Description
The Jean Foillard estate is located in Villié-Morgon in the heart of Beaujolais. This property is a family business which was taken over by Jean Foillard in 1981. It has 8 hectares of vines exclusively made up of Gamay.
Jean Foillard has various terroirs among the most prestigious of Beaujolais. The soils are composed of schists, granites and have been worked in organic farming for more than 30 years. The vines are on average 65 years old, which makes it possible to obtain terroir wines of great complexity. The Foillard family knows their terroirs to perfection and chooses to vinify their grapes in whole harvests in order to obtain brilliant fruit and a very characteristic velvety texture.
All its wines are produced in the most natural way possible in order to transcribe a very authentic expression of the terroir. What is also remarkable is their aging capacity which is beyond comprehension, some of them like the Côte du Py can be kept for no less than 20 years without batting an eyelid.
To conclude, we could say that the wines of the Jean Foillard estate are the most qualitative of Beaujolais in their style. They are incomparable to the style of the wines of the Louis Claude Desvignes estate, which are much more racy and powerful.
The Fleurie from Domaine Jean Foillard is one of the finest to be found in this appellation. It is still too little known to lovers of wines from the estate, but it deserves our attention. It is a wine which is produced in the same way as Morgon Côte du Py, with strict sorting at the harvest and Beaujolaise vinification (whole bunch). This lasts about 3 to 4 weeks and in order to extract as much fruit as possible. After that comes the aging stage, which takes place in old oak barrels for about 9 months. No sulphiting or filtration during all stages of vinification.
Tasting Notes
In 2018, the Foillard family purchased a three-hectare parcel in lieu-dit Champagne, adjacent to Jean-Louis Dutraive’s holdings, so that’s the source of the 2019 Fleurie, superseding their previous suppliers of fruit. Exhibiting aromas of cherries, smoky berries, loamy soil, spices and potpourri, it’s medium to full-bodied, velvety and charming, with fine depth at the core, lively acids and a sapid finish.[92 Points, Willianm Kelley – August 2021, robertparker.com]
