The ANTI-Nouveau
Long-Haul Beaujolais Magnums
2011 Roilette Fleurie
"Cuvée Tardive" MAGNUMS
At this point there's not much left to say about Roilette and the epic Cuvée Tardive. It's a bottle that's gone cult, and for good reason.
Tardive represents Beaujolais at its most soulful, its most ageworthy and most profound.
It's also one of the Beaujolais that a huge number people buy each and every vintage. Personally, and I've said this many times before, if I had to reduce my Beaujolais buying to a single wine, it would be Tardive.
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The wine is that good and it may be without peer when it comes to the way it ages. This is why each year we offer magnums in addition to 750s. The way wines age in magnums is just better.
And, thankfully, Roilette's Tardive is very fairly priced, so taking the plunge on mags isn't as painful to the wallet as this format can often be.
It's Friday, it's summer and it's Tardive, so I'll try to wrap this up quickly.
In 2011, Tardive has its classic profile of dark fruits (black cherries, mulberries, plums), olives, licorice, smoke, mint, a complex array of flowers and a meaty quality. The 2011 has round, vibrant fruit with a nice complementing freshness. If you think about a cross of 2009 and 2010 Tardive, you get a fairly accurate picture.
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Tardive comes from two parcels of eighty-year-old vines (Roilette's oldest) and their age certainly contributes to the wine's depth and complexity. When you visit Roilette, the owner Alain Coudert is quick to point out another factor: it's more Moulin-a-Vent than Fleurie; the vines lie just beyond the tree line that separates the two appellations. Moulin-a-Vent is known as the "king of Beaujolais" for its complexity and ageworthiness. And that's exactly what you find in Tardive.
The net-net is that mags of 2011 Tardive are highly recommended. You'll be happy ten years from now when you bust one open for a large group and big pot of Coq au Vin or something similar.
To order, please email us at offers@crushwineco.com or call the store at (212) 980-9463.
Joe Salamone
Wine Buyer
Crush Wine & Spirits