Julien Fayard is a French-born winemaker celebrated for bringing sophisticated French finesse to California terroirs. Hailing from a multi-generational wine family and raised in Provence and Bordeaux, he honed his craft at legendary estates like Château Lafite‑Rothschild and Smith Haut Lafitte. In 2006 he moved to Napa Valley, where he served as Director of Winemaking for Atelier Melka for nearly a decade.

A master of blending and terroir expression, Julien has been the winemaker-of-record on over 20 high-profile Napa wines—such as Purlieu, Brion, Covert Estate, and Le Pich—and recently launched his own eponymous label. Julien is widely respected for producing wines that offer precision, identity, and balance.

He holds two Master’s Degrees from France—in Agribusiness (ESA) and Winemaking (Toulouse)—plus an MBA from UC Davis. Julien started producing Recoltant with the team at Scale in 2018.