Domaine Du Jaugaret, VDF (St Julien), 2014

Jean-François Fillastre’s Domaine du Jaugaret has been in the family for more than 350 years. He took over the 1.32ha estate in Saint Julien (surrounded by the vines of Gruaud-Larose and Ducru-Beaucaillou) in 1983 following the death of his father who had made the wine here until the age of 90! And without any concessions to fashion or critics, Monsieur Fillastre makes wines exactly as his forebears. So old vines, minimal treatments, hand ploughing, no sulphur (other than burning a sulphur stick to clean barrels after racking), three years élevage, fining with egg white are the norm here. And the wines seem to live forever. Giving his wine three years élevage in old barrels and using no sulphur frequently bring him into conflict with the authorities who grant ACs, and three of his last ten vintages have been declassified to Vin de France. Not a problem for Monsieur Fillastre so long as his wines give him and his customers pleasure. The government now requires vignerons to take a one-day course to buy and use the anti-fungal treatment bouillie bordelaise. Stubborn as he is and having used it for the best part of 40 years, the proud Jean-François refuses to take the course. Consequently, he hasn't been able to purchase it, leaving his old vines vulnerable to mildew in a climate prone to fungal attacks. Production has decreased in recent vintages, but quality remains exceptional.