Notify me
2021 Côte de Brouilly
Alex Foillard
Just south of Morgon lies the Côte-de-Brouilly, a cru whose imposing slopes and strikingly rocky soil imbue Gamay grapes with power and drive that, in examples like this one, can be more reminiscent of Rhône wines than of your stereotypical dainty Beaujolais. Alex Foillard fashions a Côte-de-Brouilly that strikes a deeper register, saturating the senses with tooth-staining fruit, gritty earth, and just a touch of the good funk. A note of iron lends itself to hearty gulps alongside braised pork shoulder, spice-crusted brisket, or a rare ribeye. You’ll appreciate another take on Beaujolais.
—Anthony Lynch
Wine Type: | red |
Vintage: | 2021 |
Bottle Size: | 750mL |
Blend: | Gamay |
Appellation: | Côte de Brouilly |
Country: | France |
Region: | Beaujolais |
Producer: | Alex Foillard |
Vineyard: | 30, 60 years, 1 ha |
Soil: | Schist, granite, light layer of sand |
Farming: | Organic (practicing) |
Alcohol: | 12% |
More from this Producer or Region

2018 Brouilly
France | Beaujolais
A generous dash of plump, sun-ripened fruit enveloping a granite core

2024 Beaujolais-Villages “Cuvée Marylou”
France | Beaujolais
French psychoanalyst Jacques Lacan says nostalgia is the longing for a past that never was. But, hand to god, this year's Cuvee Marylou tastes just like the raspberry thumbprint cookies my mother used to make for Christmas.

2023 Beaujolais-Villages
France | Beaujolais
Silky and seductive, with notes of rose petals, red berries, and stones.

2023 Moulin-à-Vent “Sous la Roche”
France | Beaujolais
It combines the structural grandeur typical of Moulin-à-Vent with a high-elevation freshness.

2024 Beaujolais-Villages
France | Beaujolais
This drinks like a Gamay infusion with lovely hints of potpourri, spice, and fresh grapes.

2022 Chiroubles “Cuvée Léa”
France | Beaujolais
Floral and succulent, bursting with notes of little red berries, but it is also delicate and light on its feet.

2023 Morgon “Cuvée Corcelette”
France | Beaujolais
Sweet, earthy fruit and sensuous, velvety texture.

2021 Brouilly
France | Beaujolais
A generous dash of plump, sun-ripened fruit enveloping a granite core.

2023 Fleurie
France | Beaujolais
Light and living, charged with herbs, cranberry, and strawberry.

2023 Vin de France Blanc “Perle de Gamay”
France | Beaujolais
Notes of stones, pear, and citrus... Enjoy as a refreshing, mineral apéritif or alongside your favorite fresh seafood.
About The Producer
Alex Foillard
The son of “Gang of Four” producer Jean Foillard, Alex had early exposure to the principles of sustainable farming and low-intervention winemaking. Alex’s involvement in the family business began at a young age, helping his father pick grapes during harvest. After studying agriculture at the Lycée Agricole in Montpellier and earning a degree in viticulture and enology in Beaune, Alex purchased his own vineyards, a hectare each in the crus of Brouilly and Côte-de-Brouilly. He works his vines according to organic principles and uses tried-and-true techniques to craft his wines: whole-cluster fermentation with natural yeasts, no fining or filtration, and no additives save for a minute sulfur dose at bottling. As a result, his cuvées have a seductive aromatic component, a silky texture, and a downright deliciousness that is unmistakably Foillard.
About The Region
Beaujolais
After years of the region’s reputation being co-opted by mass-produced Beaujolais Nouveau and the prevalence of industrial farming, the fortunes of vignerons from the Beaujolais have been on the rise in the past couple of decades. Much of this change is due to Jules Chauvet, a prominent Beaujolais producer who Kermit worked with in the 1980s and arguably the father of the natural wine movement, who advocated not using herbicides or pesticides in vineyards, not chaptalizing, fermenting with ambient yeasts, and vinifying without SO2. Chief among Chauvet’s followers was Marcel Lapierre and his three friends, Jean Foillard, Guy Breton, and Jean-Paul Thévenet—a group of Morgon producers who Kermit dubbed “the Gang of Four.” The espousal of Chauvet’s methods led to a dramatic change in quality of wines from Beaujolais and with that an increased interest and appreciation for the AOC crus, Villages, and regular Beaujolais bottlings.
The crus of Beaujolais are interpreted through the Gamay grape and each illuminate the variety of great terroirs available in the region. Distinguishing itself from the clay and limestone of Burgundy, Beaujolais soils are predominantly decomposed granite, with pockets of blue volcanic rock. The primary vinification method is carbonic maceration, where grapes are not crushed, but instead whole clusters are placed in a tank, thus allowing fermentation to take place inside each grape berry.
Much like the easy-going and friendly nature of many Beaujolais vignerons, the wines too have a lively and easy-drinking spirit. They are versatile at table but make particularly good matches with the local pork sausages and charcuterie. Though often considered a wine that must be drunk young, many of the top crus offer great aging potential.
More from Beaujolais or France
2022 Régnié
Guy Breton France | Beaujolais
2023 Morgon “Côte du Py”
Jean Foillard France | Beaujolais
2024 Beaujolais “Le Beaujolais”
M. & C. Lapierre France | Beaujolais
2023 Brouilly “Reverdon”
Château Thivin France | Beaujolais
2024 Beaujolais-Villages
Alex Foillard France | Beaujolais
2023 Chénas “Les Blémonts”
Domaine Thillardon France | Beaujolais
2023 Côte de Brouilly
Château Thivin France | Beaujolais
2022 Fleurie
Guy Breton France | Beaujolais
2023 Chénas “Chassignol”
Domaine Thillardon France | Beaujolais
2023 Beaujolais Blanc “Clos de Rochebonne”
Château Thivin France | Beaujolais
2024 Vin de France Rouge “Raisins Gaulois”
M. & C. Lapierre France | Beaujolais
2023 Fleurie “Les Moriers”
Domaine Chignard France | Beaujolais
2022 Régnié
Guy Breton France | Beaujolais
2023 Morgon “Côte du Py”
Jean Foillard France | Beaujolais
2024 Beaujolais “Le Beaujolais”
M. & C. Lapierre France | Beaujolais
2023 Brouilly “Reverdon”
Château Thivin France | Beaujolais
2024 Beaujolais-Villages
Alex Foillard France | Beaujolais
2023 Chénas “Les Blémonts”
Domaine Thillardon France | Beaujolais
2023 Côte de Brouilly
Château Thivin France | Beaujolais
2022 Fleurie
Guy Breton France | Beaujolais
2023 Chénas “Chassignol”
Domaine Thillardon France | Beaujolais
2023 Beaujolais Blanc “Clos de Rochebonne”
Château Thivin France | Beaujolais
2024 Vin de France Rouge “Raisins Gaulois”
M. & C. Lapierre France | Beaujolais
2023 Fleurie “Les Moriers”
Domaine Chignard France | Beaujolais
Kermit once said...

Kermit once said...
Let the brett nerds retire into protective bubbles, and whenever they thirst for wine it can be passed in to them through a sterile filter. Those of us on the outside can continue to enjoy complex, natural, living wines.
Inspiring Thirst, page 236