VERY RARE - First imported and propagated by Gillet, this is an excellent flavored and productive nut from the Grenoble mountain region of France. The mother tree grows near Upper Lake, CA. It is resistant to codling moth and has a very low level of husk fly infestation, denoting natural resistance. Here is what Felix had to say about the Meylan in 1888:

“A new and most beautiful variety, much like Mayette, and originated near the little village of Meylan, in the east of France, the walnut district of France. The nut is of fair size: the smoothest of our collection. Very thin shell and excellent quality; buds out late. Much cultivated for exportation to the north of Europe."

Our recent pilgrimage to the French walnut capital of Grenoble yielded much information and connections. The Meylan is considered the best variety for making walnut oil, and their walnut oil is by far the BEST we ever tasted, with hints of coffee and walnut aromas and taste.

We owe the finding of this almost extinct variety to our friend Alex Suchan of Suchan Nursery in Upper Lake, Lake County, CA. Alex, 86 (at the time), is the dean of walnut growers and propagators in California. He is a wealth of knowledge, propagating walnuts since he was 14 years old. His nursery now produces more than 200,000 modern walnut trees each year. Still, Alex has an appreciation for the heirlooms. When we asked Alex about the Meylan he remembered the location of two trees that he began harvesting more than 50 years earlier on his farm in Lake County. THANK YOU Alex!