J'Noon Akluj Red 2019

J’Noon is an exciting collaboration between Fratelli and Jean-Charles Boisset. The name is a French take on the Urdu word ‘junoon’, which means passion. The aim was to take their combined passion and create India’s finest wine, and that’s exactly what they did.

Only 2,400 bottles were made of J’Noon Akluj Red 2019, so this is a rare opportunity to taste it. The blend changed a little in 2019, now comprising Cabernet Sauvignon, Petit Verdot, Marselan (a French cross between Cabernet Sauvignon and Grenache that is finding many admirers in America, Argentina, Brazil, China and India) and Cabernet Franc. This rich red is brimming with crème de cassis, blackberry, spearmint, graphite, cedar and tobacco, it’s a remarkable and moving piece of winemaking. The finish is so long and silky, you just never want it to end.

Fratelli is firmly putting India on the world map of fine wine. This inspiring estate possesses almost 100 hectares of vineyards in Akluj, on the right bank of the Nira River in the state of Maharashtra. The region is sub-tropical, but the altitude of the vineyards stops things getting too hot. Fratelli means ‘brothers’ in Italian, because the venture was launched by the Secci brothers from Italy and the Sekhri and Mohite-Patil brothers from India. With a little help along the way from the respected wine expert Steven Spurrier and a master winemaker from Tuscany called Piero Masi, they blend unique Indian terroir and modern New World thinking with Old World expertise. Sadly, the pioneering Kapil Sekhri died in 2020, but his friends and family are committed to continuing his legacy.

The flamboyant Jean-Charles Boisset is somewhat of a big deal in the world of fine wine. The entrepreneur was born in the village of Vougeot, Burgundy, and is the son of Jean-Claude Boisset of Domaine de la Vougeraie. So, wine is very much in his blood. Jean-Charles leads the family firm, called Boisset Collection, which incorporates an impressive portfolio of wines from Burgundy and the South of France to California’s Napa Valley and Russian River Valley. As well as creating a wine range with the singer John Legend, Jean-Charles Boisset is a big proponent of organic and biodynamic farming and has even branched out into spirits, jewellery, perfume and glassware, the latter with none other than Baccarat. His wife is Gina Gallo of America’s largest family-owned winery and one of the country’s most famous. So, when Jean-Charles visited Fratelli in 2016 and fell in love with their vineyards and wines, that was quite the endorsement.