FLEURIE CLOS DE LA ROILETTE

From a famous little corner of Fleurie, but ironically the word 'Fleurie' does not dominate their iconic yellow labels, this is because the domaine was created before the Fleurie Appellation existed and the label still retains the original, classic design! In fact up until 1926 the vineyard owners felt they were in Moulin a Vent and were a little disappointed to be put in to the 'new-fangled' Fleurie appellation, The soils here are an unusual mix of manganese and clay, this gives wines with more structure and power than most Fleuries. This wine is named after a favourite racehorse 'La Roilette' owned by a previous owner of the farm in the early 1900s. This is why the unchanged label from the 1920s carries the silhouette of a horse's head. The Couderts own the largest part of this old estate, and pick from old vines at maximum maturity to make fully coloured wines with great juicy richness. They are without doubt one of the finest domaines in the Beaujolais.