Tasted in Le Clachet with Alex Foillard, 18 February 2020.
Domaine Jean Foillard
Le Clachet
69910 Villié-Morgon
Tel: +33 4 74 04 24 97
www.leclachet-foillard.com
More reports for Domaine Jean Foillard
Alex on 2019:
“2019 was quite a dry year a little frost in the bottom of the hills to start with, but it was light. Some rain in mid-August which helped as we had tiny and concentrated grapes – so that helped with the balance and of course, the volume. A bit more acid and balance versus 2018 but a bit less concentration, possibly.”
Alex on 2018:
“2018 started with plenty of episodes of rain and wind but the vines stayed clean. We had more a climate like the Languedoc when they had the rain but no wind, probably why they got the mildew and we didn’t. We had not too many problems doing the pruning after 2017’s hail, as it was mainly the leaves and grapes that had been hit – unlike pruning we had to do in 2017 following the 2016 hail where there was much more damage to the wood. In the end a generous vintage for volume, also generous with its sun – quite a richness in this vintage, for my taste the alcohols are a little high, but despite the volume the maturities were excellent.”
The wines…
Very good wines here – as you would expect – but the Côte du Py & the new Fleurie – now they are great!
2018 Morgon Cuvée Eponym
This from Charmes – soil similar to the Corcelette but the roots are closer to the rock.
Hmm – there’s a nice depth a suggestion of lactic à la nature – but this has fine clarity. Mouth-filing, very silky – I like the combination of texture and concentration. Here’s a lovely salinity, and a little structure showing in the finish with a little vibration of energy. Love!
2018 Morgon Cuvée Corcelette
Granite here and very sandy – this brings the fruit and the flowers. ‘Normally this is about freshness and flowers, maybe we harvested a little later but the character is certainly different in 2018’
Maybe just a little less colour. It needs a little swirling, but the nose opens and shows a little more depth. A more structural wine – more mineral too – I like the drive towards the finish, the touch of minerality and a modest salinity that runs through the middle – that’s really excellent!
Again not such a deep colour. A more airy and floral aromatic. Bigger in the mouth, more energy, more structural – the salinity seems higher too – complex, structured and deliciously, almost spiced complexity – bravo!
First vintage – 3 ha in lieu-dit ‘Champagne’ plain-south facing.
Colour quite deep. The nose has a little more impact – it’s certainly floral. Nicely mineral but all the accents are floral – that’s really very nice! A finish of width and lip-smacking flavour – Bravo!
2018 Alex Foillard, Côte de Brouilly
A vibrant nose, a little earthy. Fresh, wide, a base of tannin – but no overt grain. Saline again. Long, a wine of fine freshness – very good.
2018 Alex Foillard, Brouilly
A nose that’s a little more compact – less earth – a suggestion of florals. A faint gas. Very fresh for Brouilly – vibrant flavour. A super minerality – a width of finishing minerality – more mineral but a bit less saline! That’s excellent with an extra dimension of flavour in the finish here – that’s super.
There is one response to “Jean Foillard – 2018”
They have been making a Fleurie cuvee for years now, is there a change in that cuvee?
It could be that I missed the ‘Alex Foillard’ label off that note 😉