Notify me
2022 Beaujolais-Villages
Jean FoillardFor this over-delivering Beaujolais-Villages, Jean sources organic grapes from excellent parcels around his village of Villié-Morgon as well as Lancié, Saint-Amour, and Saint-Étienne-la-Varenne, and ages the wine through an extended élevage more akin to that of his renowned Morgons than to other regional bottlings. Accordingly, the wine evolves slowly, becoming more poised and complete. Evoking pomegranate, rhubarb, and black tea, the result is a beautiful initiation to Jean’s house style, distinguished by a mesmerizing tension between depth, density, silkiness, and elegance.
—Tom Wolf
Wine Type: | red |
Vintage: | 2022 |
Bottle Size: | 750mL |
Blend: | Gamay |
Appellation: | Beaujolais-Villages |
Country: | France |
Region: | Beaujolais |
Producer: | Jean Foillard |
Vineyard: | 20 to 55 years old, 7 ha |
Soil: | Granite |
Aging: | Aged 7 months in concrete tank |
Farming: | Organic (certified) |
Alcohol: | 13.3% |
More from this Producer or Region
2023 Fleurie “Les Moriers”
France | Beaujolais
This Fleurie beautifully combines high-toned finesse with a potent depth. Can a wine be delicately intense?
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.
2021 Côte de Brouilly
France | Beaujolais
A relatively new addition to Guy Breton’s Beaujolais lineup, this exuberant Côte de Brouilly is flat-out delicious.
2022 Morgon “Cuvée Corcelette”
France | Beaujolais
Sweet, earthy fruit and sensuous, velvety texture.
2021 Régnié “Grain & Granit”
France | Beaujolais
Here is a rich, bold Régnié, saturated with luscious fruit and earthy spice.
2021 Morgon “Eponym”
France | Beaujolais
This cuvée shares the satin texture of all Foillard Morgons, and should age similarly well for those willing and able to wait.
2022 Morgon “Côte du Py”
France | Beaujolais
Serious minerality, with earthy stone and plum notes.
2022 Fleurie
France | Beaujolais
Light and living, charged with herbs, cranberry, and strawberry.
2023 Beaujolais
France | Beaujolais
Dupeuble’s rouge is thirst-quenching and tangy with loads of violet and réglisse.
2022 Côte-de-Brouilly
France | Beaujolais
Nicole Chanrion crafts delicious Beaujolais the traditional way, by hand-harvesting, fermenting with whole clusters, and patiently aging in large oak foudres.
About The Producer
Jean 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 Fleurie
Jean Foillard France | Beaujolais
2022 Juliénas “Beauvernay”
Domaine Chignard France | Beaujolais
2022 Vin de France Blanc “Perle de Gamay”
Nicole Chanrion France | Beaujolais
2022 Fleurie
Guy Breton France | Beaujolais
2023 Beaujolais MAGNUM
Domaine Dupeuble France | Beaujolais
2022 Beaujolais Blanc “Clos de Rochebonne”
Château Thivin France | Beaujolais
2022 Régnié
Guy Breton France | Beaujolais
2022 Côte de Brouilly
Château Thivin France | Beaujolais
2022 Morgon “Vieilles Vignes”
Jean-Paul et Charly Thévenet France | Beaujolais
2019 Chiroubles “Cuvée Léa”
Guy Breton France | Beaujolais
2022 Morgon “Côte du Py”
Foillard, Jean France | Beaujolais
2020 Brouilly
Alex Foillard France | Beaujolais
2022 Fleurie
Jean Foillard France | Beaujolais
2022 Juliénas “Beauvernay”
Domaine Chignard France | Beaujolais
2022 Vin de France Blanc “Perle de Gamay”
Nicole Chanrion France | Beaujolais
2022 Fleurie
Guy Breton France | Beaujolais
2023 Beaujolais MAGNUM
Domaine Dupeuble France | Beaujolais
2022 Beaujolais Blanc “Clos de Rochebonne”
Château Thivin France | Beaujolais
2022 Régnié
Guy Breton France | Beaujolais
2022 Côte de Brouilly
Château Thivin France | Beaujolais
2022 Morgon “Vieilles Vignes”
Jean-Paul et Charly Thévenet France | Beaujolais
2019 Chiroubles “Cuvée Léa”
Guy Breton France | Beaujolais
2022 Morgon “Côte du Py”
Foillard, Jean France | Beaujolais
2020 Brouilly
Alex Foillard France | Beaujolais
Kermit once said...
Kermit once said...
Great winemakers, great terroirs, there is never any hurry. And I no longer buy into this idea of “peak” maturity. Great winemakers, great terroirs, their wines offer different pleasures at different ages.
Inspiring Thirst, page 312