Clos de la Roilette Fleurie 2023

Cellar for up to 7 years. No need to decant. Can be served lightly chilled. The Coudert family are a household name in the prestigious Beaujolais cru of Fleurie thanks to their exceptionally well-sited vineyards which are blessed with an ideal microclimate and soil conditions for growing Gamay. Clos de la Roilette is a historically significant Beaujolais producer which had fallen into disrepair by the 1960s when it was purchased by Fernand Coudert. Fernand replanted many of the vineyards and soon gained international recognition for his peppery, dark fruited Fleuries which rank among the region’s finest. In 1984 Fernand’s son, Alain, joined the family business and today he is the estate’s winemaker. His work has built on his father’s legacy, using the excellent quality fruit produced in their vineyards to make impressively age-worthy Fleurie wines which reveal the full potential of the Gamay grape. The Clos de la Roilette Fleurie is characterised by a dark fruit nose peppered with sweet spice, smoke and black olives. The first sip reveals a meaty full body, fine structure and ripe crushed berry flavours and hints of licorice and menthol which linger long on the tongue. The Couderts use semi-carbonic fermentation in open wooden barrels to emphasise the freshness of the Gamay grape followed by a short period of maturation in oak to harmonise and polish the finished wine before bottling.

Price: £15.26 from 8wines UK