Chateau des Capitans Julienas 2022 - Beaujolais, Burgundy France

94/100 Bettane et Desseauve
93/100 James Suckling
Bronze - Vinous
92/100 James Suckling (2021 vintage)
93/100 Rebecca Murphy, Wine Review Online (2020 vintage)
92/100 James Suckling (2020 vintage)
91/100 Wine Roger Voss, Enthusiast (2020 vintage)

Gold - International du Gamay
Bronze - Korea Wine Challenge
Gold - Concours des Grands Vins de France Macon (2021 vintage)
Silver - Concours des Grands Vins du Beaujolais (2021 vintage)
Bronze - Decanter World Wine Awards (2021 vintage)
Gold - Concours des Grands Vins du Beaujolais (2020 vintage)
Bronze - Decanter World Wine Awards (2020 vintage)

James Suckling "This Julienas has a very appealing interplay of restrained tannins and red fruit character with a lot of subtle spicy and earthy nuances. Juicy on the front and middle of the medium-bodied palate, then the tannins build nicely at the long, moderately dry and lively finish."

James Suckling "A delicious Juliénas..Racy red and blue berry fruit to the nose with an alluring lift of red flowers, slate and a white pepper tang. Juicy and uptight with structured tannins in a bright, medium-bodied palate. Firm, crunchy and mouthwatering finish." (2021 vintage)

Decanter World Wine Awards "Lifted aromas of blueberry, baked plum and cloves with a hint of herbal notes." (2021 vintage)

Rebecca Murphy, Wine Review Online "This is one very serious Beaujolais, with a dark ruby color, ripe raspberry, cherry and woody spices. It is medium-bodied with bright acidity and moderate tannins that will pair well with roast chicken, steak tartare or grilled salmon. " (2020 vintage)

James Suckling "A solid and compressed Beaujolais with cherry and ripe-strawberry character, firm tannins and a medium finish. It’s reserved now, but will open nicely with bottle age." (2020 vintage)

Wine Roger Voss, Wine Enthusiast "The chateau, named after the Capitans who controlled Juliénas, has one of the patterned tile roofs often found in Burgundy. This partially wood-aged wine from the 30-acre vineyard is richly structured, with some firm tannins as well as juicy black fruits." (2020 vintage)

Decanter World Wine Awards "Elegant and restrained aromas of wild strawberry lead to a palate of red fruit and green leaf." (2020 vintage)

Drinks International "One of the “Ten Most Admired Wine Brands” in the world."

Wine Advocate “Georges Duboeuf is the #1 selling brand of Beaujolais in the world”

Château des Capitans is owned by the Duboeuf family. Grapes for this wine come from a single, undivided, vineyard. Vines are all over 50 years of age.

One of the oldest producing areas within the ten Beaujolais Cru appellations, Julienas is named after the Roman emperor Julius Caesar, the area has a 2000 year history of grape production. Its varied soil composition of sedimentary alluvial soils near the Saone River and the sandy granite of the sloping vineyards on the Beaujolais hills make for wines can range from light and fruity, to densely concentrated and powerful. The appellation has a continental climate with cool nights and warm days, and an extended ripening season thanks to the long summers providing optimum conditions for growing quality fruit. Typically Julienas wines are earthy and weighty, with a deep ruby-red colour and strawberry, violet, cinnamon, redcurrant and peony aromas. The wines can be powerful, and flavours of vanilla and spices can also emerge

This wine is produced by Les Vins Georges Duboeuf which is one of the largest wine producers in France founded by the late Georges Duboeuf who was affectionately known as 'le roi du Beaujolais' (the king of Beaujolais) or sometimes pape du Beaujolais (Pope of Beaujolais). Les Vins Georges Duboeuf produces a staggering 3 million cases of wine annually. The company is most well-known for its popularization and production of Beaujolais wines. In 2018 Georges’ passed control of his company to his son Franck Duboeuf, who is considered to be one of the key specialists in Beaujolais, its terroir and its wine, and has shifted production to focus more on Beaujolais Nouveau.

Beaujolais is an important wine region of eastern France in the southern part of Burgundy, famous for its vibrant, fruity red wines made from Gamay. The widespread plantings of Gamay here make Beaujolais one of the few regions of the world to be so focused on a single grape variety.

In some vintages, Beaujolais produces more wine than the Burgundy wine regions of Chablis, Côte d'Or, Côte Chalonnaise and Mâconnais put together.

Gamay is a grape variety that is most famous for producing the light, fruit-driven red wines of Beaujolais. While the variety offers fresh, red-fruit and candied aromas, it typically delivers little in the way of flavor concentration and body weight, giving light, simple wines.