2015 Albert Bichot Julienas Roche Granit Beaujolais 750 ml

We’ve been stuck on Albert Bichot’s world-class Juliénas Roche Granit for, oh, about two years. That’s how long it’s taken us to get an allocation of the leader of Cru Beaujolais’ obsession-worthy release from the vintage of the decade. After uncorking two bottles this past week—good luck stopping at one—we’re happy to say it was well worth the wait. 

We first tasted the 2015 Juliénas in December of 2018 amidst an elite crew of sommeliers. We were at Zuni, the San Francisco staple, for a Burgundy dinner. The somms from La Folie and Jardinière were there, as were several other power players touting Premier and Grand Cru bottles from Aloxe-Corton to Vosne-Romaneé. 

The superstar wines were predictably amazing, but in their esteemed company, the fine-grained Roche Granit didn’t miss a beat, perfectly confident in its joyous vibrancy, captivating fruit purity, and Burgundian tension (a nod to the big guys). 

Paired with Zuni’s famed oven-roasted chicken, the 2015 sang a song as enthralling as any of the Burgundies, and at a price that would make them all blush. Beginning with ripe red fruits, the 2015 deepened to the dark end of the spectrum, layering fresh strawberry and tart cranberry with boysenberry and black cherry tinged with cinnamon. The rich fruit core was woven with crushed violet, rustic bramble, and a fine tobacco note, held up by the plush tannins and mineral backbone characteristic of the granitic soils in Juliénas. 

One has to wonder if Vinous’ Josh Raynolds had this in his glass when he wrote that 2015 was “a vintage of richness and energy,” as these are undoubtedly the hallmarks of Bichot’s Juliénas. 2015 was a hot, sunny year in Beaujolais which yielded the plush ripe fruits that burst from the glass, but nights were also unusually cool, maintaining incredible freshness and vibrancy. 

Of course, Mother Nature alone can’t take the credit for the Burgundy-esque 2015 Roche Granit. For those who are familiar with the wines of Albert Bichot, the pedigree here should be no surprise. The Bichot family has lived in Burgundy since the 14th century and has been making wine there since 1831. Quality and longevity are synonymous with the Bichot name, proven once again by the stunning 2015 Juliénas. 

As of our tasting two weeks ago, the 2015 was showing brilliantly and boasting the stamina to evolve for years to come. But if we had to guess, we’d bet most of these cases won’t see the winter of 2020. Your go-to summer red has arrived.