21715 customer reviews

Maison Tardieu-Laurent - Châteauneuf-du-Pape Special Cuvée 2018

Maison Tardieu-Laurent - Châteauneuf-du-Pape Cuvée Spéciale 2018

Châteauneuf-du-Pape|Red wine

4.4/5 (5 customers)

94-96+/100

Jeb Dunnuck

17,5/20

Jancis Robinson

94-96/100

Robert Parker

17/20

RVF

Grenache

finesse

Ardèche bombine

role model

“Medium purple. A lively nose with real energy. Round, smooth, and distinctly Burgundian. Such a charmer! Excellent balance between fruit and acidity, with a refined character. Bravissimo. A true tour de force. Concentration, body, and elegance. More dense than this producer’s 2018 Châteauneuf-du-Pape. ” (Jancis Robinson - 2020)

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Estate

Tardieu Laurent

Vintage

Cuvée Spéciale

Vintage

2018

Designation

Châteauneuf-du-Pape

Region

Rhône

Grape Varieties

100% Grenache

Regions

Sandy soils at the foot of the Crau, with vines that are 100 years old or older

Viticulture

Reasoned

Grape Harvest

At optimal maturity

Wine Production

Traditional and carefully crafted from 100% uncrushed grapes

Livestock Farming

12 months in barrels that have previously held two or three different wines—Allier and Tronçais. Then 12 months in a large oak cask

Alcohol content

14,5%

Eye

Light color

Nose

Incredible aromas of black cherries, blueberries, ground pepper, and rich notes of meat and cured meats

Palate

A powerful, opulent style, yet concentrated and well-balanced on the palate. A wine full of personality that should be cellared for about ten years.

Serve

At 14°C

Open

Let it breathe and decant if necessary

Drink starting at

2028

Drink before

2032

Food and Wine Pairings

Enjoy it with a Provençal stew, a pepper steak, or a wild mushroom risotto...

More information at Tardieu Laurent

More information at Châteauneuf-du-Pape

Bettane & Desseauve

Rated estate (2020 guide): 5*Stars (Exceptional producers who represent the absolute pinnacle of quality in France and around the world)

About the estate:

Michel Tardieu and Dominique Laurent founded this prestigious winery in the early 1990s, establishing themselves as one of the top micro-negociants in the Rhône Valley. Today, Bastien and Michel Tardieu travel throughout the vineyards to source the finest grapes, typically from very old vines, often located in the historic heart of each appellation. A real transformation has taken place in recent vintages: large-capacity casks, whole-cluster vinification for certain cuvées, and, above all, more measured aging have raised the already excellent standard to an even higher level. A sure bet in the region.

Guide des Vins Gault & Millau

6-Star-Rated Estate (Exceptional Production)

About the estate:

A wine enthusiast, Michel Tardieu teamed up with Dominique Laurent, the brilliant Burgundian wine merchant and winemaker, to start a small wine trading business about ten years ago. Michel Tardieu is unrivaled when it comes to unearthing cuvées from old vines across all the Rhône appellations; add to that Dominique Laurent’s expertise in aging, with his magnificent barrels, and you have a dynamic duo that crafts the most extraordinary cuvées in the Rhône.

Robert Parker - Wine Advocate

Wine rated (2020 guide) 94-96/100 (Extraordinary wine)

Estate rated "Recommended" (Wine producer recommended by Robert Parker—The Wine Advocate)

About the wine:

Hints of vanilla and cedar define the nose of the 2018 Cuvee Speciale Châteauneuf du Pape, accompanied by vibrant raspberries, notes of orange zest, salty licorice, and garrigue. It is refreshing and complex when compared to other T-L Châteauneufs, medium-bodied to full-bodied and concentrated without being hot or heavy, yet richly textured with a long finish.

About the estate:

RVF - La Revue du Vin de France / Guide to the Best Wines of France

RVF - La Revue du Vin de France / Guide des Meilleurs Vins de France

Wine rated (2021 guide) 17/20 (Great wine)

Rated Estate (2020 Guide) 2*Stars (These exceptional estates, often boasting fabulous terroirs, are must-haves that, thanks to the consistency and excellence of their wines, deserve a place in the cellars of discerning wine lovers)

About the wine:

The fruit is precise—what a fresh, juicy flavor! The oak is perfectly balanced, and the spices add complexity. The palate has beautiful depth, coating the mouth without being overpowering, and its power builds with class.

About the estate:

This small, high-end wine merchant was founded in the early 1990s by Michel Tardieu and Dominique Laurent in the Rhône Valley. Thanks to exceptional grape sources and a keen sense of winemaking and aging, Michel Tardieu produces a consistent range of wines with a modern flair. This cutting-edge wine merchant, sourcing meticulously selected grapes from both the southern and northern parts of the Rhône Valley, has been awarded its second star this year.

Jancis Robinson

Wine rated (2019 guide) 17,5/20

About the wine:

Medium purple. A lively nose with real energy. Round, smooth, and distinctly Burgundian. Such a charmer! Excellent balance between fruit and acidity, with a refined character. Bravissimo. A true tour de force. Concentration, body, and elegance. Denser than this producer’s generic 2018 Châteauneuf.

Jeb Dunnuck

Wine rated (2020 guide) 94-96+/100

About the wine:

Grown on sandy soils and made from un-destemmed grapes, the 2018 Châteauneuf-du-Pape Cuvée Spéciale comes from the western part of the La Crau vineyard and was aged in a combination of barrels and large oak casks. It offers incredible notes of black cherries, blueberries, ground pepper, and rich hints of meat and cured meats, along with a powerful, opulent style that is nonetheless concentrated and well-balanced on the palate. Made almost entirely from Grenache (with a touch of other varieties), it is a brilliant wine full of personality.

Customer Rating

4.4/5

based on 5 reviews