Maison Tardieu-Laurent - Châteauneuf-du-Pape Cuvée Spéciale 2018

Bettane & Desseauve

About the domain :

Michel Tardieu and Dominique Laurent created this association of excellence in the early 1990s, becoming one of the finest micro-negociants in the Rhône Valley. Today, Bastien and Michel Tardieu criss-cross the vineyards to find the best supplies, generally grapes from very old vines, often located in the historic heart of each appellation. In recent vintages, a real transformation has taken place: large casks, vinification using whole grapes for certain cuvées and, above all, a more measured approach to ageing have raised the already excellent level of quality even higher. A sure bet for the region.

Guide des Vins Gault & Millau

About the domain :

A wine enthusiast, Michel Tardieu teamed up with Dominique Laurent, the brilliant Burgundy négociant and winemaker, to start a small négoce business a decade ago. Michel Tardieu is unsurpassed when it comes to unearthing old-vine cuvées in all the Rhone appellations; add Dominique Laurent's expertise in maturing wines, with his magnificent barrels, and you've got a powerhouse duo crafting some of the Rhone's most extraordinary cuvées.

Robert Parker - Wine Advocate

About the wine:

Hints of vanilla and cedar mark the nose of the 2018 Cuvee Speciale Châteauneuf du Pape, accompanied by vibrant raspberries, notes of orange zest, salty licorice and garrigue. It's refreshing and complex when stacked against the other Châteauneufs T-L, medium- to full-bodied and concentrated without being hot or heavy, but richly textured and long on the finish.

About the domain :

RVF - La Revue du Vin de France / Guide des Meilleurs Vins de France

About the wine:

The fruit is precise and the juice is fresh! The oak is perfectly managed and the spices add complexity. On the palate, the wine is broad and powerful, rising with class.

About the domain :

This small, upmarket wine merchant was founded in the early 1990s by Michel Tardieu and Dominique Laurent in the Rhône Valley. Thanks to excellent sourcing and a keen sense of winemaking and ageing, Michel Tardieu produces a range of consistent, modern wines. This leading-edge wine merchant, with impeccable sourcing in both the southern and northern Rhône valleys, has been awarded its second star this year.

Jancis Robinson

About the wine:

Medium purple. Spicy nose with real energy. Round and soft and distinctly Burgundian. Such a flirt! Excellent balance between fruit and acidity. Bravissimo. A real tour de force. Concentration, weight and lift. Denser than this producer's generic 2018 Châteauneuf.

Jeb Dunnuck

About the wine:

Produced from sandy, unstemmed soils, the 2018 Cuvée Spéciale Châteauneuf Du Pape comes from the western part of the La Crau lieu-dit and has been aged in a mix of barriques and foudres. It offers incredible black cherry, blueberry, ground pepper and ample meat and charcuterie notes, as well as a powerful, opulent, yet concentrated and balanced style on the palate. Almost all Grenache (there's a touch of other varieties), this is a brilliant wine full of personality.