Louis/Dressner Day 5: Coudert Fleurie of course!
I could not in good conscience represent Louis/Dressner this week without offering out this, our favorite of all Beaujolais offerings: the 2024 Clos de la Roilette, Fleurie.
As comfortable as your favorite pair of slippers, Clos de la Roilette has a way of settling in immediately, familiar and reassuring from the first pour, this is a wine that never disappoints me. Today it’s only 750ml, but it’s also fun in 1.5l, 3l, and 6l. If you’re interested, let me know, I know a guy.
The 2024 bottling bridges the gap between timeless and contemporary with uncommon ease. It carries all the classic hallmarks that have made Clos de la Roilette one of the great producers of Fleurie for generations: deep, dark Gamay fruit, violets, earth, a little spice, and that unmistakable silken texture that seems to glide rather than sit on the palate. But there is also a touch of the modern here in a faintly natty edge, just enough wildness to keep things lively and energetic without ever losing an overarching sense of calm.
There is an honesty to Clos de la Roilette that I love. Nothing exaggerated, nothing forced — just beautifully grown fruit translated with confidence and restraint. It drinks effortlessly while still offering plenty to think about, equally suited to a quiet Tuesday evening or a bottle share with wine friends.
Simply put, this remains one of the most important wines in all of Beaujolais, year after year. So we offer it, year after year. It is as much part of the orbit of Gordon’s as it is Louis/Dressner. I can’t personally think of any one of the three existing without the other two, which is an actual good three-body-problem to have.
