The Lapierre MMIX was the only 2009 I found over the top. I haven’t had it recently to see what’s happened to it, though - could turn out just fine. I’m still convinced this will go down as a legendary vintage. I like 2011 a lot - it was undersold - have not had good luck with 2010 - it was oversold…
On the nose you can smell/sense the crispness of the 13 vintage. On palate its a touch woody and clumsy. It has the sour cream fruit of Foillard and it seems a touch of sulfur or something that dries it out a bit.
Finish is longer than the 14 Corcelette or the 14 Lapierre. Pleasant fruit and flavor on the finish.
Overall my recollection was I liked it less than the other Foillard bottlings. Even though its not in my note, austere is the word that stuck in my head. I need to try again, this weekend. I have the 13 & 14 vintages.
I think these grapes come from the highest elevation in Morgon.
Julian, I have had the 2013 and 2014 Les Charmes several times and it is lovely wine. Les Charmes is, indeed, the highest altitude lieu-dit in Morgon, which seems to contribute some additional brightness and freshness to the wine, but it has good flesh on the palate and is somewhat more supple than even Corcelette. It is a prettier, more open and easy cuvee than CdP or Corcelette. FWIW, Jean-Foillard made a Beaujolais-Villages cuvee in 2016, which I have not yet tried, but which may make for entry to good Foillard at about half the price of the crus.
Generally speaking there is no requirement to wait on these; they can be magic right out of the gate. I haven’t tried the 16s but reports are they are quite good.
I’ve tried the Cote du Py and Corcelette side by side the last two vintages (2015, 2016). I’ve enjoyed both but would go with the Py if I could only have one.
In my experience, the Corcelette is pretty and more red fruit oriented while the Py is a bit darker and more mineral. Both lovely wines and very drinkable.
I prefer the style of the 2016s to the 2015s. I was afraid when I saw the higher listed alcohol percentages on the 2015s but the wines didn’t show it.
As to aging, I’ve only had them young but plan on drinking the rest of what I have with some age on it as I’ve heard they age quite well. Maybe over the next 5-10+ years.
Does anyone know why the name of the 3.14 cuvee was changed to Athanor? I wasn’t sure if it was a new cuvee but was told it’s a renaming. I was tempted to give it a try since I haven’t had the 3.14 but was scared off by the listed 15.5% on the label. I’m speaking of the 2015 for this wine.
the wine you are referring to is a one off cuvee made on account of the high degree of maturity reached in 2015, not a replacement of the 3.14. i suspect the athanor is a blend of the ripest grapes among all the parcels. 3.14 comes from the oldest vines in the cote du puy vineyard. i have not tasted the athanor but i can’t imagine it being comparable to 3.14 or any other wine foillard has made, hence the need to create a new wine.
this is about all the information i could find about it: “Ainsi, en 2015, Jean Foillard produira la cuvée les Athanors (fourneaux utilisés par les alchimistes). Un vin issu de vignes ayant bénéficié bien malgré elles d’un mûrissement exceptionnel, atteignant des degrés potentiels d’alcool anormalement élevés pour la région.”