This is crammed with a massive core of blueberry compote, braised fig and mulled blackberry and boysenberry fruit flavors, all wound up with graphite tannins and backed by a strong, iron-filled spine. This has serious depth and drive, with gorgeous mocha and espresso aromatics flittering throughout. Grenache, Syrah and Mourvèdre. Best from 2010 through 2024. 75 cases imported. Score: 96 Points; James Molesworth, The Wine Spectator

The 2007 Chateauneuf du Pape Vieilles Vignes is fashioned from old vine Grenache (90%) and the rest Syrah and Mourvedre, the last two components aged in new oak. The fruit comes from parcels on La Crau, Solitude, and Mont-Olivet. The wine exhibits that sweet white chocolate character that Grenache sometimes displays, along with a deep ruby/purple color, super intensity, and plenty of red and black fruit, garrigue, and grilled meat notes. A quintessential example of Provence, drink it over the next 15-20 years. Wine Advocate # 179; Oct 2008 Robert Parker (92-94 points) Drink: 2008 - 2028

Tardieu-Laurent is one of the most highly acclaimed négociants in the Rhône. Its success began with a serendipitous meeting between Michel Tardieu and Dominique Laurent. The two formed a friendship in the early 1990s, which led to the formation of Tardieu-Laurent Vallée du Rhône Maison de Négoce. Beginning with the first vintage in 1994, the wines of Tardieu-Laurent have won the praise of collectors and critics alike. Today, while the two men continue to share an extraordinary friendship, Tardieu-Laurent is solely under Michel’s guidance and care. Located in Lourmarin, in the heart of the Luberon, Tardieu-Laurent crafts approximately 17 wines each year, two-thirds of which are produced in southern Rhône. The remaining wines are produced in northern Rhône. Wilson Daniels.

“The vintage of a lifetime” - Robert Parker, describing the 2007 vintage in Southern Rhône

"Michel Tardieu has exceptional knowledge about some of the finest vineyards and grape sources in both the northern and southern Rhone" - Robert Parker in The Wine Advocate, Issue 169