Clos de la Roilette Fleurie 2019
Background
We don’t often talk about wine labels, but we LOVE this old-school classic. Famous among Bojo fans, this bottle is recognizable from across the room. The story of the label goes like this: in the 1920’s when the Crus were being split and given their official appellation status, the border between Fleurie and Moulin-a-Vent (France’s favourite Cru) was drawn right down the Roilette property line. Roilette was left out of the prestigious Moulin-a-Vent appellation. The frustrated land owner decided he would rather name the wine after his favourite horse, “Roilette” than label it as Fleurie.
Time moved on, and by the 1960s most of the Roilette vineyards had been abandoned and left wild. This when the current ownership, The Coudert family, bought the vineyards and brought them back to life with the kind of attentive agriculture that Bojo is known for.
Tasting Notes
Today, the Roilette vines are between 30 and 80 years old. The amount of whole cluster inclusion and carbonic maceration changes vintage to vintage, but the wine always seems to have lush dark fruit and meaty, smokey, peppery flavours reminiscent of Northern Rhone Syrah.
Often seen as the best wine in Fleurie, the Clos de la Roilette has become a highly sought-after commodity. The 1999 Roilette is written about with almost mythical reverence, and if you can find it, is seen as one of the best expressions of Gamay on the planet. Unsurprisingly, we couldn’t find any 99 (sorry…) but we think the 2019 is great and is far more accessible and has been included in our previous wine pack deliveries.
Food Pairing
Garbure -This is a very traditional dish in this part of France. It’s a humble stew of white beans, pork (ham, or pork hock, usually) and cabbage. The bowl is topped with a piece of baguette smothered in melted Gruyere cheese. The locals will finish their bowl by dropping in a few sips of red wine, mixing everything up and slurping it down.
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