At A Glance
- Field
- Detail
- Region
- Beaujolais
- Village and appellation
- Fleurie
- Signature wine
- Clos de la Roilette Fleurie
- Defining feature
- Alain Coudert and Alexis Coudert working in the same family line
The Producer
Alain Coudert has made the wines at Clos de la Roilette since 1984, and his son Alexis has recently joined him. The estate takes its name from a named place in Fleurie, while its standard Fleurie cuvée is part of the range. The range includes Cuvée Tardive and Griffe du Marquis, two bottlings that move further into ageing and barrel treatment.
Place
The Clos de la Roilette named place covers roughly nine to ten hectares on one of the best slopes in Fleurie. Fleurie is one of the Beaujolais Crus, so the village name identifies a cru wine within Beaujolais. The label combines the estate name with the Fleurie appellation, linking the bottle to both a specific place and its village cru.
Soil And Site
Heavy clay and granite are the named ground types. Clay can retain water, while granite generally drains faster, changing how water moves around the roots and how fruit ripens. These physical differences can affect body, acidity and fruit character in wine.
Story
In 1984, Alain Coudert assumed winemaking responsibilities at Clos de la Roilette. His son Alexis has recently joined him, bringing a second generation into the estate's work. The current family line therefore runs from Alain Coudert's long tenure to an active handover under the same Fleurie name.
Vineyards And Cellar
Griffe du Marquis comes from the same old vines that produce Cuvée Tardive and is vinified and aged exclusively in Burgundian barrels. A Burgundian barrel is an oak vessel, and ageing in oak can add spice, texture and gradual oxygen exposure to a wine. The old vines give both cuvées a shared vineyard origin, while the barrel treatment separates Griffe du Marquis in the cellar.
Wines
The standard Fleurie is a listed wine. Cuvée Tardive needs more ageing time and has greater longevity than the regular Fleurie. Griffe du Marquis is the barrel aged bottling from the same old vines. Across the wines, bottles can be beautiful when young and have the capacity to age five to ten years depending on vintage conditions.
In The Glass
The standard Fleurie has a deep blackcurrant colour with purple hints. It brings cassis, black cherry and a nutty character, with a rich, full palate.
The 2020 vintage is spicy, juicy and lightly savoury, with layers of dark cherry, raspberry, pomegranate and tobacco leaf carried by sappy acidity. The 2024 vintage is spicy and vibrant, with the crisp bite associated with that Beaujolais vintage.
A Bottle To Understand It
Choose Clos de la Roilette Fleurie 2024. It is the standard cuvée, giving the first taste through the central Fleurie bottling before the range moves toward longer ageing or exclusive Burgundian barrel treatment. Its spicy, vibrant profile and crisp bite place the vintage directly in the glass.
Anecdote
In 1910, the original owner's prized race horse was named Roilette. The name was adopted for the vineyard label, moving from a horse to the named place in Fleurie and then onto the estate's wines. The label history is unusually direct: one prized animal supplied the word that now identifies Clos de la Roilette, its standard Fleurie, Cuvée Tardive and Griffe du Marquis. The label dates back to 1910.
Final Word
Clos de la Roilette keeps Fleurie at the centre of a family winemaking line that now includes Alain Coudert and Alexis Coudert, with bottles ranging from the standard cuvée to old vine and Burgundian barrel expressions.