Alex Foillard

In the 1980s and 1990s, the Beaujolais became the epicentre of the movement that saw a return to healthy viticultural and winemaking practices: no herbicides or chemical treatments in the vines, no chaptalisation, favouring carbonic maceration with native yeasts and little to no added sulfur. Following in the footsteps of pioneers like Jean Foillard in the Morgon cru, a new generation of winemakers sharing this mindset appeared in Beaujolais, including Alex Foillard, Jean’s son, who chose to base himself in the appellations of Brouilly and Côte-de-Brouilly.

Following the path set by his father, Alex, the son of Jean and Agnès Foillard, created his own estate in 2015 with parcels in the Brouilly, Côte-de-Brouilly and Beaujolais-Villages appellations. In total, he works 2.5 hectares of predominantly old Gamay vines, located on slopes and cultivated without inputs to produce healthy, perfectly ripe grapes for optimal fermentation via carbonic maceration. The result: wines that are bursting with fruit – juicy, full-bodied, flavourful and precise, marked by the character of their terroir.