2020 Alex Foillard, Brouilly, Beaujolais, France

Producer: Young winemaker with a degree in viticulture & Oenology, his father Jean Foillard taught him respect of the land & responsible farming, as he follows in the footsteps of his father, working hard in the vineyard & very low intervention in the cellar. He has acquired 2 hectares of vines between Brouilly & Côtes de Brouilly – at 25 years of age he achieved his first harvest in 2016.

Place: Brouilly is the largest of the Crus in Beaujolais AOC in France. This is the most southern of all Crus, with slightly warmer temps. The fruit in this cuvee come from the north-facing lieu-dit La Folie, which has the reputation of being an incredibly windy vineyard, so windy that the top soil gets swept up.

Soil: granite with a volcanic rock called Diorite, also known as cornes vertes ‘green horns’.

Varietal: Gamay

Farming: Organic practicing

Winemaking: hand-harvested, whole-cluster fermentation with natural yeast in concrete tank for 21 days, aged for 6 months in 50% concrete/ 50%barrel, no filtration, no additives, a little sulfur at bottling, then rested in bottle for another 6 months.