Gang of Four Jean Foillard & Marcel Lapierre
Ask any Beaujolais lover which wines they admire most from this popular region and the iconic “Morgon” is likely to be on their lips, figuratively and literally!
Morgon is one of the northern villages that makes up the Beaujolais region. It's probably the most well known Beaujolais village with outstanding wines being produced by two of the most famous producers; Jean Foillard and Domaine Marcel Lapierre. They are part of what has affectionately been coined the “Gang of Four” (Jean-Paul Thévenet & Guy Brenton being the other two).
In the early 80’s, this group of winemakers in Morgon were concerned about the environmental impact of what was happening in Beaujolais, and for that matter all of France. Overproduction and commercialization, coupled with the heavy use of fertilizers and pesticides had become the norm. The “Gang” decided to take a different approach and get back to a natural way of farming without chemicals. Hence, the “Natural Wine Movement” was born.
It's these forward thinking pioneers that dramatically changed farming and winemaking as we know it today. They craft authentic, unmanipulated, chemical free wines which have garnered a following throughout the world and are far from what your average American expects when thinking of Beaujolais.
Marcel Lapierre took over his family’s estate back in 1973, though the winery’s trajectory really changed when he met Jules Chauvet in 1981. Since then, all chemical fertilizers and herbicides were removed from the family’s vineyards. Fruit is harvested late, meticulously sorted by hand, fermented with native yeasts, and aged extensively on the fine lees in used wood.
In 2010, at age 60, Marcel passed away from complications from Melanoma but his legacy is carried on by Mathieu and daughter Camille. The siblings continue to pioneer the honest winemaking techniques — as well as the introduction of biodynamic principles — that their father fiercely supported. Lapierre wines are produced in the heart of Morgon and are known for their fleshy fruit-forwardness and ageworthy potential.
Jean and Agnès Foillard have been farming 14 hectares of vines
centered around Morgon’s famed Côte du Py slope since 1980. As is the case with Marcel Lapierre, Foillard’s vines are also meticulously tended and most of them boast a relatively old age. Foillard’s wines are known for being structured and complex, with a silky mouthfeel that makes them both approachable in their youth and capable of long-term aging in the cellar. For Beaujolais produced in a rather ‘Burgundian’ style, these bottles are just the ticket.
I’m pleased to offer two amazing vintages from Jean Foillard. The 2021 might be from a slightly cooler vintage but enjoys the same intensity you have come to expect from the reference point wines. Both very highly recommended.
The 2021 Morgon Côte du Py, matured in used barrels, has a more complex bouquet than the Corcelette: a melange of red and black fruit, potpourri/lavender, and a faint hint of curry leaf that emerges with time. The palate is medium-bodied with grainy tannins and a fine backbone considering the growing season. This is very fresh and saline with quite a strict finish. You could attempt this now though I would be intrigued to age this for another two or three years before broaching.
- Vinous, 93
The 2022 Morgon Côte du Py has another very attractive bouquet with just a touch more fruit intensity than the Côte du Py, wonderful mineralité and tension. Very composed. The palate is medium-bodied with fine tannins, a little sturdier than the Cuvée Corcelette. There's fine grip toward the finish with a persistent peppery aftertaste. Be patient.
- Vinous Media, 93
MORE INFO ON BEAUJOLAIS
The Beaujolais region is located just south of Burgundy (it’s sometimes even considered as being the southernmost tip of the Burgundy wine region) in eastern France. Renowned for the cultivation of the black Gamay grape that thrives in its granite-rich soils and its light, fresh November offering, Beaujolais Nouveau, this wine region boasts ten ‘Cru’ villages that turn out distinctive, elegant reds. Morgon is one such commune, producing such concentrated, well-structured, and age-worthy wines from Gamay, that it has its own appellation.
Morgon is found along with the other village Crus in the northern half of Beaujolais where superior low-nutrient, iron-rich schist soils nourish rich, top-quality grapes. Morgon also boasts the volcanic hill Côte du Py found in the heart of the appellation
where vines benefit from the richness of some of the oldest soils in Beaujolais. The result is spicy, robust, complex wine that’s a great partner at the dinner table and has impressive cellaring potential.
Jean Foillard, named eponymously by the latest generation in this wine-producing family, is one of Morgon’s leading producers and is famed for its Côte du Py. If you’ve only tasted lighter Beaujolais reds with the region’s signature bubblegum notes, be prepared for a delightfully different take on the region as you sip this deeply fruity, layered, and beautifully-integrated Cru. This family-run estate is one of the legends of the natural wine movement and, as such, produces Beaujolais that displays appealing lush fruit balanced by earthy depth, qualities that lend themselves to both early drinking and laying down.
