Hermitage Tardieu-Laurent Famille Tardieu 2005

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.

This white Hermitage has been produced from the terroirs of Les Pierrelles, Les Beaumes and Les Murets. The Marsanne and Roussanne vines are around fifty years old, and thrive in clay-granite soil. The élevage period is particularly long for a white wine, lasting for around 24 months in new and second-use barrels (Tronçais and Allier). The wine is bottled without prior fining, following light filtration.