Julien Fayard

The Climb

Estate work in Provence set the base. At Château Sainte Marguerite, Julien Fayard worked for his uncle’s estate, a start that placed him inside the daily discipline of vineyard and cellar life. From there, the work moved to Château Lafite Rothschild in Bordeaux, France, then to Château Smith Haut Lafitte in Bordeaux, France, each stop adding to a profile built around precision, structure, and close attention to Cabernet Sauvignon. In 2006, he worked with Philippe Melka at Philippe Melka in Napa Valley, California, USA, bringing that experience into California and into a setting where Cabernet Sauvignon would remain central. He later served as winemaker at Le Pich, extending a record that reflects technical range and a consistent interest in wines of structure, detail, and length. Today, Julien is winemaker of Azur Wines since 2009, winemaker of Purlieu, consultant of Taplin Cellars, consultant of Caspar Estate, and co-founder of Covert Estate. Those roles point to a winemaker moving across projects without losing the center line: Cabernet Sauvignon, and the measured shaping of texture, balance, and refinement.

Today

At BRION, Cabernet Sauvignon remains the core brief, and Fayard keeps it direct: "My core focus has been Cabernet Sauvignon." That same emphasis shows up in his read on Brion Wise. Of the collaboration, he says, "I see that he has a sharp eye for detail, but he’s not rigid about it. He is looking for finesse and texture." The terms are practical ones, pointing to a shared preference for wines that are built with precision and carry themselves with restraint.

Signature

Julien's signature wines include BRION Sleeping Lady Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon. As a single-vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon from Yountville, Napa Valley, it sits squarely within the frame of his career: site-driven, Cabernet-led, and defined by the kind of detail that gives a first release its weight.

In Their Words “My core focus has been Cabernet Sauvignon.” “He is looking for finesse and texture.”

Recognition

The key marker at BRION is the Sleeping Lady Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon. It is a single-vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon and the first BRION release fully made by Fayard.