Julien was born in Saint-Étienne in France; he has a well-rounded and diverse background in wine making. His father grew grapes, and their family has been involved in the wine business in France for several generations. Julien made his first wine at age 16 and continued his education by working in Provence, the Loire Valley and Bordeaux.

In 2003, Julien worked as a harvest intern at Quintessa. It was at Quintessa where he first met renowned Napa Valley winemaker Philippe Melka.

The winemaking process starts in the vineyard. The cellar work of fermentation and aging are, as Julien describes them, “big steps that have to be done right.” But they’re steps preceded by everything that happens at the all-important vineyard level. Out among the vines is, to Julien, where the essence of winemaking takes place.

In 2006, Julien moved to Napa and worked with Philippe Melka as his director of winemaking for eight years. During his time working with Philippe Melka, Julien oversaw a number of projects including winery development, vineyard sites and custom crush operations and worked with notables such as Lail, Gemstone and Dalla Valle Vineyards.