Julien Altaber was a born farmer. He grew up in the Auvergne and spent all his free time around cows and tractors. At 16 he did his first wine harvest and fell in love.

He interned in Mâconnais and Beaujolais wineries until finally settling in with Catherine and Dominique Derain where her learned about organic and biodynamic winemaking. In 2007, Julien purchased grapes with the support and equipment of the Derain's and began Domaine Sextant. Today, he has a winery and cellar in St. Aubin, as well as half a hectare of his own vines. In addition, he continues making wine for Domaine Derain with his consistent, natural, and forward-thinking style.