An evening with JJ Julius Son and Hot Blood Wines.

It’s not everyday that a Grammy nominated artist is playing waterfront at Proving Grounds in Atlantic Highlands. But, Thursday August 6th was that kind of day. The event was organized by Colangelo & Partners PR firm and included JJ’s team, his girlfriend Bruna, and other wine & spirits/writing professionals. We were introduced to JJ in between his performance sets and had the opportunity to speak individually with him.

What I learned about JJ is that his appreciation for wine began when he was very young. He would sample wines from his friends who worked in restaurants on Iceland where he is from. It wasn’t until a few years ago he became acquainted with Icelandic born businessman Robert Wessman, founder of Maison Wessman, that his interest in making his own wines took flight. The flagship location of Maison Wessman (formerly known as Château de Saint-Cernin) is located in the heart of Périgord Pourpre, a town located in Southwest, France. The property was purchased in the early 2000s by Robert and his wife Ksenia. Singer Norah Jones is also a business partner as well as Chef Thierry Marx who runs an upscale bistro on the property. Additional properties include vineyards in Limoux and an additional property in the Bergerac area.

During the evening, we were able to sample JJ’s entry level wines Hotblood Red and Chardonnay. The Chardonnay is not your mother’s Chardonnay! Unlike what a lot of people assume Chardonnay is be, this is not a buttery oak bomb, nor would I recommend putting ice cubes in it! It’s light, easy drinking yet, rounded, creamy, with notes of tropical fruits, apple, and pear. This is one of those wines you keep going to back to pour another glass. The grapes are sourced from the Pays D’Oc region of Languedoc. The Hotblood Red is a beautiful blend of Cabernet and Merlot from Bergerac AOP. The wine has notes of dark fruits, spice, and earth. It’s medium bodied with balanced acidity and a great accompaniment to foods. Overall I felt both wines were great choices and would absolutely purchase on my own as a great way to relax while watching my favorite shows with snacks.

In addition to JJ’s entry level Hot Blood wines, there is also White Raven (Limoux Chardonnay) and Raven blood. Raven’s blood is a blend of Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon are sourced from vineyards in Southwest, France (Périgord). These wines offer a more elevated expression by comparison to the Hotblood line. These are the types of wines you bring to a BYOB dinner on a date or at your next Pairing Dinner (hint hint, contact me for a wine pairing dinner). The Chardonnay is crisp with notes of lemon zest and green apples, it’s rounder and fuller than the Hotblood. The red wine is also fuller and richer than the Hotblood wine with beautiful dark fruit notes, spice, and velvety tannins.

JJ was really down to earth and pleasant to speak with. I feel like he really embraced being at the Jersey Shore by ordering the steamed seafood on the menu (see picture). He even went for a run on Sandy Hook earlier in day! I wish JJ the best of luck on his new wine label and I recommend seeking it out. Cheers!