Date: 1 December 2014
Wine: Clos de la Roilette 2013 Beaujolais Fleurie Cuvée Tardive
Origin: Fleurie, Beaujolais, France

Revelation:
I remember my first taste of a Clos de la Roilette wine. It was 2003, and I was on a one-month hiatus from my then-boyfriend. I’d bought a half case of wine for evenings with gal pals and the occasional glass of reality-denial. Funny enough, I pitied him for not being available to share that wine. Darn. It was good.

Every time since that I have seen this wine’s mustard yellow label, I remember that Sunday night and its relevatory experience. Thank heavens, I’ve moved on from the boy. Happily, I continue to enjoy this producer’s wines.

This particular vintage is especially true to its “Cuvée Tardive” name. It is riper and darker in fruit flavors than I would expect for most Beaujolais, especially for Fleurie. In a Fleurie, I expect bright red fruits and filigree-like texture. This particular bottling is more firmly stern – more like a Rhône than a Burgundy. Which, of course, is a perfect transition between the two regions, especially as this is old vine Beaujolais that provides greater concentration.

And, old vines are precisely what much of the region’s renaissance is about. Even if slightly atypical for its appellation, this is a wine not to be missed, even if you don’t get around to drinking it for a bit. It will definitely blossom (ahem…Fleurie, or “flowering”, pun intended) in bottle.