French naturalistas and other curiosities (Foillard, Dauvissat, Desjourneys, Vini Viti Vinci, etc.)

Something from earlier June: a tasting of French natural wines with a few classicists thrown in for contrast.

The emphasis here was on Burgundy (the definition that includes Beaujolais as well), although the first flight had some other regions represented as well.

About the producers we tasted:

Anders Frederik Steen and Anne Bruun Blauert are a couple making natural wines in France. To my understanding the wines as from Ardèche, but I’m not 100% certain about this, because the wines are always Vin de France and they apparently they don’t want to tell where they work and who they work with. Anders Frederik Steen is a Danish chef who worked as a sommelier in the world-famous Nordic cuisine restaurant Noma before moving on to a winemaking career. They make only natural wines that are made in a completely hands-off fashion from relatively early-picked grapes and released as unique cuvées that can be made entirely differently with different names every vintage.Le Batossay is a natural wine project of Baptiste Cousin, son of Anjou natural wine producer Olivier Cousin. Le Batossay wines are biodynamic and made in a completely hands-off fashion.

Vini Viti Vinci is a “micro-négociant” project of Nicolas “Kikro” Vauthier, who was one of the founders of Aux Crieurs de Vins, a famous natural wine bar in Troyes. In 2009 he sold off his portion of business and based this micro-négociant winery in northern Burgundy, near Chablis. He works with producers from less famous Burgundy appellations and makes natural wines from purchased fruit.

I suppose I don’t need to write any introductions to Dauvissat (not a natural wine producer) or Jean Foillard (very much a natural wine producer)?

Alex Foillard is Jean Foillard’s son who has made now a couple of vintages in addition to running the family domain with his father. While daddy Jean makes wines from Morgon and Fleurie Crus, Alex has holdings in the Crus of Brouilly and Côte de Brouilly with some old-vine plots in generic Beaujolais Villages appellation.

Jules Desjourneys is a project of Burgundy wine merchant Fabien Duperray who decided to take a fling at winemaking, purchasing vineyards in Beaujolais and Mâconnais. He made his first wines in 2006, but the 2007 tasted here is his first commercial vintage. The wines are made according to biodynamic principles in a rather hands-off fashion, but officially they are merely “organic”.
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  • 2019 Anders Frederik Steen La Femme à qui? - France, Vin de France (4.6.2020)
    A pét-nat made from apple juice (50%) and organically farmed Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot (50%). Vinified and bottled without any fining, filtration or sulfites. 10,5% alcohol.

Hazy, peachy reddish-orange color. Wild, sweet-toned and quite volatile nose with aromas of nail polish, rustic bretty funk, some apricot tones, a little bit of stony minerality and a hint of red apple. The wine is light-to-medium-bodied, fizzy and off-dry on the palate with a taste that reminds me very much of funky Normandy ciders. Flavors of bruised cider apple, bretty notes of leather and barnyard, some sweet volatile nail polish tones, a little bit of overripe pear and a hint of herbal bitterness. I have to admit it, this doesn’t taste like wine. Quite high acidity. The finish starts off with an aftertaste of bruised apple and leathery funk, then turning to barnyardy notes of manure, before ending with a moderately pronounced streak of mousy THP. The wine leaves an enjoyably acid-driven yet very disagreeable taste of mousiness in the mouth.

Ugh. A rather unpleasant effort. I’d rather drink funky farmhouse ciders of Normandy any day over this kind of mousy, semi-grape-based caricature of a cider. This tastes more of ideology than terroir. Not worth the 19€. (62 pts.)

Pale, slightly hazy lemon yellow color. Wild and somewhat sweet-toned nose with aromas of fragrant herbs, some yeast, a little bit of quince, light peachy tones, a volatile hint of nail polish and a touch of sweet golden apple. The wine is ripe, lively and medium-to-moderately full-bodied on the palate with juicy and quite wild flavors of sweet golden apples, some candied notes of gummi bear, a little bit of peachy fruit, light yeasty tones, a hint of kiwi and a lifted volatile touch of sweet nail polish. The wine is high in acidity, but there is a hint of roughness and burn to the acidity, suggesting elevated levels of acetic acid. The finish is dry, crunchy and somewhat wild with flavors of juicy golden apples, some herbal bitterness, a little bit of crunchy quince and finally a subtle touch of mousy THP. The mousiness fortunately doesn’t take over the whole aftertaste, but still lends a subtly unclean touch to the finish,k reducing some of the enjoyment.

All in all, a somewhat pleasant, ripe and crunchy little white, but one that feels ultimately a bit too primary, a bit too simple and - most of all - a bit too wild. Had the wine felt cleaner and more balanced, I could’ve imagined it could improve a bit with age, but now, with its elevated levels of ethyl acetate (nail polish) and acetic acid along with the faint mousiness in the aftertaste, I really wouldn’t keep this wine any further. All in all, this was a drinkable effort but one that left a rather lukewarm impression. A smart move from the producer to bottle it in magnum bottles only - now they have to sell only half the amount of bottles to get rid of the stuff. (79 pts.)

  • 2017 Le Batossay Chenin Blanc Pied! - France, Loire Valley, Anjou-Saumur, Anjou (4.6.2020)
    A naturalist Chenin Blanc from Anjou aged in barriques for 1-2 years, depending on the vintage. Vinified without any sulfites. Labeled Vin de France. 11% alcohol.

Medium-deep golden yellow color with a bronze core. Wild and quite volatile nose with lifted aromas of ether, some bruised apple, a little bit of honey, light notes of Play-Doh and an oxidative hint of chopped almonds. The wine is ripe, moderately full-bodied and somewhat wild on the palate with ripe and sunny yet quite dry flavors of apple sauce, juicy citrus fruits, some sweet Bourbon oak, a little bit of pineapple, sweet hints of caramel and beeswax and a volatile touch of ether. The wine is moderately high in acidity, which isn’t much for a Chenin, but still keeps the rather ripe and full-bodied wine pretty nicely in balance. The finish is rich and somewhat wild with flavors of bruised apple, crunchy quince, some sweet oak spice, a little bit of honeyed richness, light nuances of woody bitterness and a toasty hint of something I’d best describe as Champagne-like brioche autolysis.

A rich, distinctive and complex Chenin Blanc, that is quite wild - and not completely for the good. The wine is captivating in its own way, but I’m not entirely sold on the style here. The VA feels a bit too elevated at times, the oak influence feels a bit too high with the slightly Bourbon-y undertones and while the acidity is adequately high to keep the wine in balance, it still is lacking freshness and could use a bit more cut from high acidity. An interesting effort, but honestly - a bit too all over the place. (85 pts.)

  • 2018 Vini Viti Vinci Bourgogne-Aligoté Bréau - France, Burgundy, Bourgogne-Aligoté (4.6.2020)
    A naturalist Aligoté fermented and aged in fiberglass tanks. Bottled unfined and unfiltered with a small addition of sulfites. 12,5% alcohol.

Pale, limpid yellow-green color. Lively, fresh and herbal nose with subtly sweet-toned aromas of citrus fruits, some freshly-picked golden apples, a little bit of fragrant spring flowers, light spicy notes and a hint of leesy yeast. The wine feels lively, crisp and light-to-medium-bodied on the palate, yet with a hint of oily viscosity. At first there seems to be a slightest touch of fizzy CO2 that blows off very fast. Somewhat wild flavors of ripe golden apples, some waxy tones, a little bit of grassy herbal character, light mineral notes of cool stones, wild hints of bretty leather and subtly sweet volatile lift and a juicy touch of white peach. Bright high acidity. The finish is crisp, lively and juicy with long, vibrant flavors of tart green apples, some sweet white peach, a little bit of honeydew melon, light stony mineral tones, a hint of bretty funk and a touch of fresh green herbs.

A fun, fresh and lively Aligoté that feels somewhat ripe and weighty at the same time. The style is obviously pretty natural, but the wine still comes across as pretty clean and conventional, not too weird or funky. Tasty stuff, nothing too serious but nothing to be overlooked either. Good complexity for a young Aligoté. Most likely best drunk in its youth. Nice. (89 pts.)

  • 2017 Vini Viti Vinci Bourgogne Coulanges-la-Vineuse Chanvan - France, Burgundy, Côtes d’Auxerre, Bourgogne Coulanges-la-Vineuse (4.6.2020)
    A naturalist Pinot Noir from Coulanges-la-Vineuse, fermented at least with partial carbonic maceration. Bottled unfined and unfiltered with a small addition of sulfites. 12% alcohol.

Quite translucent dark cherry red with a hint of haze. An attractive mélange of sauvage tones and fresh Pinosity: aromas of fresh cranberries and ripe red cherries, some sappy leafy tones, a little bit of perfumed orange rind character, light raspberry tones, an autumnal hint of forest floor and a bretty touch of funk. Very nice! The wine is wild, light-bodied and at first very slightly fizzy on the palate, although the CO2 disappears rapidly. Flavors of tart lingonberries, quite pronounced sour cherry notes, even a little bit of quinine bitterness, light forest floor tones, a hint of stony minerality and a touch of crunchy redcurrant. The wine is very high in acidity, but also the level of acetic acid seems a bit on the high side, lending some roughness to the palate and a little bit of burn to the throat. The tannins feel very soft, supple and friendly. The finish is somewhat wild, rought and slightly volatile with flavors of farmyard, some acetic roughness, a little bit of tart lingonberry, light stemmy woody notes, a hint of sour cherry bitterness and a sappy touch of raspberry leaf tea. Although pretty clean, the aftertaste feels like it could turn mousy if the bottle was left open overnight…

A quite pleasant, lively and wonderfully crunchy Pinot Noir with a rather wild edge to its flavors. The wine is otherwise quite enjoyable and thirst-quenching in style, but its somewhat rough acetic character takes its toll on the finesse and drinkability. Although I enjoy funky natural wines, I’m sure I’d enjoy this wine more if it was a bit less wild and acetic in style. Good, but not great. (86 pts.)

  • 2017 Vini Viti Vinci Irancy Les Vieilles - France, Burgundy, Côtes d’Auxerre, Irancy (4.6.2020)
    A naturalist Pinot Noir from Coulanges-la-Vineuse, fermented at least with partial carbonic maceration in fiberglass tanks. Aged in old, neutral oak barrels. Bottled unfined and unfiltered with a small addition of sulfites. 12,5% alcohol.

Brooding and somewhat translucent blackish cherry color. Brooding, somewhat dull and quite understated nose with somewhat dusty aromas of crowberries, some iron, light autumnal notes of damp forest, a little bit of Play-Doh and a sweet hint of black cherry. The nose opens up very slowly and never becomes particularly open. The wine is dry, light-to-medium-bodied on the palate with a somewhat austere and a bit tightly-knit feel to it. Flavors of ripe black cherries, some blackberries, a little bit of tough stony minerality, light funky tones, a sweet hint of VA and a touch of herbal bitterness. The flavors don’t seem that open, but instead show some restraint. With its high acidity and firm medium tannins the wine comes across as quite structured and a bit angular, but still not hollow or unpleasant. However, with some air the wine starts to exhibit some acetic roughness. The finish is long, dry and quite angular with moderate tannic grip and somewhat austere flavors of cranberries, some dark crowberries, a little bit of sour cherry bitterness, a hint of crunchy redcurrant and a touch of funk.

A nicely rough, rustic and somewhat angular old-school Irancy. Perhaps a bit closed and tightly-knit at the moment, making me think this wine could really use at least a few more years in a cellar, if not longer, before it hits its drinking window. Shows good promise for future potential. (90 pts.)

Beautifully luminous, translucent and quite youthful ruby red color with the slightest hint of vibrant purple. The sweet-toned nose feels open, playful and very slightly primary with aromas of black cherries, some candied notes of red gummi bear, a little bit of raspberry juice, light crunchy notes of redcurrants, a mineral hint of stone dust and a stemmy touch of savory wood. The wine is fresh and crunchy on the palate with a light-to-medium body and dry flavors of tart red fruits like cranberries and lingonberries, some sweet raspberry-driven fruit, light peppery tones, a little bit of ripe redcurrant, a hint of stony minerality and a lactic touch of creaminess. The overall feel is pure and harmonious with a very silky mouthfeel. The structure relies mostly on the high acidity, not on the soft and easy tannins. The finish is dry, clean and pretty long with the slightest hint of tannic grip and fresh flavors of brambly raspberries, ripe redcurrants, some cherry tones, a little bit of stony minerality and a lactic hint of creaminess.

A very pure, poised and harmonious effort - although perhaps a bit too young: the wine is very primary and fruit-driven in style with the lactic notes of MLF still showing a bit. Most likely the wine could benefit from a year or two of further aging to get its game fully together. Not a challenger for any super-serious red Burgundy, but nevertheless a remarkably delicate and sophisticated example of Irancy. Shows wonderful combination of finesse and playful overall character. Lovely. (91 pts.)

Youthful, somewhat translucent blackish-red color with subtle purplish highlights. Very juicy, fragrant and slightly wild nose that never gets particularly “natty” despite the obvious natural leanings. Succulent aromas of black cherries, boysenberries, some black raspberries, a little bit of stony minerality and a hint of chinotto rind. The nose feels sunny but not particularly sweet; fruit-forward, yet not too primary. The wine is clean, lively and quite fruit-driven on the palate with a medium body. Juicy and somewhat sweet-toned flavors of dark forest fruits, ripe plums, some black raspberries, a little bit of dark grapey fruit, a hint of stony minerality and a touch of slightly sauvage funk. The wine is wonderfully light on its feet with good sense of freshness and balance, thanks to the high acidity. Very easy, soft tannins that contribute to the silky yet enjoyably crunchy texture. The finish is fresh, juicy and fruit-forward with moderately long aftertaste of blackberries and black raspberries, some plummy tones, a little bit of lifted VA, light stony mineral notes and a animale hint of funk.

A stylish, fresh and harmonious Brouilly. Very enjoyable and thoroughly drinkable, although nothing particularly complex or super-impressive for a Cru Bojo. What I must comment, however, was how wonderfully delicate, fine-tuned and precise this was for a wine from such warm vintage. Nice! (90 pts.)

  • 2018 Jean Foillard Morgon Côte du Py - France, Burgundy, Beaujolais, Morgon (4.6.2020)
    A naturalist Morgon vinified in the traditional whole-cluster method for 3-4 weeks. The grapes are sourced from all Foillard vineyards around Morgon, vineyards ranging from 10 to 90 years in age. Aged for 6-9 months in old Burgundy barrels. Bottled with minimal SO2. 14,5% alcohol.

Quite dark and somewhat translucent ruby-red color with a hint of youthful purple. Quite brooding and slightly wild nose with dark-toned aromas of sweet dark plums, some blackberries, a little bit of sun-baked rocks, light lifted notes of sweet VA, a hint of ashtray and a touch of boozy alcohol. The wine is rich, juicy and moderately full-bodied on the palate with intense, dark-toned flavors of plums and black cherries, some sweet strawberries, a little bit of stony minerality, light bitter notes of sour cherries and a hint of sweet balsamic VA. The high alcohol lends a little bit of warmth to the mouthfeel. The overall feel is very clean, fruity and harmonious, but also somewhat heavy and ponderous at the same time. Remarkably silky for a young Morgon, yet not without structure - thanks to the moderately high acidity and firm medium tannins. The finish is juicy, somewhat warm and slightly grippy with rich flavors of fresh black cherries, some dark plummy fruit, a little bit of sweet strawberry, light boysenberry tones, a hint of earthy spice and a touch of sour cherry bitterness. The high alcohol makes the wine end on a rather warm note.

A relatively sophisticated and balanced effort for such a warm vintage Cru Bojo, but there’s no denying that the hot vintage still shows: the wine is very dark-toned and burly for a Gamay with quite dominant and even slightly boozy alcohol, whereas the fruit has a quite sunny and sweet-toned - although not jammy - edge to its fruit. This is better than I expected when I saw the vintage and high alcohol in the label, but still not really representative of the style of Morgon I like. I prefer my wines lighter, drier, lower in alcohol, higher in acidity and simply more drinkable. This is more like a missing link between Bojo Gamay and Southern France Grenache. This is like a Châteauneuf-du-Pape-lover’s Côte du Py - aka. CdP-CdP. You have been warned. (88 pts.)

  • 2018 Jean Foillard Morgon Cuvée Corcelette - France, Burgundy, Beaujolais, Morgon (4.6.2020)
    A naturalist Morgon vinified in the traditional whole-cluster method for 3-4 weeks. The grapes are sourced from old Foillard vineyards in Morgon, averaging 80 years in age. Aged for 6-9 months in old Burgundy barrels and an old oak foudre. Bottled with minimal SO2. 14% alcohol.

Deep, dark and somewhat translucent ruby red color. Ripe and quite lively but also somewhat closed nose with restrained fruit-driven aromas of raspberries, some black cherries, light floral tones and a hint of wild strawberries. The wine is ripe and juicy but also dry and somewhat reticent on the palate with a moderately full body and clean, vibrant flavors of dark forest fruits, some dark plummy fruit, a little bit of stony minerality, light iron notes of blood, a savory hint of meaty umami and a touch of licorice. The overall feel is enjoyably sinewy and structured with the rather high acidity and firm tannins that lend some wonderful firmness and nice grip to the mouthfeel. The finish is ripe, somewhat sweet-toned and quite long with light yet not underwhelming flavors of sweet dark plums and black cherries, some meaty umami, light mineral notes of hot sun-baked rocks, light boysenberry tones, a hint of licorice and a cool, lifted touch of fennel and anise.

A relatively balanced but also somewhat closed and restrained effort for a 2018 Morgon. The hot vintage shows in the dark-toned flavors and quite high alcohol, but the overall feel is nevertheless a bit more savory and less opulent than in Foillard’s Côte du Py 2018. This one shows less sweet-toned fruit and more tannic structure. The overall feel is surprisingly closed, but not particularly underwhelming or mute. It just feels like this wine just needs some years in the cellar before it starts to open up and strut its stuff. Although my preference lies in lighter and brighter Bojos from cooler vintages, I have a hunch this could turn out pretty great if just given enough age. (89 pts.)

  • 2016 Jean Foillard Morgon Cuvée 3.14 - France, Burgundy, Beaujolais, Morgon (4.6.2020)
    The top cuvée Morgon of Foillard, not made in vintages when the fruit is not up to par. Vinified in the traditional whole-cluster method for 3-4 weeks. The grapes are sourced from the Foillard vineyards in Côte du Py (hence the name 3.14, aka “Pi”), vineyards around 100 years in age. Aged for 6-9 months in old Burgundy barrels. Bottled with minimal SO2. 13% alcohol.

Brooding, moderately translucent black cherry color with a subtly plummy hue. Fragrant, wonderfully floral and slightly wild nose with seductive aromas of sweet black raspberries, some ripe red cherries, a little bit of fresh red plums, light floral notes of violets, a bretty hint of animale funk and a touch of dusty earth. The wine is lively, bright and medium-bodied on the palate with dry flavors of red cherries, wild strawberries, some stony mineral tones, a little bit of brambly blackberry, light spicy notes of pepper and allspice, a hint of bretty funk and a touch of floral lift. The wine is obviously quite ripe, but lacks the sweetness and weighty fruit typical of hot vintages. High in acidity with somewhat grippy medium tannins. The finish is long, dry and gently grip with precise, vibrant flavors of tart cranberries, sweeter black cherries, some juicy wild strawberries, light notes of peppery spice, a hint of phenolic smoke and a sanguine touch of iron.

Hands down wonderfully harmonious, delicious and exceptionally precise Morgon. Combines the stern serious structure of Morgon to the sheer drinkability that is typical of a classic Beaujolais Gamay. Despite the subtly funky naturalist undertones, the wine shows terrific sense of precision and purity of fruit. The overall feel is still a bit on the youthful and tightly-knit side, even though the wine isn’t taut or austere in any way. Most likely will benefit from aging and will peak around 10 years of age. Outstanding already now, but will reward further cellaring. Highly recommended. (93 pts.)

  • 2015 Jean Foillard Morgon Athanor - France, Burgundy, Beaujolais, Morgon (4.6.2020)
    Normally 3.14 is the top cuvée Morgon of Foillard, but in 2015 the fruit produced so atypical wine that Foillard made a single one-off wine instead. Vinified in the traditional whole-cluster method for 3-4 weeks. The grapes are sourced from the Foillard vineyards in Côte du Py, around 100 years in age. Aged for 6-9 months in old Burgundy barrels. Bottled with minimal SO2. 16% alcohol.

Concentrated, almost fully opaque blackish-red appearance. Big and very concentrated but also somewhat restrained nose with brooding aromas of wizened dark plums, some stony mineral tones, a little bit of raisiny dark fruit, light perfumed notes of violets, a hint of boozy alcohol and a lifted touch of ethery VA. Overall the nose feels quite ponderous, promising for quite a bruiser. The wine is exceptionally concentrated and rather full-bodied on the palate with intense and surprisingly dry flavors of black cherries, charred game, some burnt hair, a little bit of bretty funk and saddle leather, light stony mineral tones, a hint of dark raisiny fruit and a touch of ripe blackberry. The overall feel seems to turn toward sweetness as the wine approaches the aftertaste, especially after some aeration. The high alcohol lends some obvious warmth to the palate, but not as much as I feared. Overall the wine is quite muscular and stern with its ample, rather grippy tannins and fresh acidity that feels surprisingly high for the ridiculous ripeness here. The finish is warm, rather grippy and very powerful with intense, savory flavors of black cherries, some ripe blackberries, a little bit of charred game, light stony mineral notes, a little bit of blood and a touch of bretty funk. Although the aftertaste is pretty clean, the bretty notes lend such a suggestion that the wine might turn out mousy if left open for too long.

Considering what kind of hulking beast this wine is, this is a surprisingly balanced and sophisticated effort! I was expecting it to be a wine that was something between a jammy Châteauneuf-du-Pape and a raisiny Amarone, but it turned out to be more like a wine that was something between a savory, dark-toned Rhône Grenache and a structured Amarone. So while this was pretty good for what it is, there is very little Gamay here and practically nothing that would point out to Beaujolais. This unique Morgon is an interesting and very well made natural wine by any standards, that’s for sure, but had it been served blind, I’d never have guessed Beaujolais, let alone Foillard. I guess this wine is some sort of testament to everything that was wrong in Beaujolais in 2015 - and how Foillard has managed to turn all that into something very unique. No amount of aging is not going to save this wine from its excessively high alcohol, but maybe some cellaring might turn it from a monolithic bruiser to something with a bit more elegance and poise. This is definitely not a Bojo I’d buy for myself, but it is an exceptional experience that was certainly interesting to taste. (91 pts.)

Very deep, somewhat developed and only slightly translucent pomegranate color. Open, complex and somewhat developed nose with savory aromas of beef jerky, dried flowers, some antique furniture and old dry wood, a little bit of candied orange rind, light cherry tones, a hint of tobacco and a touch of sun-baked earth. Somehow the nose here reminds me quite a bit of Nebbiolo with age. The wine is dry, medium-bodied and somewhat developed on the palate with savory flavors of tobacco, wizened cherries, some dry bretty notes of leather and phenolic spice, light gamey tones, a little bit of stony minerality, a crunchy hint of cranberry and an extracted touch of woody bitterness. The overall feel is quite structured and sinewy with the high acidity and quite stern, rather grippy tannins. The lengthy finish is dry and quite grippy but also enjoyably juicy with bright, developed flavors of cranberries, black cherries, some wizened forest fruits, a little bit of leather, light bitter notes of sour cherries, hints of earth and tobacco and a touch of gamey meat.

An impressive Moulin-à-Vent that feels more serious than playful in style. It is pretty stern and muscular, but at the same time positively lively and even quite light on its feet - a polar opposite of the Desjourneys Morgon 2011 that was more like a ripe and jammy Spanish wine than anything remotely Gamay. The age is slowly starting to show here, but it nevertheless feels like the wine still has some years to go before hitting its plateau of maturity. Very impressive and thoroughly delicious stuff. Very positive surprise, priced according to its quality at 36€. (94 pts.)

Posted from CellarTracker

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Certainly some useful 2018 Bojo data points, looking forward to the next classic vintage [snort.gif]

I remember how worried I was with the 2017 already and based on these experiences 2018 seems be cut from the same cloth…

Let’s see if it’s going to be the same thing with 2019 and 2020 as well. rolleyes

I had some similar comments on 2018 Bouland. Quite ripe.

I can believe that. I had a Bouland Chiroubles 2015 awhile back and while it wasn’t overkill at 13,5%, the style was nevertheless a bit too ripe, sweet and modest in acidity for what I like in Chiroubles.

I have one Bouland Morgon 2016 waiting in my cellar and have high hopes for that one. At least one my friends has said some very promising words on that particular wine and vintage.

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Hi, thanks for this nice report. I had Jules Desjourneys Fleurie (Chapelle de Bois) before (2009 and 2010) and loved it; is it related to this project?

Thanks for the notes, Otto.

Do you know if Athanor is just 3.14 relabeled? Strangely, I got a single bottle of the 2015 Cuvee 3.14 (1 out of 4 on CT, so it seems that this wine hasn’t really been sold anywhere) and can’t find any information on it. Info on Athanor seems sparse too. I bought the Athanor as well, but haven’t tried one. After your note, I’ll probably let that sit for a while longer…

Whoa, did the 2018 Foillard Morgon really come in at 14.5% ABV? I loved the 2016 at 12.5 or so…

There’s information out there if you’re tempted to subscribe to The Wine Advocate! Here is my note:

“Named after an alchemical furnace, the one-off 2015 Morgon Athenor has the same origins as the domaine’s cuvée 3.14, but it was so atypically ripe—attaining fully 15.4% alcohol—that the Foillard family thought it ought to bear a different name. Offering up a deep and brooding bouquet of cherries, wild plums, dark chocolate and fruit compote, it’s full-bodied, rich and powerful, with an ample and muscular chassis of powdery tannin, a generous core of fruit and a long finish. While it’s certainly no lightweight, it has turned out well despite its extreme style. It will be interesting to see how it evolves.”

I think your comment on the wines nodding to southern Rhône Grenache was apposite. 2018s such as Bouland’s and Foillard’s are very well made, and I think they will pick up complexity with age, and age with grace. But, if you want high-toned, tangy Gamay that evokes Pinot from further north, it isn’t a vintage for you.

I think you’ll find that the 2019s, even if they’re more heterogenous than the 2018s, are also more delicate and perfumed, so this may prove to be the vintage that interests you most, given your tastes (which I happen to share), since 2016.

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Yes, this is the label of Fabien Duperray, a longtime wine merchant (distributing producers such as Arnaud Ente, Coche-Dury, Jacky Truchot and Jean-Yves Bizot) who became a winemaker later in his own right in life. His style has evolved quite a lot since 2010, with no new oak in more recent vintages, and I like them even better. But they have been some of the most concentrated, long-haul wines being made in the Beaujolais since the beginning. Fabien’s Mâconnais whites are also worth very attentive attention. He just bought a hectare of La Madone in Fleurie so the journey continues.

Thanks, William! I did find some information online saying that it comes from the same vines as the 3.14, but assumed there may be differences in the winemaking other than the ripe year. I still don’t understand how I found that one bottle of 2015 3.14 (at K&L). Maybe it was labeled as 3.14 first and some bottles got out, but Jean Foillard changed his mind?

You have a bottle physically in your possession?

I can write them to ask.

Yes, I do. It’s in storage, so not easy to take a photo, but I’m 99% sure it says 2015 and it’s the usual red/white label.

Bummer, as I grabbed 4 of these yesterday before seeing this. Oh well, while I’ve enjoy some vintages of this wine more than others, I’ve always (even in 2015) found the Foillard Cote du Py to be plenty tart/juicy/acidic and “red-fruited” for me to enjoy, and I can’t imagine this is any less acidic than the '15…But I’m just waiting for the perfect vintage to come along so I can pick up cases and cases and magnums of this wine…as I did in '16, but they’re mostly gone already.

Yeah, the Foillard wines seemed structured enough to be capable of aging for a long time, so I can imagine they will continue to improve for years more. They just aren’t wines made in a style I enjoy - I want Beaujolais to feel like a Rhône Grenache as much as I want a Burgundy to feel like Rhône Grenache. Gamay might pull that trick more effortlessly than Pinot Noir, which is bound to feel just blowzy and pruney, but it still really isn’t my cup of tea. While Gamay handles very ripe fruit quite easily, the high alcohol and dropping levels of acidity bother me a lot.

I think you’ll find that the 2019s, even if they’re more heterogenous than the 2018s, are also more delicate and perfumed, so this may prove to be the vintage that interests you most, given your tastes (which I happen to share), since 2016.

Thanks for the information, sounds promising! Any data points on which producers fared better and which did not, if heterogeneity is to be expected?

Yes, this is the label of Fabien Duperray, a longtime wine merchant (distributing producers such as Arnaud Ente, Coche-Dury, Jacky Truchot and Jean-Yves Bizot) who became a winemaker later in his own right in life. His style has evolved quite a lot since 2010, with no new oak in more recent vintages, and I like them even better. But they have been some of the most concentrated, long-haul wines being made in the Beaujolais since the beginning. Fabien’s Mâconnais whites are also worth very attentive attention. He just bought a hectare of La Madone in Fleurie so the journey continues.

Do you have any idea how much oak Duperray used with the first vintages? I was expecting this vintage to be quite burly and oaky, but it turned out to be quite contrary to my expectations - which I did not mind one bit! I’ve also had the 2007 Fleurie some years back, and that was quite fresh and pure-fruited in style as well, showing very little obvious oak influence.

Well fortunately the wine certainly had quite a bit of acidity, so that will take care of the tart and acidic part. However, at 14,5% with such dense, brooding dark-fruited overall taste and rather Grenache-y feel, I think it takes quite a bit of imagination to make this wine feel like red-fruited. Even the Alex Foillard 2018 that was tasted alongside was pretty brooding and dark-toned in style, even though it was fresh and crunchy with noticeably lighter body, higher acidity and lower alcohol. It feels like it was nigh impossible to make bright, crunchy, red-fruited Gamay in Beaujolais in 2018…

I hear you. And I think many of the better producers would agree with you, at least in private.

Thanks for the information [on 2019], sounds promising! Any data points on which producers fared better and which did not, if heterogeneity is to be expected?

I would say, the usual suspects. A wine that really exemplifies how elegant 2019 can be is the regular Clos de la Roilette cuvée. It’s the most “Fleurie-styled” wine from them for several years.

Note that some 2019s will be bottled later as producers still have plenty of stock of 2018 to sell.

Do you have any idea how much oak Duperray used with the first vintages? I was expecting this vintage to be quite burly and oaky, but it turned out to be quite contrary to my expectations - which I did not mind one bit! I’ve also had the 2007 Fleurie some years back, and that was quite fresh and pure-fruited in style as well, showing very little obvious oak influence.

Maybe 20% IIRC? But in any case, the quality of the oak was always very good - Fabien knows what he is doing in that regard, as is evidenced by his whites. I am not convinced that Gamay ever needs any new oak (a position Duperray has come around to), but I also suspect that poorly adapted barrels are a factor in why so much oaky Beaujolais ends up being a train wreck. The leading local cooper is Dargaud et Jaegle in Romanèche, whose barrels are popular and work well in the Mâconnais (e.g. chez Daniel Barraud), but which often seem to contribute very lactone-rich, coconutty aromas to Beaujolais.