WINEMAKER JULIEN FAYARD

Julien Fayard has lived in the Napa Valley since 2006, when he and his wife agreed to settle down by “meeting halfway” — between his home in France… and hers in Sonoma. In France, Julien worked in both Provence and Bordeaux, where he defined his core winemaking style at the exalted first growth Château Lafite-Rothschild (he even lived in Lafite’s grand château for a period) as well as at Smith Haut Lafitte.

There, Julien says he learned his attention to detail and how to not excessively intervene in the winery: “If you put in the hard work in the vineyard, you have to trust and have patience; then, on its own, the wine will become all that it is capable of.”

Here in Napa, Julien worked at Quintessa before joining Atelier Melka, where he spent five years as the Director of Winemaking.

It was here, working with a variety of clients including Lail Vineyards, Gemstone, Dalla Valle, and more that Julien further developed his winemaking style — while also gaining an intimate understanding of the valley’s vineyards and establishing strong relationships with its many passionate, quality-dedicated growers.

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