Vintage Sardines – 2022

Mademoiselle Perle 2022 Vintage Sardines, soft and rounded

The 2022 vintage sardines from La Perle des Dieux are aged sardines in extra virgin olive oil from the Vendée, caught at the end of the season and matured in the tin for several years. A melt-in-the-mouth delicacy that has lost its edge – with a decade of sardine love on the lid.

2022 vintage sardines are matured premium sardines in olive oil from the La Perle des Dieux cannery 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 a fat content of around 12%, they have been confited ever since – the 2022 vintage has already been maturing for a good four years, a melt-in-the-mouth delicacy that has settled beautifully.

Soft, rounded, with a deep oceanic note

After a good four years, the 2022 vintage shows its "fondant" character: the flesh is soft and velvety, the aroma rounded, and the oceanic note deep.

It is far removed from the salty freshness of a very young catch – instead, it is mild, nutty, and relaxed, wrapped in mild extra virgin olive oil. And the maturing continues: give it a few more years, and it will eventually melt on the tongue like butter.

On bread and a glass for a toast

A matured vintage like this tastes best in its simplicity: good bread, a cool glass, that’s all you need.

The 2022 vintage really shines on crusty baguette with a few capers and a glass of Crémant – fitting for the design, which celebrates a whole decade of love. It also goes well with baked potatoes and herb quark. You can find more ideas in our sardines in olive oil collection.

For further maturing: turn the tin every 6 months so that the oil covers the fish completely. Stored in a cool, dark place, the 2022 vintage will continue to mature towards becoming an exception and will keep for a good ten years.

A decade of sardine love

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

Together with Philippe Gendreau, whose family has been preserving fish for four generations, she wanted to restore the nobility of the sardine – using art instead of nets on the tin. This is how the poetic Mademoiselle Perle by Delphine Cossais from Nantes and the colorful Lulu by Coralie Joulin were created. Caught fresh, the sardines are cleaned and packed by hand within 48 hours.

The 2022 design is titled "Mlle Perle et son marin, une décennie d'amour" and shows Madame Perle with her sailor on their honeymoon in Polynesia – a decade of love. A warm image for a vintage that matures in peace, and another collector's item from the series of vintage sardines from La Perle des Dieux.

Net weight 115 g – Drained weight 86.3 g