{"product_id":"julien-heidi-courtois-originel","title":"Julien + Heidi Courtois \"Originel\"","description":"\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eGrapes:\u003c\/b\u003e \u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eMenu-Pineau\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eRegion:\u003c\/b\u003e VDF\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eVintage: \u003c\/b\u003e2022\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eViticulture: \u003c\/b\u003eBiodynamic\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eSoils:\u003c\/b\u003e Red clay + silica + silex\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eVinification:\u003c\/b\u003e T\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003ehe grapes are hand-harvested and direct press, fermented in barrels\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eAging:\u003c\/b\u003e \u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003eAged for 18 months in barrel, no batonnage\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eFining or Filtering:\u003c\/b\u003e None\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eSulfur: \u003c\/b\u003eNone added\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eNotes from the Importer: \u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan class=\"relative -mx-px my-[-0.2rem] rounded px-px py-[0.2rem] transition-colors duration-100 ease-in-out\"\u003eWinemaking runs in Julien Courtois’ veins; he is the eldest son of one of France’s earliest and most revered biodynamic winemaking pioneers, \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.jennyandfrancois.com\/wines-2\/france\/claude-courtois\/\"\u003eClaude Courtois,\u003c\/a\u003e whom we also proudly import into the U.S. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"relative -mx-px my-[-0.2rem] rounded px-px py-[0.2rem] transition-colors duration-100 ease-in-out\"\u003e“I was born into the world of wine and started working in the vineyards at a very young age,” says Julien, who grew up in the mid-Loire Valley’s Soings‑en‑Sologne. “I gained experience as I grew up,” he adds, noting that he worked at his father’s mythical winery full-time starting at age 18. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan class=\"relative -mx-px my-[-0.2rem] rounded px-px py-[0.2rem] transition-colors duration-100 ease-in-out\"\u003eJulien later took off for\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"relative -mx-px my-[-0.2rem] rounded px-px py-[0.2rem] transition-colors duration-100 ease-in-out\"\u003e a stint in Burgundy before eventually founding his estate, \u003cstrong\u003eLe Clos de la Bruyère\u003c\/strong\u003e, at age 21 in \u003cstrong\u003e1998\u003c\/strong\u003e,\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"relative -mx-px my-[-0.2rem] rounded px-px py-[0.2rem] transition-colors duration-100 ease-in-out\"\u003e just down the road from his father and brother Etienne’s domaine,\u003cstrong\u003e Les Cailloux du Paradis\u003c\/strong\u003e—the Pebbles of Paradise, a name gleaned from the rocky, inhospitable soil that they’ve worked their magic on, planting the vineyards with field blends of ancient indigenous varieties. While Julien’s wines give a nod to those of his family, they are also remarkably distinct.  \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn 2004, Julien met his now-wife, Heidi Kuka. A New Zealand native, she first came to France in 1998. After years of  working in a wine retail shop back home during university, she brought her wine background to a restaurant in Normandy, where she sold the wines of Claude Courtois. It was kismet, in some sense. “Julien’s dad was the first wine maker I met when I came to France,” she says.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan class=\"relative -mx-px my-[-0.2rem] rounded px-px py-[0.2rem] transition-colors duration-100 ease-in-out\"\u003eToday, Julien and Heidi cultivate approximately \u003cstrong\u003e4.5 hectares\u003c\/strong\u003e of old vines including Menu-Pineau (also known as Orbois), Romorantin, Chenin Blanc, Gamay, Côt, Gascon, and Chaudenay, and \u003cspan\u003eGenouillet\u003c\/span\u003e—many ungrafted and planted in the late 1970s\u003c\/span\u003e. \u003cspan class=\"relative -mx-px my-[-0.2rem] rounded px-px py-[0.2rem] transition-colors duration-100 ease-in-out\"\u003eThe couple emphasizes minimal‑intervention, chemical‑free viticulture and vinification, working by hand and allowing long cellar aging without filtration or fining. Only a small amount of SO2 is added to the reds at bottling, as needed. “My goal is to produce the best grapes possible to try to get the best result once bottled,” says Julien, adding, “\u003c\/span\u003eThere is nothing scientific about wine; each year is unique and therefore different, and the work done must be adapted to what the vine needs.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan class=\"relative -mx-px my-[-0.2rem] rounded px-px py-[0.2rem] transition-colors duration-100 ease-in-out\"\u003eTheir wines reflect a deep commitment to terroir and tradition—from the amber‑toned \u003cstrong\u003eOriginel\u003c\/strong\u003e (Menu-Pineau) to their expressive reds like \u003cstrong\u003eEléments\u003c\/strong\u003e (Gamay de Chaudenay) or \u003cstrong\u003eAncestral\u003c\/strong\u003e (a blend of Gamay, Côt, and Gascon). Each cuvée is crafted with precision, yielding authentic wines marked by minerality, layered complexity, and a sense of place.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan class=\"relative -mx-px my-[-0.2rem] rounded px-px py-[0.2rem] transition-colors duration-100 ease-in-out\"\u003eHeidi keeps the whole operation running, and leaves her striking mark on each and every bottle: she designs all \u003cstrong\u003ethe bold black-and-white artwork\u003c\/strong\u003e for the labels, inspired by her Māori heritage and beautifully drawn in India ink. The labels are inspired by folklore, nature, and Ta Moko, a form of Māori tattoo art. She convinced Julien to change the labels soon after they met, and her art has functioned as a visual calling card ever since. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTogether, Julien and Heidi have spent decades producing wines that are deeply evocative of the land they came from—land which Julien has spent his whole life learning, nurturing, and tending to with curiosity and compassion. These wines are very small production—typically under 10,000 bottles per year—so we consider ourselves extraordinarily lucky to be able to bring a taste of them stateside. \u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Jenny + Francois","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":50525040312507,"sku":null,"price":62.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"url":"https:\/\/www.buvonswine.com\/products\/julien-heidi-courtois-originel","provider":"Buvons Wine","version":"1.0","type":"link"}