelat, under whose label they have crafted three still wines from her family's vineyards in Riceys.

Viticulture & VInification

In the vineyard, Julien and Karine are ever-present, guiding the vines through each phase of the growing cycle. Only organic fertilizers are used, and the land is worked by hand, using small plows and tilling in between vines.

The wines are mostly vinified in stainless steel tanks to best control their temperatures, ensuring a more fine, complex wine. Beyond that, the elevage is done in the most natural way possible - the wines will age in fût de chêne, essentially Burgundy barrels, on their natural lees. The wines will be tasted throughout and sent to bottle for tirage when deemed ready.

In regards to the dosage for his wines, rarely will you see one with zero dosage - they do exist, but it is very much a crucial part of Julien & Karine's work to ensure the wine is framed perfectly, and if that means more or less sugar in the final wine, what's important is the taste and feel. "The number is not important," says Julien, "We taste 4-5 bottles blind, and will taste until it pops - 'Whoa! That's good!' - that's the feeling we want. Balance is most important, making it better and keeping freshness." There is no dogma, no rubric - just make good wine!

Guffens-Heynen

Guffens-Heynen wines haven't been in the US for over a decade, however they have remained as one of the most sought after domaines for Burgundy lovers. We had enjoyed various vintages in Europe and Japan, but due to the 10 year gap of not having a US importer, we wanted to seek out the wines and understand them a bit more. William Kelley, being a close friend, introduced us. Arriving at the estate for the initial visit, we spent nearly 9 hours conversing about wine and life.

Interestingly enough, we talk about focusing on young winemakers who are helping to re-define the future of winemaking. Winemakers who are making bold yet smart changes, and practicing healthy viticulture. It may not seem that Jean-Marie fits into this category, but he does in more ways than one! Jean-Marie and his wife Maine settled in Vergisson in 1976. Despite making wine since 1980, the rest aligns pretty closely. We never claim to be an importer of "organic or "biodynamic wines", but try to put a focus on the term healthy viticulture instead. We don't believe you need a certification to achieve something remarkable in the vineyard. Jean-Marie feels just the same wayfrom the appellation system and regulations to the term biodynamics.

After arriving in Vergisson from Belgium, they immediately emerged themselves into learning about winemaking and acquired their first plots of Pierreclos in 1979. Since the early 80s, Jean Marie has been pushing to prove that great chardonnay doesn't solely come from the Côte de Beaune. Nor does it have to have a 1er cru or Grand cru designation on the label. His first official vintage was 1982 with the wines from Vergisson, followed by starting the Negociant label- Verget in 1990. Verget is his project with purchased fruit from Chablis and Côte de Beaune

VITICULURE | GUFFENS-HEYNEN

Guffens believes in making honest wines. We often discuss producers and speak about who they have learned from or have philosophies similar to. Maybe the most controversial view is his dis-belief in the term terroir. This statement is easily misunderstood or questioned, but when you hear him speak about it- it makes more sense. He wants to do what is best for each vineyard in regards to farming and picking. Ultimately it takes a human, not just terroir, to make these decisions. The decision of when to plant, what to plant, how to manage the vineyard and all of the decisions to make at harvest. Although he isn't one for terms- he has created some of his own, non-cultivation. He works the soils only once a year, but only very shallowly. He uses a mower to control growth of grass and weeds with the idea that this limits nitrogen production and soil compaction. He does not deleaf or hedge his vines, as all of these things tend to support more vegetative growth and lower acidity in his grapes. He harvests late with pretty ripe grapes. The berries are typically smaller as are yields. If ripening is varying in the vineyards, it is time to harvest. Usually multiple passes happen each harvest, something not typically practiced in Burgundy. In total, the Domaine wines’ now consist of 5.65 hectares in Vergisson, Pierreclos, and Davaye.

VINIFICATION | GUFFENS-HEYNEN

As important as picking ripe grapes is in the vineyard, pressing may be one of the most crucial parts of winemaking to Jean-Marie. The grapes are lightly crushed before being pressed. In the winery a modified coquard press is used (also uncommon in Burgundy). The first press and free run juice is a crucial part of their pressing. This is the juice that is lower in PH and provides the incredible acidity we find in the Guffens wines. When done correctly, it is quite magical. All of this is what Jean-Marie really thinks makes the major difference. It is different from vintage to vintage and vineyard to vineyard, it’s usually slow and meticulously done. It is more the person working the press than the press itself. The wine is then transferred for fermentation- various size barrels and concrete depending on the vintage.

As one of the forces behind the wines that Thatcher's brings you, Courtney gets to drink "A lot of wines that are affordable daily drinkers, and they are lovely. But I look for emotion in wine. Chiara Condello's Sangiovese's does just that." "It can bring similar emotion and pleasure as some of the top bottles I drink," Courtney admits. "It is incredible to drink a wine that retails at $22, (cheaper than a smoothie in Brentwood) and finding yourself wanting to open the same bottle a few days later.

Chiara Condello

In between the Apennine mountains and the Adriatic Sea, Romagna has been getting a new reputation, thanks to Chiara. The news is spreading quickly, and her wines are moving in and out of some of the top restaurants and retail shops, globally. In the foothills of the Apennine mountains, Chiara farms 10ha of Sangiovese organically. 2015 was her first vintage after working with her father for years at the family Domaine. Predappio’s unique soils are rich in marine fossils, giving Sangiovese grown here a luminous, suave and spiced character, coupled with the smaller berries with thicker skin, traditional to the region. Grapes are hand-harvested with some cuvees being de-stemmed and others not. Fermentation is in stainless steel tanks and open-top wood fermenters or larger tonneaux. The wines are aged in botti.

The Predappio is a blend of three different parcels of the estate all between 450 and 1,050 feet above sea level with an average age of 40 years. The soils vary from red clay and limestone to the local spungone. Predappio is destemmed, fermented on indigenous yeasts in temperature-controlled, stainless steel tanks, as well as upright, open-top wooden fermentation tanks and tonneaux. Aged for 12 months in used, 3.5HL Slavonian oak botti.

Le Lucciole is Chiara's Riserva. It's 100% Sangiovese sourced from a parcel of 0.8 hectares planted at a density of 5,500 vines at about 750m elevation. Planted on the local spungone soils. The wine is partially destemmed and fermented in open-top wooden tanks and tonneaux. The wine is aged for 2 years in botti and a year in the bottle.