The Still & The VineSchool of Wine & Spirits
Domaine Jean Foillard Morgon Côte du Py 2022
Red Wine

Domaine Jean Foillard Morgon Côte du Py 2022

Domaine Jean Foillard

Beaujolais, France
Jean Foillard's Côte du Py is one of the great values in French wine. The 2022 vintage delivers concentration without weight, depth without extraction. Foillard's natural winemaking — whole-cluster fermentation, indigenous yeast, minimal sulfur — lets the volcanic terroir speak clearly. This is Gamay at its most serious and compelling.

Kit Aromas

Tasting Notes

Nose

Dark cherry and crushed violets lead, with an underlying stony minerality that speaks directly to the volcanic schist of Côte du Py. Behind the fruit, subtle notes of fresh-cracked black pepper and a hint of game add complexity without heaviness.

Palate

Medium-bodied with fine-grained tannins. The cherry fruit is ripe but precise, framed by a gentle earthiness and floral lift. Midpalate, the wine shows a blackcurrant concentration and a saline minerality that drives length. There's a quiet mint-like freshness that keeps everything vibrant.

Finish

Long and mineral-driven, with cherry and violet slowly resolving into a clean, granitic persistence. Tannins are present but polished.

Specifications
Varietal
Gamay Noir
Blend
100% Gamay Noir
Vineyards
Côte du Py, Morgon
Alcohol
12.5%
Organic / Biodynamic
No
Serve & Pair

Food Pairing

Coq au vin or charcuterie board with pâté de campagne

The Story

Jean Foillard, one of the original 'Gang of Four' who revitalized natural winemaking in Beaujolais under the mentorship of Jules Chauvet, farms the volcanic slopes of Côte du Py in Morgon using organic practices and traditional whole-cluster carbonic maceration.

Train These Aromas
Comments

Be the first to comment.

Leave a comment

0 / 4,000

First-time comments are reviewed before appearing. Be kind, be specific, no spam.

More Red Wine Reviews
Tenuta delle Terre Nere Etna Rosso San Lorenzo 2021
Red Wine

Tenuta delle Terre Nere Etna Rosso San Lorenzo 2021

Tenuta delle Terre Nere

Marc de Grazia's Terre Nere estate produces some of Etna's most expressive contrada wines, and San Lorenzo is a standout: old Nerello Mascalese vines rooted in ancient lava flows deliver a wine of rare transparency. This is not fruit-driven in the obvious sense — it is terroir speaking through fruit. Think Burgundy by way of a volcano.

Domaine de la Côte Pinot Noir Sola Tierra 2021
Red Wine

Domaine de la Côte Pinot Noir Sola Tierra 2021

Domaine de la Côte

Rajat Parr and Sashi Moorman's Sola Tierra block sits on diatomaceous earth soils that produce some of the most transparent Pinot Noir in California. This is a wine of direction rather than power — it knows exactly where it's going and arrives with grace. If you're still looking for California Pinot that can stand alongside Burgundy Premier Cru, start here.

Château Pibran Pauillac 2019
Red Wine

Château Pibran Pauillac 2019

Château Pibran

Château Pibran punches well above its price in the 2019 vintage. Owned by AXA Millésimes (who also own Pichon Baron), it benefits from the same meticulous attention and top-tier terroir. The tension between ripe fruit generosity and classic Pauillac austerity makes it both immediately enjoyable and cellaring-worthy.

28 proof
Luciano Sandrone Barbera d'Alba 2021
Red Wine

Luciano Sandrone Barbera d'Alba 2021

Luciano Sandrone

Sandrone's Barbera is always a masterclass in restraint and fruit purity. The 2021 vintage delivered ideal conditions in Piedmont, and this wine captures the variety's defining bright acidity alongside ripe, generous fruit. It over-performs for Barbera d'Alba — the kind of bottle that reminds you why this grape deserves a permanent place at the table, not just as Barolo's understudy.