Jean Foillard Fleurie Beaujolais 2021
(Beaujolais, France) - [WA 92] [BH 92] [VM 91]

About This Wine:

Jean and Agnès Foillard took over his father’s domain in 1980.  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.

However, great real estate is not the only key to 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.

This Gang of Four called for a return to the old practices of viticulture and vinification: starting with 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. The end result allows Morgon to express itself naturally, as it should be without the bubblegum and banana aromas of so many other Beaujolais available today. Its rustic structure, spicy notes, and mineral-laden backbone are what real Morgon is all about.

This estate comprises nearly 35 acres. Foillard’s Morgons are deep, structured, and complex, with a velvety lushness that makes them irresistible when young despite their aging potential. Jean raises his wines in older barrels sourced from top estates in Burgundy, a logical decision for someone crafting Gamay in a Burgundian style. It is the passion and dedication of vignerons like this that have brought pride back to the crus of the Beaujolais.

Vineyards are farmed organically!

Vine Age: 20-70 years

Soil Type: Pink sandstone

Vineyard Area: 1 ha

Highly selective hand harvesting

Barrels are minimum 2 years old

Unfiltered and with no added SO2 during vinification

Traditional, whole cluster fermentation lasts from 3-4 weeks

Aged for 6-9 months in used oak barrels

Sourced from the lieu-dit Champagne

Ratings & Reviews:

92 Points - Robert Parker's Wine Advocate:
"Sourced from the Champagne lieu-dit, the 2021 Fleurie demonstrates all the luscious qualities that a 2021 could have, with velvety notes of red cherries, spiced plums, crushed purple petals and vine smoke. Medium-bodied on the palate, it has precision and balance with its just-ripe fruit and fine-grained tannins intertwined seamlessly with the tension-driven structure, guided by a backbone of tangy acidity. This interplay leads to a prolonged journey toward a flavorful, tangy finish. This is a spot-on wine from the Foillard team. Drink: 2024-2032. (5/30/24)"


92 Points - Burghound: 
"($62 list; from vines that are 20-70 years old). A shy nose reluctantly offers up its aromas of mostly red berry fruit that is cut with floral and earth wisps. The sleek and attractively textured middleweight flavors possess adequate density while preserving good delineation that carries over to the youthfully austere, focused and balanced finish. This won't wow you with power or concentration but there is solid complexity and sneaky good length while offering excellent development potential. Drink: 2028+. (Aug 2023)"

91 Points - Vinous Media:
"The 2021 Fleurie comes from 3 hectares that suffered a lot of grillure in recent years and resulted in Foillard having to uproot parcels on the lieu-dit of "Champagne". This needs more encouragement on the nose compared to the Morgons. It is quite ripe considering the vintage - red cherries and crushed strawberry, hints of kirsch. The palate is medium-bodied, taut and crisp with fine tannins, brisk acidity and a touch of bitter cherry on the Morgon-like finish. Fine." - Neal Martin (May 2023)