From the Grange to His Own Wings
Julien Bresteau is one of Anjou's most exciting new voices in natural wine — a micro-négociant who launched his solo project in 2023 after nearly two decades of deep immersion in the Loire's natural wine scene. He began studying wine at just 15 years old, and by 2004 — while still an intern at Domaine de Mongilet — he crossed paths with Marc Houtin, the founder of La Grange aux Belles. The connection was immediate. On January 1, 2008, they formalised their partnership, and Julien became an integral part of one of Anjou's most respected natural wine estates. For 15 years, he helped shape La Grange aux Belles' identity — working with old vines on black schist, adopting the Herody method for soil management, and crafting wines of sheer tension and electric minerality. But the desire for independence burned bright. In 2023, Julien left to fly on his own wings, launching a high-quality négoçiant business that is anything but ordinary. He works exclusively with a single trusted organic grower near Saint-Lambert du Lattay, directing viticultural practices, hand-harvesting in crates, and vinifying in his own cellar. The result is a tiny, focused range of Chenin Blanc-driven wines — clean, digestible, straight, and without sulfur unless absolutely necessary. Wines with playful, inside-joke names that hide serious intent behind a smile.
From Mongilet to the Grange, to Freedom
The Julien Bresteau story begins with precocious passion — he started studying wine at 15 years old, a teenager already drawn to the mysteries of fermentation, terroir, and the vine. His formal training and early internships took him through several wine regions, but it was in 2004, while interning at Domaine de Mongilet, that he met Marc Houtin. Houtin had just created La Grange aux Belles in Anjou, abandoning a career in petroleum for the "big leap" into natural winemaking. The two recognised something in each other — a shared restlessness, a shared belief that wine should be alive, honest, and connected to its place.
On January 1, 2008, Julien officially joined Marc as a partner in La Grange aux Belles. It was a catastrophic vintage — frost ravaged the vines, mildew destroyed what remained, and yields were disastrous. But rather than discouraging them, the hardship forged their resolve. They doubled down on organic conversion, began following the methodology of French geologist Yves Herody for soil management, and committed to producing wines of season, thirst, and terroir — "with all the techniques and savoir-faire in respect of the living." Julien was instrumental in shaping the estate's identity over the next 15 years.
At La Grange aux Belles, Julien worked with 15 hectares spread across five communes in the Coteaux de l'Aubance — Soulaines sur Aubance, Vauchrétien, Saint Melaine sur Aubance, Juigné sur Loire, and Murs Erigné. The vineyards were old — 45 to 80+ years — planted on black schist bedrock with almost no topsoil in the best parcels. This is "black Anjou," as opposed to the white, chalky parts of the region, and it gives the wines their distinctive sheer tension and electric minerality. Julien learned to be serious about sorting — passing through plots up to five times, then sorting again on the table — essential for vinifying without additives.
By 2023, the desire for independence could no longer be contained. Julien left La Grange aux Belles to launch his own project — not a traditional domaine with inherited vineyards, but a micro-négociant operation of uncompromising quality. He works with a single organic grower near Saint-Lambert du Lattay, directing farming practices, hand-harvesting in crates to avoid crushing, and vinifying in his own cellar. It is a model of precision and purity — small scale, hands-on, and deeply personal.
"Julien Bresteau est une figure du vin naturel d'Anjou, longtemps à oeuvrer au domaine La Grange aux Belles, il est parti voler de ses propres ailes. Il a créé en 2023 son activité de négoce, mais attention négoce de qualité et rien d'autre."
— Amicalement Vin
Black Schist, Dedicated Parcels & Directed Farming
Julien Bresteau's approach as a micro-négociant is defined by an unusual level of control and intimacy with his source material. Unlike typical négoçiants who buy grapes from multiple growers, Julien works exclusively with a single trusted organic grower near Saint-Lambert du Lattay, in the heart of Anjou. He has dedicated parcels of Chenin Blanc and other grapes, and he directs the viticultural practices himself — ensuring that the farming meets his exacting standards for quality and natural expression.
The terroir is classic "black Anjou" — schist bedrock rather than the white chalky soils found elsewhere in the region. This black schist gives the wines their distinctive mineral backbone, sheer tension, and electric acidity. The soils are typically a mix of schist and other local materials, poor in organic matter, forcing the vines to dig deep for nutrients and water. The result is concentration, complexity, and a clear sense of place that shines through in every bottle.
Julien's focus is on Chenin Blanc — the signature grape of the Loire and the variety that best expresses the schist terroir of Anjou. But he also works with other varieties to create red and white blends, always with the same meticulous attention to detail. The grapes are hand-harvested in crates — "no hood, no harvest bucket" — to preserve their integrity from vine to cellar. This level of care is rare for a négoçiant and speaks to Julien's belief that quality begins in the vineyard, regardless of who owns the land.
The farming is organic, directed by Julien's own criteria. He brings the same lessons from La Grange aux Belles — total eschewal of herbicides and pesticides, respect for soil life, and the understanding that healthy fruit is the only path to natural winemaking without additives. The grower follows his lead, and Julien is present at every critical stage, from pruning decisions to harvest timing.
Exclusively one trusted organic grower near Saint-Lambert du Lattay. Dedicated parcels of Chenin Blanc. Julien directs all viticultural practices. Hands-on from pruning to harvest. Quality over quantity, intimacy over scale.
Black schist bedrock — not white chalky Anjou. Distinctive mineral backbone, sheer tension, electric acidity. Poor soils force deep roots. Concentration and complexity without heaviness. The terroir signature that defines the wines.
No hood, no harvest bucket. Grapes transported in 20kg crates to avoid crushing. Hand-harvested by Julien himself. Sorted severely — up to five passes in the vineyard, then again on the table. The only path to zero-additive winemaking.
Organic farming directed by Julien's criteria. No herbicides, no pesticides. Respect for soil life and natural rhythms. The Herody method learned at La Grange aux Belles applied to new vineyards. Patience and observation over chemicals.
Precision & Purity, Playful Names & Serious Intent
At Julien Bresteau's cellar, the philosophy is one of precision, purity, and creative intuition. He wants to make "canons à boire" — drinking cannons — wines that are straight, digestible, and alive. His approach is low-intervention but not lazy: he experiments with different pressing stages, brief pre-fermentation macerations, and passages under wood to build texture, flavour, and personality. The goal is not uniformity but distinctiveness — each cuvée should have its own character, its own voice.
The techniques are meticulous and evolving:
Harvest: All grapes are hand-harvested by Julien himself in 20kg crates. Selection begins in the vineyard with up to five sorting passes, then continues on the sorting table at the cellar. Only perfectly healthy, ripe fruit enters the press or tank. This level of selection is essential for Julien's zero-additive approach — if the fruit is immaculate, the wine needs nothing.
Pressing & Maceration: For his whites, Julien uses a direct press but experiments with brief pre-fermentation macerations to build texture and flavour. He plays with different pressing stages — early press, mid-press, late press — each contributing different qualities to the final blend. This is where his creative intuition shines: reading the grapes, the vintage, and his own instincts to decide how to coax the most expression from the fruit.
Fermentation: Indigenous yeasts only. No commercial strains, no enzymes, no temperature control beyond ambient conditions. Fermentation proceeds naturally, reflecting the vintage, the site, and the season. Julien's years at La Grange aux Belles taught him patience — sometimes in case of nitrogen deficiency, a small addition is necessary, but the goal is always to let the wine find its own path.
Ageing: Wines are aged for several months in various vessels, including old barrels, to develop complexity and natural stability. Julien is not afraid of wood — he uses it selectively, not for oak flavour but for texture and evolution. The wines gain roundness and depth without losing their freshness or their connection to the schist terroir.
Bottling: Unfined, unfiltered. Julien avoids adding sulfur unless absolutely necessary — "sauf si vraiment il n'a pas le choix." The wines are bottled as they are, preserving their natural vitality and a clear expression of the fruit. This requires impeccable hygiene and healthy fruit, as there are no chemical safety nets.
The portfolio is tiny but distinctive — just three cuvées, each with a playful, inside-joke name that hides serious intent behind a smile:
"Bon Bah les Gars Bah c'est Bien" ("Well, Guys, That's Good"): An easy-drinking, vibrant wine that lives up to its name. The kind of bottle that disappears at the table before you've finished the story you were telling. Fresh, digestible, and full of the honest pleasure that defines Julien's approach.
"Qui ? Ricou" ("Who? Ricou"): A pure Chenin Blanc that showcases Julien's meticulous work and the potential of the Anjou terroir. The name is a playful mystery — perhaps an inside joke, perhaps a reference to a friend, perhaps simply Julien's way of keeping things light. The wine inside is anything but light in intent: precise, mineral, and deeply expressive of black schist Chenin.
"Jusqu'ici Tout Va Bien" ("So Far So Good"): Another expression of Julien's philosophy — a wine that acknowledges the journey, the risk, and the joy of flying on one's own wings. Straight, clean, and full of the optimism that comes from doing what you love.
"Qui ? Ricou" — "Pure Chenin Blanc from Black Anjou Schist"
The "Qui ? Ricou" is Julien Bresteau's flagship cuvée — a pure Chenin Blanc that demonstrates what happens when dedicated organic farming, meticulous hand-harvesting, indigenous yeasts, and black schist terroir converge in a single bottle.
The grapes come from Julien's dedicated parcels near Saint-Lambert du Lattay, where he directs all viticultural practices through a single trusted organic grower. The vines are planted on black schist bedrock — poor, mineral-rich soils that force the vines to struggle, concentrating flavour and lending a distinctive electric tension to the wine. Harvest is by hand in 20kg crates, with up to five sorting passes in the vineyard and further selection at the cellar door. Only the healthiest, most pristine fruit enters the press.
Julien uses a direct press but experiments with brief pre-fermentation macerations and different pressing stages to build texture and complexity. Fermentation is with indigenous yeasts, and the wine ages for several months in old barrels, gaining roundness and depth without oak influence. Bottled unfined, unfiltered, and without added sulfur, "Qui ? Ricou" is a wine of radical purity.
In the glass, it is pale gold with a luminous green rim. The nose is a precise weave of green apple, quince, white peach, and a distinct mineral stoniness — the black schist speaking clearly. The palate is straight and digestible, with electric acidity, a fine, chalky texture, and a long, saline finish that invites another sip immediately. This is not a wine for power or heaviness; it is a wine for precision, for pleasure, for the moment when you need something that tastes like Anjou at its most honest. Serve at 10–12°C. Drink now or cellar 3–5 years. ~$28–$38 / ~€25–€35.
The Julien Bresteau Range
Julien Bresteau produces a tiny, focused portfolio from his micro-négociant operation in Anjou, Loire Valley. All grapes come from dedicated parcels of a single trusted organic grower near Saint-Lambert du Lattay, directed by Julien himself. Wines are hand-harvested in crates, spontaneously fermented with indigenous yeasts, and aged in old barrels. Bottled unfined and unfiltered with zero or minimal added sulfur. The portfolio spans vibrant whites and expressive reds — each with playful, inside-joke names that hide serious intent. Prices are approximate and in USD/EUR.