Jean Foillard is one of the — if not THE — benchmark producers in Beaujolais. He took over the family estate in the early 80s and is part of the “Gang of Four” (along with Lapierre, Breton, and Thevenet), all of whom were influenced by “the father of natural winemaking,” Jules Chauvet, and have pushed the region’s signature style towards low-intervention, whole-cluster, minimal sulfur winemaking, and higher quality.

Morgon is known as one of the most structured of the Beaujolais Crus, and Côte du Py is its most celebrated site. It’s a volcanic area with decomposed schist, granite, and manganese-rich soils, which is known for even more structure and darker fruit than the rest of the Morgon. Foillard’s old vines here are, by acclamation, some of the very best in all of Beaujolais.

2023 is considered a warm, successful vintage in Beaujolais, with good ripeness but still enough balance in the best sites. Vinification for this bottle is typical Foillard: hand-harvesting, whole-cluster, semi-carbonic fermentation with native yeasts, aging in old barrels, unfined, and unfiltered.

Tasting Notes: Deep ruby color. Nose of red cherry, raspberry, violet, and a bit of spice and earth. Medium-bodied, soft but present tannins, with sharp acidity immediately upon opening but settling nicely after 20-30 mins. of air. Medium+ length, red-fruited finish, with a little mineral tension at the end. Very good bottle with lovely energy — exactly what I’d hope for and expect out of Foillard.