"Vinified from whole bunches of grapes, then aged partly in barrel (30%) for twelve months, this cuvée is a tribute to the Roman emperor Probus, who is said to have introduced Gamay to the Beaujolais region. Its balance between fruit and wood, between power and finesse, makes it an outstanding Julienas, with silky tannins and great length". (Le Guide Hachette des Vins 2018)
Features
Estate
Pascal Aufranc
Cuvée
Probus
Vintage
2015
Designation
Juliénas
Region
Beaujolais
Grape varieties
100% gamay
Terroirs
70-year-old vines, sedimentary and clay soils, southeast exposure
Viticulture
Integrated pest management
Harvest
At optimum maturity
Winemaking
Whole bunches, punching down with toasted vats
Breeding
10 to 20% aged in oak barrels for 10 months
Alcohol content
13,5%
Tasting & pairing
Eye
Purple with garnet highlights
Nose
Intense, rich black fruit and toasty notes
Mouth
Dense, with black fruit, cherry and empyreumatic notes. Beautiful complexity and noble tannins.
Serve
13°to 15°C
Drink from
2018
Drink before
2024
Food and wine pairing
Perfect with daube with black olives, coq au vin, Sisteron lamb...
Pascal Aufranc
Juliénas
Expert opinion
Bettane & Desseauve
Rated (2018 guide) 17/20 (Vin de référence)
Domain rated (guide 2023) 2*Stars (A serious and recommendable production, but a little more regular and homogeneous than the previous one)
About the wine:
Harmonious wine, very fine tannins, great length. Lots of unity. A fine wine.
About the domain :
Pascal Aufranc began his winegrowing career with just 1.6 hectares on the sloping hillside of En-Rémont, 350 meters above sea level. It was here that he renovated an old farmhouse amidst vines planted in the 1930s. Surrounded by oak trees (the name Chénas comes from the woods planted before the vines), these vines now form the estate's vineyard: 10 hectares, including 7 in Juliénas, 2 in Chénas and 1 in Fleurie. This green setting, out of sight but from which you can see everything, gives birth to wines with a rich, spicy texture perfectly balanced by their granite origins. The 2016s are a success, especially the estate's flagship cuvée, probus. In 2017, enthusiasts will prefer the Chénas and Fleurie crus.
Bourgogne Aujourd'hui
Wine rated (guide 2018) 19/ 20
Domain rated Safe Value
About the wine:
Pascal Aufranc once again gets top marks for his outstanding "Probus" cuvée. Aromas of flowers (peony, rose) and black fruit. The wine is very, very rich, but without an ounce of heaviness or excess, retaining instead great finesse and purity. A great wine!
About the domain :
Pascal Aufranc started in the business in 1993, and our tasting of old vintages in this issue shows that he's been making excellent wines for a long time. His estate covers 9.5 hectares, half Chénas, half Juliénas. The two spearheads of the domaine achieve the "best" rating of the 2013s in their respective appellations. His Chénas Vigne de 1939 (year of planting), on pure pink granite, comes from two parcels next to the estate (lieu-dit Rémont) for a total of two hectares. The wine is dense, but undoubtedly a little finer, more coated than the Cuvée Probus. The latter is "Juliénas extract", with a robust, structured wine for ageing, made from 50-55 year-old vines and three parcels in the Les Crots and En Capitans climats on sandy-loam soils. Both wines are vinified in the same way, in whole bunches, "à la beaujolaise" and in toasted vats; a wooden grid placed over the grapes keeps them submerged under the juice. As for the Juliénas Les Cerisiers cuvée, it's anything but a faire-valoir. The vines may be a little younger and the macerations a little shorter, but it remains a fleshy, dense Juliénas. "There's fruit, but not just fruit," explains Pascal Aufranc (5 vintages awarded Bourgogne Aujourd'hui).
Guide Hachette des vins
Wine rated (2011 guide) 2*Coup de Coeur (Outstanding wine)
About the wine:
Vinified from whole bunches of grapes, then aged partly in barrel (30%) for twelve months, this cuvée is a tribute to the Roman emperor Probus, who is said to have introduced Gamay to the Beaujolais region. Its balance between fruit and wood, between power and finesse, makes it an outstanding Julienas, with silky, long-lasting tannins.
Robert Parker - Wine Advocate
Rated (2017 guide) 90/100 (Outstanding wine)
Wine Enthusiast
Wine rated (2018 guide) 92/100
Domain rated Recommended (Wine producer recommended by Wine Enthusiast)
James Suckling
Domain Rated Recommended
Customer reviews
Customer rating
4.1/5
on 13 reviews
Note and review by M. CHRISTOPHE M. Published on 10/09/2023
A Julienas with character, thanks to the barrel! The wait is paying off, this 2015 is magnificent to drink in 2023.
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Note and review by M. CAMILLE K. Published on 20/02/2020
Decu compared to the comments. Surely in the closing phase. To be reviewed after 18 months
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Note and review by M. GEORGES V. Published on 17/03/2019
a true JULIENAS!!!
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Note and review by M. DAVID P. Published on 27/06/2018
Quite surprising for a Gamay (I'm not usually a fan of this variety). Well-structured and fruity.
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Note and review by M. PHILIPPE J. Published on 28/11/2021
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Note and review by M. AMANDINE L. Published on 09/10/2021
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Note and review by M. PHILIPPE C. Published on 24/04/2021
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Note and review by M. REMY P. Published on 10/04/2020
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Note and review by M. AVELINO V. Published on 03/06/2019
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Note and review by M. PASCAL L. Published on 01/06/2019
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