Alex Foillard, Brouilly
Alex Foillard, started early in the wine-business and despite his young age he already has an impressive CV. Apart from being already a star when it comes to making wine, he’s a hell of a chef.
Born and raised by the famous Foillard family in Villé-Morgon, he always helped out in the vineyards and the winery; and already as a kid he knew that it was wine he wanted to work with. Lucky for him he originates from a family famous for making extraordinary wines from the different terroirs of Morgon.
At the age of 18 he went to Beaune for 2 years of winemaking school, and at the same time he made his internship at Domaine Prieuré-Roch, where he stayed one year after school was done. After that he went to Australia to work for different producers to gain more experience.
In 2016 he released his first vintage under his own name from his 2,5 hectare in Brouilly and Côte-Brouilly.
Since 2014 he’s been working full time in the vineyards and winery together with his parents – Agnes and Jean Foillard at Domaine Jean-Foillard. In 2015 Alex had the possibility to buy 2 really interesting vineyards from two older brothers that wanted to retire. These brothers were not working organically, but in 2015 they didn’t do any work in the vineyards att all; so Alex had one year in advance when it came to detox the soil. The vinification takes place at his parents domaine in Villé-Morgon.
The result is floral with red-berry aromatics we just can’t get enough of. Fruity, light red wines with elegance and transparency – that still have depth, length and a fresh, salty mineral finish. Very hard not to finish a bottle too quick.
2021 Beaujolais Villages
Soil: Granit and clay
Grape: Gamay
Appellation: AOC Beaujolais Villages, 1 plot just next to Morgon
Age of Vines: Planted 1929-1989
Vinification: 20 days carbonic maceration with some pump over after 3 days and then 4 more times during the maceration. Then pressed and aged in 50% used barrels and 50% concrete tanks before bottling in May 2022.
2018, 2019, 2020 Brouilly
Soil: Granite rocky, poor soil on 250 meters altitude
Grape: Gamay
Appellation: AOC Brouilly
Age of Vines: Planted 1968
Vinification: 21 days carbonic maceration with some pump over after 3 days and then 4 more times during the maceration. Then pressed and aged in 50% used barrels and 50% concrete tanks before bottling in September the year following the vintage.
2018, 2019, 2020 Côte de Brouilly
Soil: Blue schist and sand on top of granit rock
Grape: Gamay
Appellation: AOC Côte-Brouilly
Age of Vines: Planted 1968-2003
Vinification: 21 days carbonic maceration with some pump over after 3 days and then 4 more times during the maceration. Then pressed and aged in 50% used barrels and 50% concrete tanks before bottling in September the year following the vintage.