Vineyards and winemaking
Cuvée Julie is a Blanc de Blancs made from Chardonnay grown in the Massif de Saint-Thierry. Ancient, shell-rich sandy soils give the fruit a distinctive mineral brightness, while the northerly Champagne climate preserves the tension and finesse at the heart of the cuvée.
Only the first-press juice is used, with fermentation in temperature-controlled stainless steel and malolactic fermentation for a rounded texture. The wine rests for seven months before bottling, then spends at least three years on its lees. A dosage of 6.75g/l completes this 2020/21 Brut.
Tasting notes
Appearance
Brilliant pale gold with a delicate cordon of persistent bubbles.
Nose
Lemon blossom, grapefruit and green apple meet chalk, fresh bread and a subtle hint of oyster shell.
Palate
Precise and ample, with lemon, lime and crisp orchard fruit wrapped in a fine, creamy mousse. Mineral tension runs through the palate, and a noble citrus-zest bitterness gives the finish energy and definition.
Food pairing
Serve with hand-dived scallops and brown butter, dressed crab, chalk-stream trout, vegetable tempura or a young goat's cheese. Its citrus line makes it particularly elegant with simply cooked shellfish.
Background story
The cuvée is named after Julie, the second of Nathalie and Benoit's three daughters. Together with Laurine and Ludivine, she is represented by the three roses used in the estate's imagery—a symbol of the family's future alongside its protective griffon emblem.
Sommelier's Choice came to know Champagne Roland Boulard & Filles when Laurine undertook a university placement with us. A few family bottles shared at her farewell gathering led to our discovery of the domaine and a close producer relationship that has brought these previously unexported Champagnes to the UK.
