Ever since I first tasted the wines of Jean Foillard as a young and ambitious wine geek two decades ago, I have introduced those not yet initiated to the collection by way of the Côte du Py.

This is the wine to begin with. It is the wine to understand Foillard and how the "Gang of Four" (Jean joined by Marcel Lapierre, Jean-Paul Thévenet, and Guy Breton) changed the perception of Beaujolais from cheap, fruity, bubble-gum juice that wasn't to be taken seriously into the elegant and respected wine it is today.

This wine has a beautiful, perfumed nose, bright and lively acidity that dances on the palate and a subtle texture that at first glance barely seems present, but reveals itself more and more with each sip until you're faced with a wine of impressive structural complexity.