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

Bettane & Desseauve

About the estate:

Michel Tardieu and Dominique Laurent created this association of excellence in the early 1990s, becoming one of the best micro-negociants in the Rhône Valley. Today, Bastien and Michel Tardieu scour the vineyards to find the best supplies, usually grapes from very old vines, often located in the historic heart of each appellation. A real change has taken place in recent vintages: large barrels, whole-bunch vinification for certain cuvées and, above all, more measured aging have raised the already excellent standard to a new level. A sure bet in the region.

Guide des Vins Gault & Millau

About the estate:

A wine enthusiast, Michel Tardieu teamed up with Dominique Laurent, the brilliant Burgundy wine merchant and winemaker, to start a small wine trading business about ten years ago. Michel Tardieu is unrivaled in his ability to unearth vintages from old vines in all the Rhône appellations. Add to that Dominique Laurent's expertise in aging wine in magnificent barrels, and you have a dynamic duo that produces the most extraordinary vintages in the Rhône.

Robert Parker - Wine Advocate

About 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, salted licorice, and garrigue. It is refreshing and complex when stacked against other T-L Châteauneufs, medium-bodied to full-bodied and concentrated without being hot or heavy, but richly textured and long on the finish.

About the estate:

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

About wine:

The fruit is precise, what freshness in the juice! The woodiness is perfectly managed and the spices add complexity. A beautiful fullness coats the palate without being overpowering, and its power rises with class.

About the estate:

This small, high-end wine merchant was founded in the early 1990s by Michel Tardieu and Dominique Laurent in the Rhône Valley. Thanks to excellent supplies and a keen sense of winemaking and aging, Michel Tardieu produces a range of consistent wines with a modern spirit. This cutting-edge négociant, with carefully selected supplies from both the south and north of the Rhône Valley, has been awarded a second star this year.

Jancis Robinson

About wine:

Medium purple. A lively nose with real energy. Round and smooth with a distinct Burgundian character. Such a flirt! Excellent balance between fruit and acidity, with a touch of class. Bravissimo. A real tour de force. Concentrated, weighty, and elevated. More dense than this producer's generic 2018 Châteauneuf.

Jeb Dunnuck

About wine:

Grown on sandy, unpruned soils, the 2018 Châteauneuf Du Pape Cuvée Spéciale comes from the western part of the La Crau locality and was aged in a mixture of barrels and casks. It offers incredible black cherries, blueberries, ground pepper, and ample notes of meat and charcuterie, as well as a powerful, opulent, yet concentrated and balanced style on the palate. Almost entirely Grenache (there is a touch of other varieties), it is a brilliant wine full of personality.