Tasted with Alain Coudert in Fleurie, 10 February 2022.
Domaine Clos de la Roilette
Clos de la Roilette
69820 Fleurie
Tel: +33 4 74 69 84 37
www.clos-de-la-roilette.com
More reports with Domaine Clos de la Roilette
Alain on the recent vintages:
“In 2021 we managed to produce about 40 hl/ha – a ‘correct’ volume though we certainly lost production in a couple of places because of the frost. 2020 was more abundant – about 50 hl/ha – and I think we can be very happy with that. Our Brouilly is from the side of the appellation that had a bit of rain, so the vines didn’t suffer too much – fortunately – because the southern part had none, for weeks! If 2021 is a smaller volume vintage, 2020 is a rich vintage!”
The wines…
Alain is Mr Consistency – I could happily buy a mixed case of his weines each year…
All wines from 2020 are now bottled:
2020 Brouilly
The vines come from the maternal side of the family, but it’s only a small parcel, harvested 22 August.
Deep, ripe dark fruit – but with freshness, not excess. Wide – lovely open flavours, melting over the palate. That’s lovey, wine, indeed delicious, mouth-watering in the finish. Excellent!
2020 Fleurie Cuvée Christie
Parcels in Champagne And Deduits blended
That’s very broad – a mixture of flowers and herbs. Extra concentration – layered flavour – the herb/floral complexity here too. Give this a little time in the cellar – the finish is the best part today.
2020 Fleurie Les Garands
Not yet commercialised – had this parcel just 2 years
This is also broad – this time even fresher with dark fruit and a little iron augmenting the herbs and flowers. Extra intensity in the middle and finishing flavours – that’s really super.
Ooh – now that’s got a great floral component – very pure dark fruit too. More relaxed over the palate – mobile, deliciously mouth-watering flavour. Holding so impressively in the finish – great Fleurie.
2020 Clos de la Roilette Cuvée Tardive
Parcels here in Roilette from old vines of at least 70-years-old “Really the cuvée to drink a little later – but I don’t write vieilles vignes because it really doesn’t mean that much.” 90% elevage in foudres for about 8 months. The name tardive is not because they choose later harvesting, rather because these vines take longer to mature.
Again a super depth – here more vibrantly fresh. An ease over the palate, smooth, mouth-watering, less incisive than the last but probably because there’s extra concentration. Supple and never heavy – just a mm or two extra cushioning. Extra finishing sucrosity – it’s really impressive but I slightly prefer the sleeker lines of the last wine this year. Carafe this if opening now.
The stamp of the Marquis on this wax-topped, sommelier bottle. The same vines as tardive but matured in older barrels for 1 year before assembly into tank for 3 months. First produced in 2009.
More vertical – deep and high toned here – the same (Fleurie!) blend of flowers and herb. Hmm – more vibrant and pure, more direct than the Tardive. Similar sucrosity to the tardive – it’s the same base wine – but the shape and energy is different here from the elevage.
And for the road – and the pleasure:
2016 Clos de la Roilette Griffe du Marquis
That’s already got a lovely width of quite developed aroma – plenty of fine sous bois. Wide, fresh, nicely incisive – cool and with a fine texture. Slowly a little tannin rises to bring a more velour texture. Slowly fading – not finish of power but one of delicious and elegant length.
2014 Clos de la Roilette Griffe du Marquis
Much more floral a little extra dryness to the finishing tannin but only that. Another super wine.