Michel Tardieu's future might have seemed perfectly mapped out, when he was working as a civil servant and tending vineyards in the Rhone Valley in his spare time. But in 1996 he decided to take a giant leap and concentrate on his passion by going into partnership with Burgundy wine négociant Dominique Laurent. Together, they established Maison Tardieu-Laurent in Loumarin in the heart of Michel's native Provence. Since then, they have both worked hard to track down the best vineyard plots in the Rhone terroir. And thanks to a meticulous and skilful barrel-maturing process they produce wines with excellent ageing potential. Today, Michel Tardieu still works as a négociant and consultant oenologist but has been joined in the business by his children Bastien and Camille.

The special cuvée is made to obtain a freshness and elegance worthy of Burgundy. The wines are one hundred years old, on sandy soil of le Bas de la Crau, and all the vines are vinified as whole bunches (not destemmed). Ageing lasts twelve months in new barrels which have held one wine (Allier and Tronçais), then another twelve months in foudres. The Maison does no fining nor filtration.