WINE INFORMATION

Beaujolais is technically the southernmost appellation in Burgundy, though its topography, climate, and culture are more closely aligned with the Rhône to its south.  It produces primarily red wine from the Gamay grape, though small quantities of white are made from Chardonnay and Aligoté. The region is organized as many French regions are: the basic level is Beaujolais (96 villages); Beaujolais-Villages (39 villages/communes) is the next step up the quality ladder, producing some 25% of the wine using grapes from the northern hillsides; at the top of the chain and farthest north are a group of 10 crus, named only for their locations, usually without the word “Beaujolais” on the label.

Jean and Agnès Foillard took over his father’s domaine in 1980. The estate compromises nearly 14 hectares. Most of their vineyards are planted on the Côte du Py, a famed slope outside the town of Villié-Morgon. These granite and schist soils sit on an alluvial fan at the highest point above the town and impart great complexity. Along with other well-known Beaujolais producers, Foillard returned 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 is wines of quality and complexity.

The parcels for this Beaujolais-Villages are in Villié-Morgon, Lancié, Saint-Amour, and St-Etienne-La-Varenne, with granitic soils. After hand-harvesting, the grapes are whole-cluster fermented in concrete tanks, where the wine is also aged for 7 additional months.

Brunch Foods, Charcuterie, Cheese, Chicken/Turkey, East Asian (Chinese/Japanese/Korean), Fish-full flavored (salmon/tuna), Green Salads, Ham, Hors d'oeuvres, Indian Food, Just for Cocktailing, Mexican, Mushrooms, Perfect Aperitif , Pizza, Sausage, Shellfish, Slow-smoked Barbeque/BBQ Sauce, Spicy Food, Sushi, Tapas, Thai or Vietnamese, Tomato Sauce