Historic Vintage, Cult Beaujolais
2009 Foillard Morgon 3,14
Only Bottles in the Country
For those interested in just how good Beaujolais can be, Foillard's 3,14 is something that you have to check out.
The only issue is that it's one of the more difficult bottles to find. The bottles on offer today are the only ones in the country.
It's this elusiveness that makes Foillard's epic 3,14 one of the bottles that you're most likely to see in wine geeks' luggage when they return from Paris, right there with Overnoy/Houillon's impossible to find Vin Jaune.
In a great vintage like 2009, it seems even more necessary to grab some bottles. Luckily, today there's no need for a ticket to Charles de Gaulle.
For the past few vintages, we've worked hard to secure 3,14. The wine is capable of such impressive heights that it really needs to be part of the way people think about Beaujolais in this country.
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3,14 is the pinnacle of Morgon's best site, the Côte du Py. Côte du Py is known for producing some the most beautifully wild cherry scented, elegant and most ageworthy Beaujolais.
Foillard is known for his deft hand at rendering Morgons and Fleuries of unparalleled purity, silky texture and subtle, complex layers of fruit, mineral, and spice.
In 3,14, Foillard presents his magnum opus. The wine takes Foillard's style and brings it to a whole new level of not only depth and complexity, but also poise and elegance.
3.14 debuted in 2003 and it is made only in vintages that Foillard thinks will make a distinctly interesting wine separate from his regular Côte du Py. 3,14 comes from the oldest vines, the most beautiful fruit and the best parcels. There's an overall greater sense of pampering even in light of his usual careful, uber-conscientious winemaking. Foillard also holds the release back three years.
In the context of Beaujolais, 3,14 isn't inexpensive. However, it's one of the region's elite bottles - it has very few, if any, peers. At $54.95 on bottles and $52.50 on 4-packs, the price is very fair for the quality. That's not to mention the low yields, the careful hand harvesting and the late release. 2009 3,14 was just released in May, which is when many producers were releasing their 2011s. Such an uncompromising pursuit of quality should be rewarded with a price that matches the cost of production and the quality.
I've been lucky enough to have tasted every 3,14 that Foillard has made besides the 2003 and I've never had one that has been even close to peak maturity. I last tasted the 04 in 2010 and it was still young and vibrant. 2009 3,14 should have no trouble seeing its tenth birthday and will likely go beyond it.
The 2009 vintage has been well chronicled here (to say nothing of the serious love its gotten from wine geeks, Burgundy collectors and a whole new generation of wine lovers) - no other vintage since 2005 has achieved such intense concentrations, such dense mineral structures. This is the sort of vintage that happens very rarely.
Foillard's 3,14 represents the most ambitious work of one the region's best and most sensitive winemakers. It is one of the most memorable and captivating bottles of Beaujolais you'll drink.
To order, please email us at offers@crushwineco.com or call the store at (212) 980-9463.
Joe Salamone
Wine Buyer
Crush Wine & Spirits