The Wines of Julien Altaber

Julien Altaber crafts wines of pure electricity and verve, and we are really pleased to offer a small amount of five different cuvées from his tiny domaine in Burgundy.

Julien grew up in the Auvergne, a region better known for its mountains and its dormant volcanoes than its wines, and his mother believed Julien should attend oenological school for winemaking.  Upon finishing, Julien moved to Burgundy, and a worked alongside Dominique Derain in the village of Saint-Aubin.  Dominique is one of the great natural winemakers in Burgundy, and Julien learned a great deal from this Jedi-cooper-vigneron in the hills of Saint-Aubin and Mercurey, especially with regards to Biodynamic and Organic Farming.  Julien eventually cobbled together a few parcels of his own, and has been making his own wines ever since at Domaine Sextant.

There are great photos and words here from Julien's former importer Fifi, who some people might know as the original heart of Ten Bells, one of New York City's great natural wine bars.

We have five wines available from Julien.  Please call us at 845.831.5096, or email us at info@homespunfoods.com if interested.

Julien Altaber | Bourgogne Aligoté 2019 -
Before we begin to give specs and wax poetic, let me say simply and plainly, this wine is delicious.  I love Aligoté.  But too often in Burgundy, the best plots are reserved for Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, for the simple reason that winemakers get more money for these crops than they do the Aligoté grape.  So it is rare to find aligoté planted in a great hillside spot with a superior exposition.  At its best, aligoté has a beautiful minerality that feels compact on the palate, and also shows an underripe quality that makes me think of what Chardonnay must have tasted like in Burgundy pre-global warming.  Altaber's wine is made from two plots in two of the best villages for white wine in Burgundy, Puligny-Montrachet and Saint-Aubin.  It is also a good example of the types of wines we love, wines that are natural, but also show typicity, meaning they taste like the place they come from.  And this wine tastes like gorgeous White Burgundy.  I'm sure we will talk more about Aligoté, but this is a very good start, and a great introduction to the uninitiated.  $35 / bottle

Julien Altaber | 'Po à Po' 2019 
Orange wine from a four hectare plot in the Côte Chalonnaise.  An orange wine is a wine that is made from white grapes, but the juice is left on the skins to macerate, which lends color, flavor, texture and also gives natural preservatives to the wine, so the winemaker can use little to no sulphur during the winemaking prcoess.  This wine shows almond notes alongside a seaside minerality that is really intriguing, against a beautiful amber color in the glass.  $40 / bottle
 
Julien Altaber | Ma Ma Mia 2019

Pinot Gris is the star here.  From purchased organic fruit, Julien leaves the juice on the skins for 12 days, and then racks the wine to very old, very large wooden barrels for eight months before bottling.  The color of this 'orange wine' is beautiful, showing the pink and orange flecks from the skin of the Pinot Gris.  Not to be missed.  $40 / bottle

Julien Altaber | Gamay 'M' 2019
Hand-harvested fruit, 100% Gamay, from two plots in Brouilly, one the great crus of Beaujolais.  One of these vineyard plots holds gnarly, beautiful 60 year old vines.  The fruit here drives the wine, and plays against the balanced cut of acidity, creates a lovely tension from ripeness and underripe notes.  Perfect pairing for a roasted chicken and a warm house.  $25 / bottle  

Julien Altaber | Maranges 1er Cru 'Clos Roussots' 2018 
Finally, we have on offer one of Julien' great wines, his Maranges Rouge 1er Cru from Clos Roussots.  The Clos Roussots is beautiful vineyard that sits adjacent to the Premier Crus of Santenay, and shows the real character of the Côte de Beaune, which is more of a line than a circle on the palate.   This is how the great winemaker Hubert de Montille used to describe his experience of wine on the mouth.  Some wines feel focused and linear, almost angular on the palate, some feel round, the corners are softened, the texture is unctuous.  This is the line.  Old barrels, no SO2, hand-harvesting-- everything here is meant to give you a direct experience of the place, without the manipulation of the winemaker in the cellar.  Very limited.  55 / bottle

Altaber Photo Courtesy of our friends at Bluebird Wine & Spirits in Accord, NY

New Dishes Coming Soon...

Please check back for new dishes coming soon.  We have an updated menu here, and are really excited about our new Grilled Chicken Sandwich with lemon soy marinade and aji amarillo, a delicious yellow pepper often used in Peruvian cuisine.  

  • New Dishes Coming Soon

  • Prepared Foods and Meal Kits Coming Soon

  • Online Ordering Coming Soon

THANK YOU ALL for your support for us and other small businesses here in Beacon as we try and make it through the winter.