2022 ChevernyDomaine du Salvard
France | Loire
$22
Producers
Alex may be young, but his wines show plenty of wisdom and depth. In fact, Alex’s Beaujolais-Villages is a sort of tightrope act, looking for that Guy Breton-esque burst of airy pleasure, mixed with a, dare I say it, Jean Foillard-like depth and grip. I was hoping to avoid adding the inevitable mention of Jean when speaking about Alex’s wines, but I just can’t help but think of this as the most compelling and delicious Beaujolais cross-pollination one could wish for.
—Chris Santini
Wine Type: | red |
Vintage: | 2021 |
Bottle Size: | 750mL |
Blend: | Gamay |
Appellation: | Beaujolais-Villages |
Country: | France |
Region: | Beaujolais |
Producer: | Alex Foillard |
Winemaker: | Alex Foillard |
Vineyard: | 70 years old |
Soil: | Limestone, Sand |
Farming: | Organic (practicing) |
Alcohol: | 12% |
Alex Foillard France | Beaujolais | Côte de Brouilly
Château Thivin France | Beaujolais | Côte de Brouilly
Domaine Chignard France | Beaujolais | Juliénas
Guy Breton France | Beaujolais | Beaujolais-Villages
Château Thivin France | Beaujolais | Côte de Brouilly
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.
Jean-Paul et Charly Thévenet France | Beaujolais | Régnié
Alex Foillard France | Beaujolais | Côte de Brouilly
Domaine Diochon France | Beaujolais | Moulin-à-Vent
Guy Breton France | Beaujolais | Morgon
Nicole Chanrion France | Beaujolais | Côte-de-Brouilly
Domaine Dupeuble France | Beaujolais | Beaujolais
La Soeur Cadette France | Beaujolais | Juliénas
Nicole Chanrion France | Beaujolais
Quentin Harel France | Beaujolais | Beaujolais
Jean Foillard France | Beaujolais | Beaujolais-Villages
You don’t have to be rich to cellar a great wine.
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