Tardieu-Laurent Saint-Joseph Les Roches Vieilles Vignes 2007
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Product Details
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Somm Note
Winemaker Notes
Appellation: Saint-Joseph, located on the west bank of the Rhône River, is a narrow strip of land approximately 60 kilometers (37 miles) long linking Condrieu and Côte-Rôtie in northern Rhône. Many of the nearly 1,000 hectares (2,471 acres) of vineyards that produce Syrah, Marsanne and Roussanne are grown on granite river banks.
Vine Age: 50 years and older
Vinification
Barrel Aging: In new French oak (Allier and Tronçais)
Tasting Notes
More mineral than fruity, this delicate wine has a subtle, almost Burgundy-like structure, with fresh and pronounced acidity.
Professional Ratings
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Wine Spectator
This has a strong core of black currant and mulled raspberry fruit layered with vibrant minerality, piercing violet and lavender notes, and a long, sanguine finish. There's excellent focus and drive.
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Wine Enthusiast
T-L’s 2007s from the Northern Rhône came out well, including this example from Saint-Joseph. Intense espresso, cracked pepper and black olive notes scream of cool-climate Syrah, while the feel in the mouth is supple, ending on a silky note.
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Wine & Spirits
This has an arrestingly delicious scent, the juicy purple fruit completely suffused with bacon fat and floral aromas. It’s scarily drinkable too, juicy yet firm, enticing in its spice and lily aromas yet not all overbearing. For a simple steak.
Tardieu-Laurent is very much an "artisan" producer, making between half a dozen and 20 or so barrels of each wine. The majority of the wines are from the southern Rhône although superb cuvees of Cote Rôtie and Hermitage are also produced. The wines are all aged in small oak casks (often 100% new) and bottled with no fining nor filtration. Michel Tardieu proclaims himself as a confirmed terroirist, insisting that his aim with each appellation is to express powerfully the fruit and sense of place, never masking these factors with wood.