Jean Foillard: Humble Legend of Morgon
by Tom Wolf
Jean Foillard, left, and his son Alex
© Gail Skoff
Jean Foillard, left, and his son Alex
© Gail Skoff
Jean Foillard: Humble Legend of Morgon
by Tom Wolf
Driving through Villié-Morgon, population c. 2,000, it’s not immediately obvious that some of France’s most gorgeous red wines are made here. Unlike its exalted counterparts in Burgundy and Provence, Villié-Morgon has no posh hotels or fine-dining restaurants offering exceptional dishes to pair with the region’s best bottles. Instead, it remains a low-key village, home to paysan vignerons and their domaines, a café, tabac, and not much else.
Even the most renowned vignerons here tend to be equally laid back and unassuming despite the monumental Gamays they produce—perhaps none more so than Jean Foillard. One of Morgon’s “Gang of Four” Kermit first championed thirty years ago, Jean farms some of the cru’s most celebrated vineyards and his translation of these schist, granite, and sandstone terroirs is never anything short of breathtaking. Somehow, his reds—from his benchmark Morgon cuvées to his overdelivering Beaujolais-Villages—always perfectly walk the line between depth and elegance, density and freshness. His Morgon vines range from fifty years old to a century in age, which no doubt helps Jean achieve remarkable concentration and complexity. His soft touch and use of whole-cluster fermentation in the cellar, meanwhile, result in their elegant profile and perennially plush texture.
From the highest-altitude lieu-dit in the appellation, Les Charmes, Jean’s Morgon “Eponym’” is lithe, lively, and mineral, full of bright red fruit and an irresistibly mouthwatering stony note. The Corcelette, meanwhile, is Jean’s most sensuous and floral Morgon, with silky tannins typical of Gamay grown on sandy soils. And from vineyards made up of decomposed schist and volcanic matter called roche pourrie, Jean’s flagship Côte du Py tends to be his grandest Morgon, brimming with tart pomegranate and earthy black tea. While its magnificent structure will allow it to age for twenty years, the mesmerizing aromatics and velvety tannins make it inviting enough to uncork today.
Finally, the Beaujolais-Villages perhaps best represents Jean’s unpretentious nature. Gamay from first-rate vineyards just outside the cru boundaries sees an unrushed élevage on par with that of his Morgons, delivering an incredibly delicious and sneakily complex rouge that always punches above its weight.
Wines In The Collection
Jean Foillard France | Beaujolais
This cuvée shares the satin texture of all Foillard Morgons, and should age similarly well for those willing and able to wait.
France | Beaujolais
This cuvée shares the satin texture of all Foillard Morgons, and should age similarly well for those willing and able to wait.
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