Alex Foillard Côte de Brouilly 2022

Alex Foillard's Côte de Brouilly is a smooth red wine with a formidable aromatic palette of red fruits, notes of liquorice and hints of pepper. The palate has a lot of tension and a slight sweetness; a lively acidity keeps the balance and fine-grained tannins give volume. Fruity finish.

The son of Jean and Agnès Foillard, Alex began working at their Morgon domaine in 2015 and in parallel created his own estate with the purchase of vineyards in Brouilly. Alex follows his father's philosophy: a lot of work in the vineyards and minimum intervention in the cellar to ensure the final product reveals the nuances of the terroir. This wine is made from old vines planted in schist and granite soil. Whole-cluster fermentation with natural yeasts, no fining or filtration. Seductive aromas and pure, silky flavors.

Anytime you hear the words “Foillard” and “Beaujolais” in the same sentence -- or read them on the same label -- you can expect to be in for a treat. That holds true when the Foillard in question is not Jean but his son, Alex, and when the Beaujolais is not a Morgon, but a brand-new bottling of Beaujolais-Villages. Alex tracked down an excellent old-vine parcel situated just beneath the cru of Régnié, between Morgon and Brouilly. The delicate fragrance betrays his light touch in the cellar; this drinks like a Gamay infusion with lovely hints of potpourri, spice, and fresh grapes. Serve it cool, naturally.