Despite being somewhat discrete, this Beaujolais domain continues to attract wine enthusiasts from around the world – us included! No one here at iDealwine can resist against the charm of these natural wines, which represent some of the best to come out of the region.
Domaine Jean Foillard is, undeniably, one of the most famous producers in Beaujolais. Hailing from a family of winemakers, Jean Foillard went on to make a career out of wine himself. Today, the domain has about 15 hectares of vines, mainly in the Morgon and Fleurie appellations. Jean Foillard, who took over the property in 1981, was inspired by Marcel Lapierre to manage his vines in a style that is as close to organic as possible. Harvests are therefore manual, with rigorous sorting and traditional vinifications.
Foillard’s techniques aim to preserve as much fruit as possible without the use of sulphur. His meticulous and delicate vinifications – carbonic maceration in whole bunches – result in wines with a silky mouth feel. His wines stand out for their intensity of fruit, their freshness as well as for their good balance of structure and delicacy. Tiny amounts of Sulphur are added, and the wines are not filtered; they are thus what we call ‘living’ wines.
These are wines that can be enjoyed now or in a few years and are a gold standard for Beaujolais. The iDealwine team greatly admires this vigneron’s work, and thoroughly enjoyed tasting these wines which perfectly balance delicacy and the structure brought by the élevage. Our advice? Enjoy the Morgon young and the Côte du Py after a few years of aging.
If we’ve succeeded in tempting you, why not take a glance at all the wines from domain Jean Foillard for sale?
This cuvée from Morgon Village is matured in vats and delivers ripe fruit aromas as well as mineral notes. In the mouth it is full, fresh with good structure and elegance. Try it with lamb or cheese.
Morgon Côte du Py Jean Foillard 2016
The Côte du Py by Jean Foillard is the domain’s flagship wine whiwh has given Foillard his great reputaion in these last years. His remarkably situated vines on the beautiful slopes close to the top, Foillard know how to extract the best out of this superb terroir. Delicious fruit flavours can be found in this wine and the amazing velvet sensation in the mouth is truly unique.
What the reviews say about domain Jean Foillard
The Revue du Vin de France’s Guide Vert
1* out of 3
“Jean Foillard is one of those mythical winemakers of the Beaujolais. Through the years, he has stayed true to his style, producing stripped down, precise, natural wines. […] The wines transcribe the digestibility and freshness of Beaujolais Grands Crus.”
Bettane+Desseauve 2018
2* out of 5
“Jean and Agnès Foillard offer a very fruity and fresh expression of Morgon, sometimes with a wild touch.”