Wines Fleurie Jean-Pierre Large - 2024

Jean-Pierre Large’s 2024 Fleurie is a shining example of the Gamay grape’s potential in one of Beaujolais’ most renowned crus. This red wine, crafted using only Gamay, embodies the qualities that have made Fleurie a favourite among Beaujolais lovers: perfumes of violets and peonies, bright red fruit such as raspberry and cherry, and silky, supple tannins. The 2024 vintage is youthful, offering vibrant freshness and beautiful purity. The traditional vinification in Beaujolais often features semi-carbonic maceration, designed to highlight fruitiness and gentle tannic structure, and this bottle is no exception. Its terroir, predominantly granitic, lends an elegant minerality and a persistent, refined finish, underpinning the wine’s fragrant, floral exuberance.

The Beaujolais region sits in eastern France, just south of Burgundy, and is famed for its rolling hills and patchwork of granite soils, particularly in the crus like Fleurie. Thanks to its continental climate, with warm summers and cool winters, the region provides ideal conditions for Gamay to thrive and deliver wines of freshness and finesse. Beaujolais has been cultivated since Roman times, but it was in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries that the great crus, including Fleurie, gained international recognition for their distinct personalities – Fleurie being noted for finesse and aromatic lift.

A Fleurie of this style is a wonderfully versatile table companion. Try it with charcuterie, roast poultry, duck breast with cherries, or herbed pork tenderloin. Regional specialities, such as a salade lyonnaise or andouillette sausage, are natural matches, echoing its fresh, palate-cleansing qualities. For vegetarians, dishes based on mushrooms or roasted root vegetables work beautifully, while a classic Brie or Saint-Marcellin cheese will highlight Fleurie’s delicate floral notes.

To fully appreciate its bouquet and texture, serve at 13-15°C. This young 2024 vintage will drink charmingly now, especially with a short aeration, but can reward a year or two of patience for those who enjoy a touch of bottle evolution.