Tardieu Laurent - Crozes Hermitage Vieilles Vignes

Tardieu Laurent is one of the most acclaimed artisan-négociants throughout the Rhône Valley, and shares a lot of similarities with Mounir Saouma from Burgundy Lucien Le Moine. The Tardieu Family has secured long-term, hand-shake deals with vignerons who carefully guard the prime location of their 50- to 100-plus-year-old vines. They follow very closely all the stages from organic viticulture to winemaking. They also hand-pick the barrels they deliver to the growers for the first 8 to 12 months and then move them back to the Tardieu’s cellar in Lourmarin to polish the ageing up to 18-24 months.

100% Syrah. Fruit from: From Larnage, Battis, Gervans, Coteaux de Mercurol and Habrard on decomposed granite. Aged for 12 months in new and one-year-old barrels then six months in foudre. One-third whole bunch. No fining, no filtration.

Packed with dark fig, boysenberry and blackberry fruit, this pumps along with ample depth and drive, picking up licorice snap, roasted applewood and dark tea notes along the way. Nice energy through the finish too, thanks to an underlying iron note.