Fleurie Jean Foillard 2022

Description

Jean Foillard is universally recognised as one of the very best Beaujolais producers and is one of the band of 4 of Morgon with Guy Breton, Jean-Paul Thevenet and Marcel Lapierre, who are all adepts of the works of Jules Chauvet on non sulphured vinification.  Jean met Jules Chauvet early in his career and became an un-official member of “La Bande a Marcel”.  Chauvet’s mantra was that winemaking should be a natural process.  He felt that great winemaking started in the vineyard with vigorous canopy management, absolutely no use of chemicals on the vines, low or no use of sulphur etc.  To Jean, this all made sense and he’s remained true to these philosophies ever since.

Foillard now uses minimal interventionist viticulture, but his wines are neither officially organic nor biodynamic even though he actually applies many of the rules. What’s in a name? What is more important for him, he says, is the result in the bottle, and the certifications on the labels are not his first concern.

This Fleurie has an appealing bouquet of strawberries, plump raspberry fruits and violets leads to a bright and energetic palate with succulent redcurrant flavours and a delicate scent of wild herbs. Showing incredible length with a refreshing mineral character, this will be approachable from release but will age for ten years. Perfect summer drinking.

‘The 2022 Fleurie has a beautifully defined nose with wonderful mineralité like Foillard’s other cuvées, surfeited with energy. There’s real purity and panache. The palate is medium-bodied with a touch of mulberry on the entry and fine depth, lightly spiced with a vibrant and persistent finish tinged with curry leaf. This is a Fleurie from the top drawer. Excellent.’ Neal Martin, Vinous