Jean Foillard

Beaujolais (France)

“There is something no-nonsense and straightforward about Foillard’s wine. It seems to say, let’s cut straight to deliciousness. Deliciousness with class. It has a wonderful texture going down. The finesse from start to finish seems almost offhanded.” – Kermit Lynch

Early on, Jean began to follow the teachings of Jules Chauvet, a traditionalist who defied everything that the more commercial brands were touting in the region. Jean and three other local vignerons, Marcel Lapierre, Jean-Paul Thévenet, and Guy Breton, soon joined in on the movement. This Gang of Four, as Kermit Lynch christened them, called for a return to the old practices of viticulture and vinification: starting with old vines, never using synthetic herbicides or pesticides, harvesting late, rigorously sorting to remove all but the healthiest grapes, adding minimal doses of sulfur dioxide or none at all, and refusing both chaptalization and filtration. The end result allows Morgon to express itself naturally, as it should be without the bubblegum and banana aromas of so many other Beaujolais available today. Its rustic structure, spicy notes, and mineral-laden backbone are what real Morgon is all about.!

JEAN FOILLARD

MORGON CLASSIQUE 2018

TASTING NOTE

The basic cuvée from the legendary Jean Foillard of the “Gang of Four” – old vines, hand-picking, wild yeast, no chemicals, no chaptalization, no filtration and zero sulphur during vinification. The result is a wine that expresses beautifully the unique terroir of Morgon. The nose is expressive with aromas of cherry and spices. On the palate, the texture is smooth with soft tannin. Long pleasant finish.

JEAN FOILLARD

MORGON CÔTE DU PY 2018

TASTING NOTE

Robert Parker, “The 2018 Morgon Côte du Py is showing very nicely, offering up a classy bouquet of raspberries and plums, mingled with hints of orange rind, violet and cardamom. Medium to full-bodied, deep and complete, with a fleshy but elegantly understated core and an expansive finish. Impressively integrated—indeed, it was only after spending half an hour with the bottle that I noticed that it’s labeled at 14.5% alcohol—with powdery tannins and succulent balancing acids, it’s another fine rendition of this iconic cuvée.”

James Suckling, “This is opulent and vivid with loads of fresh blackberries and black cherries and hints of cedar and walnuts. Plums, too. So perfumed and flavorful, yet it remains fresh and creamy-textured with a long, persistent finish. A beauty. One of the best wines I have ever had from here. Drink now or hold.”

JEAN FOILLARD

MORGON LES CHARMES EPONYM 2018

TASTING NOTE

This special cuvée is made from vines grown on the lieu-dit “Les Charmes”, a beautiful sites that is the highest in Morgon. The soil is riched with pink colour granite which yields very perfume wines.

James Suckling, “A solid, structured red, showing black cherry, granite with light rust and mineral undertones. It’s full-bodied with a savory, juicy palate that turns lightly tannic and tensioned. Drink or hold”

JEAN FOILLARD

FLEURIE 2018

TASTING NOTE

This is the only wine outside of Morgon made by the legendary Jean Foillard. It’s another proof of his great knowledge of Gamay and terroir.

James Suckling, “A generous red with lots of ripe-berry, chocolate, walnut and dry-earth character. Some white truffle, too. It’s full-bodied with a round, chewy texture and a flavorful finish. Drink or hold.”

JEAN FOILLARD

MORGON CUVÉE 3.14 2015

TASTING NOTE

Robert Parker, “The 2016 Morgon Cuvée 3.14 is a beautiful wine in the making, unfurling in the glass with scents of rose petals, blood orange, sweet wild berries, smoked meats and some subtly reductive top notes that dissipate in the glass. On the palate, it’s medium to full-bodied, velvety and enveloping, with a deeper and more reserved profile than Foillard’s dramatic 2016 Côte du Py, underpinned by succulent acids and framed by powdery tannins. Right now, the gap between the two cuvées isn’t hugely pronounced, but I expect it to open up as time passes and
the more concentrated but equally well-balanced 3.14 begins to unwind.“

JEAN FOILLARD

MORGON CUVÉE 3.14 2013

TASTING NOTE

Robert Parker, “The 2013 Morgon Cuvée 3.14, which comes from Foillard’s oldest vines, has a tightly wound bouquet, broodier than the Côte du Py, hints of bay leaf and tea leaf infusing the dark berry fruit. The palate has a firm backbone, guaranteeing the structure of this Morgon, a more masculine take on the appéllation, with an almost tarry but very delineated and sustained finish. There is a very attractive spiciness lingering on the aftertaste. It will require 3-5 years in bottle before it really shows what it can do. Not for the impatient!“