2023 Domaine Jean Foillard - Beaujolais Villages (750ml)

Jean Foillard took over his family's Beaujolais estate alongside his wife, Agnès, in 1980, inheriting vineyards centered on the Côte du Py, the granite and schist slope regarded as the finest terroir in the entire Morgon appellation. Early in his career Foillard embraced the teachings of Jules Chauvet, the Beaujolais traditionalist often credited as the father of the natural wine movement, joining fellow growers Marcel Lapierre, Jean-Paul Thévenet, and Guy Breton in a return to old-school farming and cellar practices. That group, nicknamed the Gang of Four by importer Kermit Lynch, helped restore Beaujolais' reputation after decades dominated by mass-produced Nouveau.

This Villages bottling draws on organically farmed parcels outside Foillard's home commune of Villié-Morgon, including sites in Lancié, Saint-Amour, and Saint-Étienne-la-Varenne, all planted on granite-rich soils at elevations that border the neighboring crus. The grapes undergo whole-cluster fermentation with native yeasts over roughly two weeks in concrete tank, followed by seven months of aging in the same vessels, then bottling unfiltered with little to no added sulfur.

The wine offers vibrant aromas of pomegranate, rhubarb, and black tea, with rose petal and crushed granite notes woven through a silky, elegant palate that balances depth with freshness. Pair it with grilled chicken, saucisson sec, or a young soft cheese.