Winery - Tardieu-Laurent
* Expert NoteJanuary 12, 2012
With its head-turning aromas of honey, truffles and ripe peaches, this is a knockout offfering from Tardieu Laurent. In the mouth, it's broad yet focused, with layers of rich, nuanced flavors that coat the palate before ending in a long, mineral-inflected finish. Drink now-2020, and possibly beyond that.
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* Expert NoteJanuary 12, 2012
Typical for Tardieu-Laurent, this wine is strongly marked by its barrel treatment, which may be enough to put off traditionalists. But the quality and concentration levels of the black cherry fruit underneath are high, and this rather full-bodied, muscular Crozes should develop nicely over the next 5–7 years.
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* Expert NoteJanuary 12, 2012
This lush wine will be too oaky for purists, but there is no denying the superb quality of the underlying fruit. It’s full-bodied, soft and succulent in texture, with cassis fruit framed by ample cedar and vanilla. A blend of 60% Grenache and 40% Syrah. Drink now–2018.
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* Expert NoteJanuary 12, 2012
Strongly marked by bold aromas and flavors of vanilla, the fruit in this wine also shows a high-toned, Bing cherry note. Yet in the mouth, it’s full bodied, round and lushly textured, ending with plenty of intensity. Give it a chance to settle down and try it in 2011.
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* Expert NoteJanuary 12, 2012
Made solely from old-vine Grenache, this stands out as a horse of a different color in a flight of traditional Châteauneuf-du-Papes. It does boast a lovely suppleness and silky texture, but the aromas and flavors are strange—a sort of medicinal cherry meets boiled vegetables.
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* Expert NoteJanuary 12, 2012
My only gripe with the Tardieu-Laurent wines is not their overall quality—I found every one I tasted to be very good—but that the use of oak obscures some of their more delicate characteristics, at least at this young stage. This Gigondas is wonderfully perfumed with vanilla and a vast array of dried spices, and it shows richly supple fruit notes of cherry and apricot. It’s delicious now—in its own way—but maybe the wood will be more effectively integrated in a couple of years.
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* Expert NoteJanuary 12, 2012
Like all of the T-L wines, there’s a heavy overlay of oak—in this case a strong dusting of cinnamon—but there are also signs of good fruit underneath. It’s creamy and supple, with raspberry accents to the oaky spice. Drink now–2012.
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* Expert NoteJanuary 12, 2012
Shows off the TL barrel regime, with toasty, mealy notes and hints of vanilla that come close to overwhelming the honeyed pear fruit. Turns fresh and pineapple-y on the finish, so give it another year in the bottle to knit all its pieces together.
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* Expert NoteJanuary 12, 2012
Yes, the new oak characteristic of T-L wines is here, but there’s also plenty of black cherries and even a hint of garrigue lurking underneath. It’s a full-bodied Côtes-du-Rhône, with a chewiness to the fruit and a long, cedar-vanilla finish.
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* Expert NoteJanuary 12, 2012
This intriguing wine displays an almost fumé-style smoky minerality on the nose, followed by flavors of pear and toast. It's a focused, medium-bodied blend of 50% Marsanne and 50% Roussanne, with a finish that won't quit.
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