Vintage Sardines – 2019

2019 Vintage Sardines by Mademoiselle Perle, mature and rounded

The 2019 vintage sardines from La Perle des Dieux are sardines in extra virgin olive oil from the Vendée, caught at the end of the season and aged for years. A mature vintage, soft and deep – and on the lid, Mademoiselle Perle appears as a mother for the first time.

2019 vintage sardines are matured sardines in olive oil from the Conserverie La Perle des Dieux in Saint-Gilles-Croix-de-Vie, in the Vendée on the Atlantic coast south of Brittany. Caught at the end of the season when the sardines had about 12% fat content and confited ever since – the 2019 vintage has already been aging for a good seven years, matured into a "sardine d'Exception."

Soft, rounded, deep taste of the sea

After seven years in the tin, the sardine has lost all its sharpness: the flesh is soft, the aroma rounded, and the finish deep.

The oil and fish have become one over the years, mild, nutty, with a calm salinity that lingers. Where a young catch is still fresh and firm to the bite, the 2019 shows a relaxed composure – a sardine that is at peace with itself.

Simple on bread or with a Peruvian accent

Enjoying them plain remains the most obvious way: on good bread with a little butter and a glass of white wine; the mature fish needs nothing more.

A Muscadet served alongside picks up the quiet salinity of the 2019 without overpowering it. In keeping with the "au Pérou" theme, it also tastes great on a warm potato with a squeeze of lime and a hint of chili – the mature fish carries the fresh acidity well. You can find more ideas in our sardines in olive oil collection.

For further aging: turn the tin every 6 months so that the oil covers the fish on all sides. Stored in a cool, dark place, the 2019 will keep for a good ten years.

Mademoiselle Perle becomes a mother

La Perle des Dieux is arguably the most feminine cannery in the industry – founded in 2005 by Claudie Vardelle, who came from the Parisian fashion world.

Together with Philippe Gendreau, whose family has been preserving canned fish for four generations, she wanted to restore the sardine to its former glory – using art instead of nets on the tins. This led to the poetic Mademoiselle Perle by Delphine Cossais from Nantes and the colorful Lulu by Coralie Joulin. Within 48 hours of being caught, the sardines are cleaned and tinned by hand.

The 2019 motif is titled "Mlle Perle et Capucine au Pérou" and shows Madame Perle with her daughter Capucine in traditional Peruvian dress in the Andes – the first time she is depicted as a mother. A warm image for a mature vintage, and another collector's item in the series of vintage sardines from La Perle des Dieux.

Contents 115 g – Drained weight 86.3 g