Julien Prelat
Champagne
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!
