Domaine Julien Meyer (Patrick Meyer)
- Location
- Alsace, France
- Founded
- est. 1981
- Estate size
- 8 ha
One of Alsace's most celebrated natural wine estates, Domaine Julien Meyer is run by Patrick Meyer from the village of Nothalten in the Bas-Rhin, halfway between Strasbourg and Colmar. Named after Patrick's father Julien, who died when Patrick was young, the domaine has become a beacon of the natural wine movement in France. Patrick took over the family estate around 1981-82 and initially converted to conventional viticulture after attending wine school, using pesticides and herbicides. He quickly reversed course after witnessing the damage to soil health and vine vitality, returning to organic methods and then converting fully to biodynamics by 1998. Today the domaine is Demeter-certified and all wines are vinified without added sulfur. Known for an experimental, boundary-pushing approach, Patrick blends red and white grapes, allows noble rot to develop on his Rieslings, and ages wines sous voile (under flor) for extended periods. His Sylvaner bottlings have earned particular acclaim, demonstrating the untapped potential of this often-overlooked Alsatian variety. Patrick is also a co-organizer of the biannual Salon des Vins Libres alongside Christian Binner, Jean-Pierre Frick, and Bruno Schueller - collectively known as the Four Musketeers of Alsatian natural wine.
Approach
Philosophy
Patrick Meyer's philosophy centers on working with nature rather than against it. After a brief detour into conventional farming early in his career, he saw firsthand how chemicals diminished both the vineyard ecosystem and the depth of his wines. He returned to organic practices and then embraced biodynamics, viewing the vineyard as a living system. In the vineyard, the approach is one of minimal, non-aggressive intervention. The sward between vine rows is rolled and scarified rather than mowed, maintaining a protective green cover over the soil. Soil is worked only to a shallow depth of 5cm - twice in spring and once in autumn - to avoid disrupting the natural layering of topsoil and subsoil. In the cellar, the same restraint applies: wines are vinified with indigenous yeasts, aged on lees for extended periods, and bottled with minimal or zero sulfur additions. Patrick sees winemaking as a collaborative, horizontal endeavor rather than an exercise in individual ego, and has been instrumental in building community among Alsace's natural vignerons. He co-founded the association Vignes Vivantes with Andre Ostertag in 1997 to support vineyards transitioning to organic farming.
Portfolio