2014 Fleurie Clos Vernay
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Tasting notes
Bright red. An intensely perfumed bouquet evokes ripe red berries, cherry pit, potpourri and spicecake and conveys a smoky mineral topnote. Concentrated yet lithe, offering appealingly sweet raspberry and rose pastille flavors that show very good clarity and back-end lift. This suave, seamless wine smoothly combines power and finesse and finishes very long and silky, displaying resonating floral and red fruit qualities. The producer's Côte d'Or lineage shows strongly here.
Critic scores
Average Score
Jancis Robinson MW
Josh Raynolds
More reviews and scores
Having tasted Frédéric Lafarge's wine in Volnay, I was intrigued to revisit the 2014 Fleurie Clos Vernay down in Beaujolais. It has a light bouquet, more stemmy than I recollect. The palate is medium-bodied with light red cherry fruit, a keen line of acidity but I would prefer to see more fruit towards what feels like a slightly herbaceous finish. I am sure there is better to come.
The 2014 Fleurie Clos Vernay has darker fruit on the nose compared to the Fleurie Bel Air, slightly clayey in style. The palate is precise on the entry with dark cherry fruit, red plum and a touch of soy. The acidity is nicely judged and it gently rolls out to a tart cherry finish. Enjoy this Fleurie over the next 4-5 years.
1.3 ha on the slope toward Moulin à Vent near Poncié, so high that its picked a little later than Bel Air. Dense and fine with real meat and potential. Very serious wine. It will be fascinating to see how this vintage and this wine evolve. (JR)