2023 Alex Foillard Beaujolais-Villages, France

Finesse, purity and delicious flavours are the watchwords of this beautiful vintage. It is a Beaujolais Villages focused on red and black fruits and menthol aromas that give the wine great freshness. On the palate it is tasty and marked by a controlled acidity.

Alex may be young, but his wines show plenty of wisdom and depth. In fact, Alex’s Beaujolais-Villages is a sort of tightrope act, looking for that Guy Breton-esque burst of airy pleasure, mixed with a, dare I say it, Jean Foillard-like depth and grip. I was hoping to avoid adding the inevitable mention of Jean when speaking about Alex’s wines, but I just can’t help but think of this as the most compelling and delicious Beaujolais cross-pollination one could wish for.