Vintage Sardines Lulu – 2024

Lulu 2024 Vintage Sardines, young and fresh from the Vendée

The 2024 Lulu vintage sardines from La Perle des Dieux are young sardines in extra virgin olive oil from the Vendée, caught at the end of the season and packed fresh into the tin. The start of a vintage that you can enjoy immediately or let age for years – in a tin full of stars.

Lulu 2024 Vintage Sardines are young sardines in olive oil from La Perle des Dieux in Saint-Gilles-Croix-de-Vie, a fishing town in the Vendée on the French Atlantic coast, south of Brittany. Caught at the end of the season, when the sardines had around 12% fat content, and packed fresh – a "primeur" that is new to the market and whose journey of maturation is just beginning.

Firm in bite, bright in taste

As a young vintage, the 2024 is still firm in texture: a crisp bite, bright taste, and a clear sea note.

Where old vintages melt softly, the primeur shows its fresh side – pure sardine, salty and lively, with the clean aroma of a good olive oil. And if you like, set a few tins aside: in a few years, this youngster will also become a velvety fondant.

Fresh on bread with lemon

On crusty baguette with a few drops of lemon and some coarse pepper is how this young vintage tastes best.

For us, a fresh Muscadet sur Lie or a chilled Vinho Verde goes well with it, or even a light beer on a summer evening. It is also a delight in a salad with white beans. You can find more to browse in our sardines in olive oil collection.

If you want to let it age: turn the tin every 6 months so that the oil evenly coats the fish. Stored in a cool, dark place, the 2024 will keep for a decade or longer – and improve with every year.

Young painters, colorful tins

La Perle des Dieux is likely 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 making canned fish for four generations, she chose painters instead of fishermen and nets. Fresh from the catch, the sardines are cleaned and packed by hand within 48 hours. Two series define their reputation: Mademoiselle Perle by Delphine Cossais and Lulu by the painter Coralie Joulin, named after factory worker Lucienne and her over forty years of service.

The 2024 motif is titled "Mlle Lulu dans les étoiles" (Mlle Lulu among the stars) and shows her in an orange spacesuit in space, under the gaze of the moon. Every vintage is a new journey – which is how the vintage sardines from La Perle des Dieux become collector's items. The sister series is available as Mademoiselle Perle.

Content 115 g – Drained weight 86.3 g