Côtes-du-Rhône Cuvée spéciale Maison Tardieu-Laurent 2012

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.

For this Côtes-du-Rhône, Maison Tardieu-Laurent get its supplies from the terroirs of Garrigues, from the soil of rolled pebbles worthy of Châteauneuf. The vines are about 70 years old and the harvest is totally destemmed. The wine is aged for 12 months in barrels which are used for two wines (Allier and Tronçais), then a further 6 months in foudres. Bottling is done without fining or filtration. Note: this special cuvée comes from organic farming.