The Lower Mosel, known in Germany as the Terrassenmosel, is a dramatic landscape of drystone walls, slate soils, and terraced vineyards that date back to the Middle Ages. Scissor staircases give access to the plots, demanding manual labour and forbidding machinery. This 100km stretch along the Mosel river is home to some of Europe’s steepest vineyards, and to the precise, mineral wines of Julien Renard. Julien worked in theatre before he became a winemaker, exchanging the ‘urban buzz’ of city life for the physical labour that goes hand in hand with the Mosel’s renowned vineyards. After training with Weingut Heymann-Löwenstein he went on to work with Weingut Fred Knebel, before releasing his first vintage in 2018. The majority of his vines are Riesling, the flagship grape of the region, along with Weissburgunder (Pinot Blanc), and Müller-Thurgau, picked by hand and pressed at his cellar in Winningen, the village around which his vineyards are scattered. Julien’s wines have gathered a following over the years, the distinctive fox label quickly recognised by those who already know and love his wines. With under two hectares he is a small producer, and when a late frost arrived in April 2024, he turned to Chris Barth, a grower and winemaker in Rheinhessen, for Müller-Thurgau grapes to balance the losses in his own vineyards.
Cuvée Renard 2024 is a crisp, dry white wine with aromatics of fresh flowers and a touch of elderflower, followed by acidity, yellow fruit, and fine minerals. Drink slightly chilled with a green salad, tossed with a yoghurt dressing and plenty of soft herbs.