Maison Tardieu-Laurent
About Maison Tardieu-Laurent
Established as recently as 1994, Maison Tardieu-Laurent was the brainchild of an ambitious winemaker and a pastry chef! A relatively young vinous enterprise compared to many of its illustrious Northern Rhône rivals, the formidable négociant produces tremendous wines from several appellations.
A pure négociant, Tardieu-Laurent neither owns vineyards nor buys in grapes. Instead, this house sends out specific oak barrels, with certain wood and toasting levels, to the most rigorous and trusted growers in the Northern Rhône. Sending back freshly pressed and newly vinified juice, the négociant then ages and blends the wines in their facility before bottling.
Very much an artisan producer, Tardieu-Laurent craft a mere six to 20 barrels-worth of each of their wines, meaning supply is lower than global demand. Aged entirely in small oak casks once blended, their wines are bottled with no fining nor filtration. Having gone their separate ways a few years ago now, Michel Tardieu is now in full control. He is a self-proclaimed “terroirist”, focusing unrelentingly on powerful expressions of his chosen fruit and sense of place.
Viniculture
The sublime Hermitage Blanc is sourced from vines planted in the Beaumes, Murets and Pierrelles lieux-dits of the appellation. The terroir in these sites is predominantly clay with ancient granite bedrock. Their Hermitage Rouge is similarly sourced from Pierrelles but also Roumeas. The same soil composition is found on these steep, rocky hillside sites. The gorgeous Côte-Rôtie has a varied origin of the lieux-dits of Moulin, Chavaroche, Landonne and Rozier.
