Notify me
2020 Beaujolais-Villages
Alex FoillardAlex may be young, but his wines show plenty of wisdom and depth. In fact, Alex’s Beaujolais-Villages is a sort of tightrope act, looking for that Guy Breton-esque burst of airy pleasure, mixed with a, dare I say it, Jean Foillard-like depth and grip. I was hoping to avoid adding the inevitable mention of Jean when speaking about Alex’s wines, but I just can’t help but think of this as the most compelling and delicious Beaujolais cross-pollination one could wish for.
—Chris Santini
Wine Type: | red |
Vintage: | 2020 |
Bottle Size: | 750mL |
Blend: | Gamay |
Appellation: | Beaujolais-Villages |
Country: | France |
Region: | Beaujolais |
Producer: | Alex Foillard |
Winemaker: | Alex Foillard |
Vineyard: | 70 years old |
Soil: | Limestone, Sand |
Farming: | Organic (practicing) |
Alcohol: | 13% |
More from this Producer or Region
2023 Beaujolais Villages Rosé
France | Beaujolais
Sourced from the pink granite terroir of Brouilly, this rosé is simply delicious, with good grip and notes of summery red berries.
2022 Brouilly “Reverdon”
France | Beaujolais
This bottling is classic Brouilly, balanced and old-school, and showcases the beauty of Gamay
2021 Beaujolais-Villages
France | Beaujolais
This drinks like a Gamay infusion with lovely hints of potpourri, spice, and fresh grapes.
2021 Morgon “Charmes - Infusion”
France | Beaujolais
This classic, cool-weather vintage of Quentin Harel’s one hectare holding in Morgon spends three months macerating in concrete amphora. The result is a distinct softening of its crunchy, mineral-laced bramble.
2020 Brouilly
France | Beaujolais
A generous dash of plump, sun-ripened fruit enveloping a granite core.
2020 Côte de Brouilly
France | Beaujolais
Alex Foillard fashions a Côte-de-Brouilly that strikes a deeper register, saturating the senses with tooth-staining fruit, gritty earth, and just a touch of the good funk.
2021 Côte de Brouilly “Cuvée Zaccharie”
France | Beaujolais
Give the wine a moment to open and you’ll find it unwind, silky and lush with the familiar whispers of juicy blackberries and a bit of hibiscus.
2021 Brouilly
France | Beaujolais
A generous dash of plump, sun-ripened fruit enveloping a granite core.
2021 Fleurie
France | Beaujolais
Light and living, charged with herbs, cranberry, and strawberry.
2022 Côte de Brouilly
France | Beaujolais
Not your basic Beaujolais, it showcases pedigreed and assertive fruit that is strikingly substantial for Gamay.
About The Region
Beaujolais
After years of the region’s reputation being co-opted by mass-produced Beaujolais Nouveau and the prevalence of industrial farming, the fortunes of vignerons from the Beaujolais have been on the rise in the past couple of decades. Much of this change is due to Jules Chauvet, a prominent Beaujolais producer who Kermit worked with in the 1980s and arguably the father of the natural wine movement, who advocated not using herbicides or pesticides in vineyards, not chaptalizing, fermenting with ambient yeasts, and vinifying without SO2. Chief among Chauvet’s followers was Marcel Lapierre and his three friends, Jean Foillard, Guy Breton, and Jean-Paul Thévenet—a group of Morgon producers who Kermit dubbed “the Gang of Four.” The espousal of Chauvet’s methods led to a dramatic change in quality of wines from Beaujolais and with that an increased interest and appreciation for the AOC crus, Villages, and regular Beaujolais bottlings.
The crus of Beaujolais are interpreted through the Gamay grape and each illuminate the variety of great terroirs available in the region. Distinguishing itself from the clay and limestone of Burgundy, Beaujolais soils are predominantly decomposed granite, with pockets of blue volcanic rock. The primary vinification method is carbonic maceration, where grapes are not crushed, but instead whole clusters are placed in a tank, thus allowing fermentation to take place inside each grape berry.
Much like the easy-going and friendly nature of many Beaujolais vignerons, the wines too have a lively and easy-drinking spirit. They are versatile at table but make particularly good matches with the local pork sausages and charcuterie. Though often considered a wine that must be drunk young, many of the top crus offer great aging potential.
More from Beaujolais or France
2020 Côte de Brouilly
Alex Foillard France | Beaujolais
2023 Beaujolais Villages Rosé
Château Thivin France | Beaujolais
2022 Beaujolais
Domaine Dupeuble France | Beaujolais
2022 Fleurie
Guy Breton France | Beaujolais
2015 Côte-de-Brouilly
Nicole Chanrion France | Beaujolais
2023 Vin de France Rouge “Raisins Gaulois”
M. & C. Lapierre France | Beaujolais
2021 Morgon “Charmes - Infusion”
Quentin Harel France | Beaujolais
2021 Côte-de-Brouilly
Nicole Chanrion France | Beaujolais
2021 Côte de Brouilly HALF BOTTLE
Château Thivin France | Beaujolais
2021 Beaujolais-Villages
Alex Foillard France | Beaujolais
2021 Brouilly “Reverdon”
Château Thivin France | Beaujolais
2022 Vin de France Blanc “Perle de Gamay”
Nicole Chanrion France | Beaujolais
2020 Côte de Brouilly
Alex Foillard France | Beaujolais
2023 Beaujolais Villages Rosé
Château Thivin France | Beaujolais
2022 Beaujolais
Domaine Dupeuble France | Beaujolais
2022 Fleurie
Guy Breton France | Beaujolais
2015 Côte-de-Brouilly
Nicole Chanrion France | Beaujolais
2023 Vin de France Rouge “Raisins Gaulois”
M. & C. Lapierre France | Beaujolais
2021 Morgon “Charmes - Infusion”
Quentin Harel France | Beaujolais
2021 Côte-de-Brouilly
Nicole Chanrion France | Beaujolais
2021 Côte de Brouilly HALF BOTTLE
Château Thivin France | Beaujolais
2021 Beaujolais-Villages
Alex Foillard France | Beaujolais
2021 Brouilly “Reverdon”
Château Thivin France | Beaujolais
2022 Vin de France Blanc “Perle de Gamay”
Nicole Chanrion France | Beaujolais
Kermit once said...
Kermit once said...
Great winemakers, great terroirs, there is never any hurry. And I no longer buy into this idea of “peak” maturity. Great winemakers, great terroirs, their wines offer different pleasures at different ages.
Inspiring Thirst, page 312