Jean Foillard Morgon Côte de Py / 2023 / 750mL

The Jean Foillard Morgon Côte du Py 2023 is a Gamay from Beaujolais that trades on perfume and drive rather than sheer power. It sits in the deeper, more savoury end of the Morgon spectrum, with dark red fruit and a distinctly mineral undertow.

The nose leads with morello cherry, cranberry and crushed raspberry, then turns earthier — dried violets, black tea leaf and a faint whiff of iron. Air brings out something almost peppery. On the palate the fruit is juicy and unforced, the ripeness of the warm 2023 season showing as depth of flavour rather than weight, held in check by fresh acidity.

Tannins are fine and powdery, closer to silk than grip, and the wine finishes long and dry with a stony, slightly bitter twist that keeps you reaching for the glass. Medium-bodied throughout, and better served with a light chill than at room temperature.

Roast duck, coq au vin, charcuterie and a wedge of Comté all work well, as does anything off the barbecue with a bit of char. It also handles mushroom risotto and roast pumpkin for the vegetarians at the table.

Drinking beautifully now, and this Morgon Côte du Py has the structure and acid line to develop in the cellar for five to eight years, gaining the game and forest-floor character that good Gamay earns with time.