…the Gamays of Alain Coudert

Winemaker Alain Coudert uses a farming method called “Lute Raisonnée” or the reasoned struggle. Growers who practice this kind of viticulture use chemicals less often and less aggressively than conventional growers. For Alain that means he uses the least amount of chemical intervention possible.

They also work the soil manually twice a year. Alian says of their tilling methods:
“…only superficially because I honestly think we’d rip the vines right out of the ground otherwise (especially the really old parcels). The idea of passing a tractor through the 80 year old vines that make the Cuvée Tardive, it’s just impossible!”

In the cellar his vinification is the traditional, semi-carbonic Beaujolais style. Whole cluster grapes are put in a sealed vat. The juice from the grapes crushed at the bottom starts fermenting, and the resulting CO2, now trapped in the vat starts an intracellular carbonic maceration within the whole clusters. He also does some temperature control and uses native yeasts.

Ultimately Courdert wants his wine to reflect the land and tradition of Fleurie. He is always looking for freshness and fruit in his wines.

With his “Cuvée Tardive” he set out to make a Gamay that is more than youthful. The fruit from 80 year old vines creates a wine that you can age and it really shows off what a classic Gamay can offer.

The Wines of Clos de la Roilette