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Probus 2017

Producer: Domaine Pascal Aufranc
Region: Beaujolais
Appellation: Juliénas
Country: France
Classification: AÔC
Wine Type: Red
Variety: Gamay Noir
Bottle Size: 750 ml
Alcohol: 13%
Soil: Silt and clay
Farming Practices: Sustainable
Awards: 92-Wine Enthusiast
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Cellar Profile


350 metres above sea level, you’ll find a small winery perched on the hillside of Rémont, in the village of Chénas. Pascal Aufranc’s estate began with only 4 acres under vine, most of which was planted in the 1930s. The winery is surrounded by fields and forests, creating an isolated area free of interference from neighbouring vineyards. Pascal now sustainably farms 10 hectares of vineyards in the villages of Chénas, Fleurie and Juliénas. Work in the vineyard is done manually and great efforts are made to encourage biodiversity in the fields. The wines are unique and very expressive, often characterized by a floral spicy character and rich stone fruits.

Region


Juliénas has a distinctive soil structure compared with the heavy granite base found in most of the other Crus. Here, schist and volcanic rock help to create weighty wines with a firm tannic structure and a subtle though omnipresent earthiness.

Vineyard


Grapes are sourced from the 1.75 acre ‘Les Crots’ plot, planted with 70 year old vines in silty clay-based soils with a south-south east exposure at 290 metres elevation. The vineyard is densely planted and sustainably farmed with a heavy focus on vine competition and biodiversity.

Varieties


Gamay, like the Beaujolais region in which it thrives, is often misunderstood and underappreciated. Depending on how it is grown and vinified, it can produce simple, light fruity wines (Beaujolais Nouveau) as well as bigger, structured reds showing cherry, berries, pepper and roasted notes (Cru Beaujolais).

Winemaking


Whole clusters are fermented via indigenous yeasts. Manual, whole-cluster fermentation in cement in gridded vats for 14 days, wooden grid on top (cuve grille) to maintain cap down (alternative to punch down to avoid oxidation of cap), pressing and malolactic fermentation in tank on fine lees, 20% aged in neutral oak barrels (228 l) and rest in tank.

Tasting Notes 


Aromas of ripe black fruit alongside a savoury, roasted character. The palate is rich and ample, adding violets, peonies and mocha notes with fine grained, elegant tannins.