Maison Tardieu-Laurent - Châteauneuf-du-Pape Cuvée Spéciale 2018
94-96+/100
Jeb Dunnuck
17,5/20
Jancis Robinson
94-96/100
Robert Parker
17/20
RVF
"Medium purple. Spicy nose with real energy. Round and soft and distinctly Burgundian. Such a flirt! Excellent balance between fruit and acidity. Bravissimo. A real tour de force. Concentration, weight and lift. Denser than this producer's generic 2018 Châteauneuf. " (Jancis Robinson - 2020)
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Eye
Light color
Nose
Incredible black cherries, blueberries, ground pepper and ample notes of meat and charcuterie.
Mouth
Powerful, opulent style, but concentrated and balanced on the palate. A wine full of personality to be forgotten for a decade or so.
Serve
At 14°C
Open
Aerate and decant if necessary
Drink from
2028
Drink before
2032
Food and wine pairing
Enjoy with Provençal stew, steak au poivre, wild mushroom risotto...
Bettane & Desseauve
Domaine rated (2020 guide) 5*Stars (Outstanding producers, those who represent the absolute pinnacle of quality in France and the world)
About the domain :
Michel Tardieu and Dominique Laurent created this association of excellence in the early 1990s, becoming one of the finest micro-negociants in the Rhône Valley. Today, Bastien and Michel Tardieu criss-cross the vineyards to find the best supplies, generally grapes from very old vines, often located in the historic heart of each appellation. In recent vintages, a real transformation has taken place: large casks, vinification using whole grapes for certain cuvées and, above all, a more measured approach to ageing have raised the already excellent level even higher. A sure bet for the region.
Guide des Vins Gault & Millau
Estate rated 6*Stars (Outstanding production)
About the domain :
A wine enthusiast, Michel Tardieu teamed up with Dominique Laurent, the brilliant Burgundy négociant and winemaker, to start a small négoce business a decade ago. Michel Tardieu is unsurpassed when it comes to unearthing cuvées from old vines in all the Rhone appellations; add Dominique Laurent's expertise in maturing wines, with his magnificent barrels, and you've got a powerhouse duo crafting some of the Rhone's most extraordinary cuvées.
Robert Parker - Wine Advocate
Wine rated (2020 guide) 94-96/100 (Extraordinary wine)
Domaine noté Recommended (Wine producer recommended by Robert Parker - The Wine Advocate)
About the wine:
Hints of vanilla and cedar mark the nose of the 2018 Cuvee Speciale Châteauneuf du Pape, accompanied by vibrant raspberries, notes of orange zest, salty licorice and garrigue. It's refreshing and complex when stacked against the other Châteauneufs T-L, medium- to full-bodied and concentrated without being hot or heavy, but richly textured and long on the finish.
About the domain :
RVF - La Revue du Vin de France / Guide des Meilleurs Vins de France
Wine rated (2021 guide) 17/20 (Great wine)
Domaine rated (2020 guide) 2*Stars (These great estates, often endowed with fabulous terroirs, are must-haves which, thanks to their consistency and the excellence of their production, must be included in the cellars of discerning wine lovers).
About the wine:
The fruit is precise and the juice fresh! The oak is perfectly managed and the spices add complexity. On the palate, the wine is broad and powerful, rising with class.
About the domain :
This small, upmarket wine merchant was founded in the early 1990s by Michel Tardieu and Dominique Laurent in the Rhône Valley. Thanks to excellent sourcing and a keen sense of winemaking and ageing, Michel Tardieu produces a range of consistent, modern wines. This leading-edge wine merchant, with impeccable sourcing in both the southern and northern Rhône valleys, has been awarded its second star this year.
Jancis Robinson
Wine rated (2019 guide) 17,5/20
About the wine:
Medium purple. Spicy nose with real energy. Round and soft and distinctly Burgundian. Such a flirt! Excellent balance between fruit and acidity. Bravissimo. A real tour de force. Concentration, weight and lift. Denser than this producer's generic 2018 Châteauneuf.
Jeb Dunnuck
Wine rated (2020 guide) 94-96+/100
About the wine:
Sourced from sandy, unstemmed soils, the 2018 Cuvée Spéciale Châteauneuf Du Pape comes from the western part of the La Crau lieu-dit and was aged in a mix of barrels and foudres. It offers incredible black cherry, blueberry, ground pepper and ample meat and charcuterie notes, as well as a powerful, opulent, yet concentrated and balanced style on the palate. Almost all Grenache (there's a touch of other varieties), this is a brilliant wine full of personality.
Customer rating
4.4/5
on 5 reviews
Note and review by M. JEAN-FRANCOIS G. Published on 16/04/2025
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Note and review by M. THIERRY D. Published on 16/09/2024
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Note and review by M. MICHEL G. Published on 30/04/2023
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Note and review by Mme NADINE T. Published on 18/11/2021
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Note and review by M. ROGER D. Published on 23/02/2021
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