2019 Les Ecrins

There’s something special about winemakers who choose wine, rather than being born into it. And Julien Mareschal is one of them. In the early 2000s, he left behind a career in conventional agriculture and threw himself into the dream of making wine in Jura — more specifically, in the hills surrounding Pupillin.

After having worked for Domaine de la Tournelle among others, the 2003 vintage marked his debut, and since then, progress has been steady and deliberate for Domaine de la Borde – never rushed, never forced. Just like the wines themselves. Julien works with just 5 hectares spread across steep slopes at elevations of up to 550 meters — some of the highest vineyards in Arbois. Here, the classic Jura varieties thrive, cultivated with the utmost care and respect for nature.

In the cellar, Julien works gently and with minimal intervention, allowing the wines to speak for themselves and the place they come from. The style is as serious as it is free. Expect salty and vibrant whites with near-electric minerality as well as deeply personal, elegant and easy-drinking interpretations of Vin Jaune that draw on tradition with both integrity and renewal. The reds are juicy, balanced, lively and vibrant. This is Ploussard from Pupillin at its very best.

Production at Domaine de la Borde is small, and the bottles disappear quickly — but if you get the chance to taste them, do yourself the favour. There’s something truly special happening here.