Jean Foillard Beaujolais Villages (750ml)
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Wine Type
Red Wine
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Size
750ml
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Vintage
2020
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Country
France
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Region
Beaujolais
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Sub-Region
Côte du Py
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Grape
Gamay
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Farming Method
OrganicAll of our products that are tagged with the term Organic are either organic certified or organic practicing. Learn More
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ABV
13.5%
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Food Pairing
CharcuteriePorkPoultry
Jean and Agnès Foillard took over his father’s domaine in 1980. Foillard has 14 hectares of vines; most of their vineyards are planted on the Côte du Py, the famed slope outside the town of Villié-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.
The great terroir was just part of Foillard’s success. Early on, Jean began to follow the teachings of Jules Chauvet, a traditionalist who defied everything that the more commercial brands were touting in the region. Jean and three other local vignerons, Marcel Lapierre, Jean-Paul Thévenet, and Guy Breton, soon joined in on the movement and became known as the Gang of Four, as importer Kermit Lynch christened them. They called for a return to the old practices of viticulture and vinification; old vines, never using synthetic herbicides or pesticides, harvesting late, rigorously sorting to remove all but the healthiest grapes, adding minimal doses of sulfur dioxide or none at all, and refusing both chaptalization and filtration.
Tasting Notes
Pronounced fragrance of cranberry, blueberry, cherry wood and fresh herbs. The palate is medium-bodied, with a fleshy core of red fruit, and spice. Juicy acidity and pleasing powdery tannins. Serve slightly chilled and enjoy with charcuterie, burgers, duck.
Method
Gamay grapes sourced from parcels located in Villié-Morgon, Lancié, Saint-Amour, and St-Etienne-La-Varenne, traditional, whole cluster fermentation that lasts about 15 days in concrete tank. Aged 7 months in concrete tank.
Our Thoughts
I was so thrilled to see this bottle return to our shelves after a year or so without it, as I feel that Jean Foillard’s wines hit the perfect sweet spot between wild natty wine and classic Beaujolais. Foillard is a member of the legendary “Gang of Four” who are credited with the resurgence of quality winemaking in the region and the birth of the natural wine movement. Expect dark red fruit notes, stony mineral aromas and a lifted funk. Juicy and energetic, it drinks well on its own (chilled, please) but also pairs with lighter fare; burgers and Beauj, anyone?
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