Clos de la Roilette Fleurie Cuvée Tardive

In the 1960s, a famous study was carried out at Stanford University in the United States with four-year-old children who were faced with the dilemma of eating a snack there and then or waiting 20 minutes and getting two snacks. While some of the group gave in and devoured their longed-for treat, the rest decided to wait and were rewarded with two sweets. Under this same premise of “good things come to those who wait” Alain Coudert has become one of the most recognised producers in the AOC Fleurie, in Beaujolais. He even made the point in the name of his wine Clos de la Roilette Fleurie Cuvée Tardive, which means ‘late’ in French. Not because it is harvested overripe or because it has a different fermentation process, but because this wine needs more time to develop in the bottle.

Made from eighty-year-old vineyards growing on clay and granite soil, Clos de la Roilette Fleurie Cuvée Tardive is a single-variety Gamay from the AOC Fleurie. These vines are cultivated using sustainable techniques, respecting the environment and in a traditional way. When the grapes reach optimum ripeness, they are harvested manually and taken straight to the winery. There, the grapes ferment in whole bunches with native yeasts in open neutral wood vats and a submerged cap. Maceration takes approximately 18 days and aging is carried out in old foudres for 12 months before bottling.

With the name Tardive, Alain is letting us know that we need to wait for Clos de la Roilette Fleurie Cuvée Tardive to mature in order to enjoy it at its best (between 5 and 7 years). Although if you’re someone who struggles to wait, don’t worry, it will also be nice if you open it straight away.