Domaine de la Borde

Pupillin, Jura

Julien Mareschal was part of a wave of young vignerons who set up camp in the Jura in the early to mid-noughties. After a degree in agriculture he moved on to a diploma in oenology at Dijon. Previous experience in Burgundy and Bordeaux was supplemented by his work with notable Jura vignerons Xavier Reverchon and Pascal Clairet in Arbois.

At age 23 Julien bought his first vines and now has roughly 5 hectares in different sites averaging around 40 years of age. The bulk of Julien’s small holding is in Savignin (almost 50%) with 1ha of Chardonnay and smaller amounts of Ploussard (Poulsard), Pinot Noir and Trousseau. The Savignin and Ploussard grow on the classic marnes (marl) soils – grey, blue and red, with the Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Trousseau on clay limestone.

Organic certified since 2009, he converted to biodynamics in 2012. Julien works alone in both the vines and the winery. Hand harvesting, hand sorting, hand destemming with some whole bunches for the reds, old and younger used oak all ensure the Pupillin terroir shines first and foremost. The combination of traditional and modern approaches produces a fabulous range of wines which share elements of Burgundy that are truly expressive of the Jura.

Despite working with low or no SO2 (for the reds), Julien’s wines are precise and pure with pronounced minerality, great concentration and freshness and the ability to defy age. We’ve had the pleasure of tasting aged wines from Domaine de la Borde, including a 2005 Ploussard with zero added SO2 - fresh and youthful even after a decade!