In the 1980s in the midst of the Beaujolais Nouveau crazy a group of winemakers in Beaujolais quietly began a quality revolution. This group was later dubbed the Gang of Four. These vingerons began to reconsider both their farming practices—moving toward organics—and their wine making. At the center was a scientist and wine broker named Jules Chauvet, who had been working to produce some of his wines without sulfur dioxide, and who believed that ripe fruit and diligent, controlled wine making with native yeasts could make far better Beaujolais.
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The four followers of Chauvet’s practices (there were others too) were Marcel Lapierre, Guy Breton, Jean-Paul Thevenet, and Jean Foillard, hence the Gang of Four.
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Since we just received Foillard’s newest offerings from the near-perfect 2019 vintage we are featuring them in this newsletter. They are wickedly enjoyable and certainly cellar-able. Pick up one or all and see how great Beaujolais can be.
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Jean Foillard took over his father’s Domaine in 1980, and soon thereafter began to make Beaujolais-lovers very happy. Most of their vineyards are planted on the Cote du Py, the famed slope outside the town of Villie-Morgon and the pride of Morgon. These granite and schist soils sit on an alluvial fan at the highest point above the town and impart great complexity.
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Jean raises his wines in older barrels sourced from top estates in Burgundy, a logical decision for someone crafting Gamay in a Burgundian style.
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His wines are deep, structured, and complex, with a velvety lushness that makes them irresistible.
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Enjoy the line up!
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2019 Jean Foillard Morgon Cote du Py
(France, Burgundy, Beaujolais, Morgon)
$54
There’s intense minerality in this wine coupled with earthy stone and plum notes. It’s fresh, vivid, fleshy, intense, and layered. Pure and focused and utterly delicious.
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2019 Jean Foillard Morgon Cuvee Corcelette
(France, Burgundy, Beaujolais, Morgon)
$54
Cuvee Corcelette is made from 80-year-old Gamay vines planted on sandstone in the Morgon Cru. All of Foillard’s wines are intensely aromatic and lush on the palate, but Corcelette always flaunts an extra bit of aromatic potency on a lighter, more lifted frame.
There’s purity and depth, earth, violets, cherry notes and a beautiful, elegant, racy long finish.
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2019 Jean Foillard Morgon Eponym'
(France, Burgundy, Beaujolais, Morgon)
$54
Sourced exclusively from the Les Charmes vineyard, the highest altitude lieu-dit in the appellation, Eponym’ features a bit more crunch with lots of bright acidity and a leaner, more mineral profile, with silky tannins, dark fruit, and a nervy finish making it a seriously versatile wine on the table.
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2019 Jean Foillard Fleurie
(France, Burgundy, Beaujolais, Fleurie)
$65
A wine of stunning elegance. This fresh, floral-driven wine is absolutely delightful. Notes of ripe red berries, potting soil, and red flower petals are balanced by bright acidity and well-integrated tannins.
Pour a glass of this medium-bodied juice into your favorite glassware and watch the magic unfold.
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These are world class wines; a benchmark of Beaujolais. The wines are drinking fabulous today with a little air but will age quite contently for a decade.
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If your curiosity stretches to include all four bottlings we will be happy to extend a 15% discount on the
4-pack.
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