Domaine Jean Foillard – Morgon “Côte du Py”

For as long as I’ve been selling wine, one lesson has remained constant: if you choose just one Beaujolais producer to buy, you simply can’t go wrong with anything from Domaine Jean Foillard. His flagship Morgon “Côte du Py” is a wine I could not recommend more highly. Year after year, it is our most sought-after Beaujolais, and for good reason: it always delivers on depth, character, and sheer drinkability.

The magic starts in the vineyard. The Côte du Py is widely regarded as one of Beaujolais's greatest sites. Its steep, south-facing slopes of granite and schist produce wines of remarkable concentration and mineral tension. Foillard is blessed with old vines here—many over 60 years old—which give the wine its incredible density.

But the land is nothing without the right steward. Inspired by his neighbor, the legendary Marcel Lapierre, Jean Foillard was an early champion of organic farming and meticulous attention to detail. He is also famous for his patience, often harvesting last to ensure perfectly ripe fruit. This commitment to natural, minimal-intervention winemaking was inspired by the legendary Jules Chauvet and the "Gang of Four." Fermentation is whole-cluster with native yeasts, and the wines rest in used Burgundy barrels, which adds texture without overt oak influence.

This approach yields the purest expression of Gamay, a wine that is both powerful and elegant. It consistently offers:

Aromas of wild berries, violets, and subtle spice.

Palate that’s silky yet structured, with juicy red and black fruit wrapped around a core of minerality.
Finish that lingers with elegance, freshness, and a hint of savory earth.

Foillard’s Côte du Py is the definition of an essential wine. It is equally at home on the dinner table with roast chicken or charcuterie as it is in the cellar, where it develops Burgundian complexity with time. Simply put, this is Beaujolais at its finest: soulful, age-worthy, and endlessly drinkable. The 2023 is no exception and has earned the high scores to prove it.

If you want one wine that demonstrates just how serious—and how delicious—Gamay can be, this is it. It's a wine that consistently receives mid 90’s scores; the 2023 is no exception. Very Highly recommended!