Clin d’Oeil VdF 2019 – Sextant – Julien Altaber

Julien Altaber comes from Auvergne and already knew at the age of 16 that his natural habitat was the world of wine. After a few years of apprenticeship at various wineries, he met Catherine and Dominique Derain in 2002, with whom he immersed himself in the basics of biodynamic viticulture. He bought his first grapes from the Derains and made his own first experiences, from which the Sextant project was born. Since 2010, he has owned his own vineyards, which, in addition to the local Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, also include plants with Aligote, Pinot Gris and Gamay. In Saint-Aubin, he finally found his current vineyard, which he is constantly expanding with attractive sites. His aim is to produce wines that are easy to drink and authentic, rather than to follow the Burgundian classification at all costs.

The Clin d'oeil is a cuvée of Viognier and Gamay and was aged on the skins for eight months. It was bottled unfiltered, and unfined and unsulphured.

Bright orange with reddish reflections and marginal cloudiness.

On the nose, the 2019 Clin d'oeil from Julien Alataber's Sextant is reminiscent of Italian bitter aperitifs such as Campari or Cordino. Orange zest and bitter orange mingle with herbs such as sage and almond blossom, along with distinctive sweet aromas of cinnamon blossom, allspice and white pepper with its citrus-cedary notes. An olfactory firework that is a joy to smell alone.

The tart impression of the nose is directly confirmed on the palate With gripping tannin, it taints the entire mouth and quickly makes the saliva shoot in. The noble astringency brings a subtle sweetness that is underpinned by extract-rich red fruit. You can literally chew it, the clin d'oeil, so fleshy and firm are the tannins which, in interplay with the juicy fruit and fine spice, make the bottle empty in no time.