Despite what the name says, the Tardive cuvée from Coudert is a not a late harvest wine but rather a parcel of old vines. The Tardive is remakarkable: many consider it one of the most profound and ageworthy wines of Beaujolais.
100% Gamay. From the oldest vines,which are from 80 years on up, on heavy clay soils with relatively little granite and quite a lot of the iron-like mineral manganese. The farming is sustainable or lutte raisonnée. All vineyard work is by hand, with the soils worked only superficially, at most twice per year, to protect the roots of these old vines. Vinification is traditional, semi-carbonic Beaujolais style. The whole clusters are harvested by hand and fermented spontaneously with native yeasts in open-top concrete tank. Maceration lasts around 18 days for Tardive, with a submerged cap rather than punchdowns. Sulfur use is quite minimal. The wine is aged in large, old oak foudres for about 9 months before bottling.
