The racehorse emblem on the Clos de Roilette label is a truly iconic image, and the estate has been an important holding in Beaujolais for nearly a century. For good reason, too! The Coudert family... Read More

The racehorse emblem on the Clos de Roilette label is a truly iconic image, and the estate has been an important holding in Beaujolais for nearly a century. For good reason, too! The Coudert family has been working the vines and meticulously crafting excellent Fleurie for over 50 years, putting forth a style of wine distinct from nearly every other producer in the Cru. Theirs are wines of great finesse, but also great power, and their approach is staunchly traditional: semi-carbonic maceration, indigenous yeasts, minimal intervention in both the vineyard and the cellar.. This is exceptional Cru Beaujolais that will put to bed any notions of Beaujolais as a silly, insipid wine or a clever marketing ploy.

When some geographic borders were shifted in the 1920s, and the Fleurie appellation was created, the original landowner was incensed to lose the prestigious Moulin-à-Vent appellation, with which the estate borders. He created a label without a single mention of Fleurie, festooned with his favorite equine. In 1967, the land was sold to the Coudert family; Alain Coudert has been vigneron here since the 1980s, after taking over the reins from his father.

While the Clos de Roilette bottle now proudly reads "Fleurie", the wine is perhaps closer to its original appellation than its current. Its terroir points more solidly to Moulin-à-Vent, with its manganese-rich clay soil and little granite to be found, these are unlike any other Fleurie we know. These are powerful wines: they echo with dark, brambly fruit and unmistakable structure. Velvety in texture and gently spicy, they are as enticing today as they will be in a decade.