The Stunning Burgundian Elevage Style Fleuries of Clos De Mez; Perhaps the Most Ageworthy Wines in Beaujolais

I had perhaps one of my best tastings of the trip with Marie-Elodie and her husband at their home

estate of Confuron-Coteitdot in Vosne-Romanee. Marie-Elodie makes some of the most structured, ageworthy wines in Cru Beaujolais.  These are not pop and pour fizzy Cru Beaujolais - she uses the Burgundian elevage technique which makes for more serious wines.  Alas, they need time to really develop.  Fass Selections old-timers will recall that I was introduced to Clos de Mez by Jeremy Seysses of Domaine Dujac, who buys her wines for his cellar.

I am selling the current release, her best vintage ever,  2012 Clos du Mez Fleurie "La Dot" for $22.99 on the 4 pack.  Although 2012 is not seen as a great vintage for Beaujolais fans, I think that the 2012s are her best vintage so far (again, she uses a different technique than most winemakers in Beaujolais).  It is dense, packed and super complete with Hollywood epic summer blockbuster levels of juicy and sweet Gamay fruit. This wine is oh so seductive and sassy, but those tannins come  in strong at the end there and I say lay off for 5-7 more years. But they are so sweet. It's a tease but worth the wait as I am starting to see as I taste more of the 2009, 2010, 2007 and today's 2008.  This wine can be drunk early with a decant but please try it around the time as a 2008 so you can see how much better it will get.

We tasted many wines of Clos du Mez, including a surprise from an older vintage that I have been tracking, that finally got "there."  It is the wine that first convinced me that Marie-Elodie was among the best winemakers in Beaujolais.  2008 was a difficult vintage in Beaujolais.  But her 2008 Clos de Mez Fleurie "la Dot" ($24.99 on a 4 pack) was stunning when I first tried it (if a bit young). When I tried it on my recent trip, it was ready to drink and a brilliant example of aged Burgundian elevage Cru Beaujolais.   It's easily the best 2008 I've had.  It is meaty, gamey with thick juicy sweet Fleurie fruit and big ripe tannins that fan out on the finish in balance with the fruit.  An absolute rockstar of a Fleurie that Cru Beaujolais lovers really need to try to see what these wines can do with age.  It's hard to describe but the structure and complexity are almost alive on your palate as you drink it.  It's not like most Cru Beaujaolis.

I tasted many of Marie-Elodie's wines across a number of vintages and was surprised by the trademark Clos du Mez style and how still going back to even 07, the wines are stalwart yet giving. The young fruit of Clos du Mez is like nothing else in Beujaolais. It is thrilling stuff as many of you have attested. They are dense, juicy and full of character and flavor and also with some juicy yet prominent and thoroughly ripe tannins. She makes wines that taste like Burgundy that just happen to be in Morgon and Fleurie. The 2012's will be offered to the world in July. That is when 2014s will be coming here and some lagger 2013s. The de Mez wines age in barrel and bottle for an extra year or two before they are released. They are full-bodied and thrilling expressions of Gamay that some have called the longest aging estate in Beaujolais today.

2012 Clos de Mez Fleurie "la Dot" - $24.99 ($91.99 4 pack)

2008 Clos de Mez Fleurie "la Dot" - $27.99 ($99.98 4 pack) (LIMITED)