There is a little domaine in Beaujolais which I love every aspect of, and buy all I can from every vintage. First there's the label, featuring an off-yellow color scheme and picturing the winemaker's horse. Quirky, yet oddly beautiful and oh so endearing. Second (and of course more importantly), is the wine itself: an old-school, classic Gamay that has the capacity to age for decades, or be drunk with abandon in its youth. A rare and remarkable combination found in so few wines.
I've harped on pricing recently, an issue which I'm reluctant to keep repeating, but these are some of the truly great wines of France, whose prices have barely budged since I started buying them decades ago. Wines of this caliber, class, and sophistication, at this price are becoming more scarce with each passing vintage.
Today, I'm excited to showcase the incredible wines from Fleurie's historic Clos de la Roilette. |
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'La Griffe du Marquis' Fleurie 2022 $49.99
The domaine's top wine and smallest production. Sourced from a special selection of the estate's oldest vines, some close to a century old. The grapes are hand harvested and fermented semi-carbonically in the traditional Beaujolais style. Aged for two years in French barriques before being bottled un-fined and unfiltered. Always the last wine to be released.
Textural and enveloping, this is Beaujolais at it's very best. Velvety layers of black cherry, blackberry compote, baking spice and perfumed violets bloom on the expressive nose. The lush, mouth-coating palate leads with an array of black fruit followed by tart raspberries, white pepper and an elegant lavender note. Vintage after vintage, this is one of my all-time favorite wines.
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'Cuvée Tardive' Fleurie 2023 $36.99
From a minuscule parcel of 90-year-old vines directly in front of the winery, the clay heavy soils lend richness and texture to this wine. Semi-carbonic fermentation with a submerged cap is followed by 9 months aging in large, 80-100 year old foudres. Bottled without finning of filtering.
A deep garnet color with intense aromas of black cherry, violets, crushed stone, flinty smoke, and black pepper. The rich, almost creamy palate is earthy and floral with flavors of black raspberry and crushed strawberry. There's a wonderful graphite note on the concentrated and remarkably long finish. An elegant and age-worthy wine that will drink beautifully with a quick decant, or a few years in your cellar.
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Fleurie 2023 $29.99
The house Fleurie is sourced from 40 year-old vines grown on a mix of granite and clay soils. Grapes are fermented whole-cluster, again using semi-carbonic maceration. The wine is bottled after 8 months of aging in large, used foudre, like the 'Cuvée Tardive'.
A youthful and exuberant wine with bright red cherry and raspberry on the nose, followed by violet, pencil shavings and a touch of cracked pepper. The invigorating, juicy palate is flush with black cherry, raspberry, crunchy minerals and plenty of fresh acidity. A lip-smacking red I love to drink with a slight chill.
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Clos de la Roilette, located in the village of Fleurie, covers nine hectares over some of the best slopes in Beaujolais. The 'Clos' is an east-facing vineyard bordering the Cru of Moulin-à-Vent. A singular and special place in Beaujolais which produces wines that are beautiful when young, but also have the capacity to evolve over years in bottle.
In the 1920s, when the appellation of Fleurie was created, the former owner of the estate was infuriated at the loss of the Moulin-à-Vent appellation, under which the winery had previously been classified. At that time, Moulin-à-Vent was considered the top appellation in Beaujolais. In a fit of rage, he created a label using a photograph of his racehorse, Roilette, and used the name Clos De La Roilette on his wines, without a mention of Fleurie.
Since 1967, the estate has been helmed by Fernand Coudert and his son Alain. The Couderts say the combination of distinct terroir and ancient vines account for the richness and longevity their wine. |
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3-PACK PRICE - $116.97
*SPECIAL NEWSLETTER PRICE - $106.97
To order, reply directly to this email or call me at 843.576.4845
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Justin Coleman Proprietor Monarch Wine Merchants |
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