2020 Tardieu Laurent Chateauneuf du Pape Cuvee Speciale (750ml)

Grenache from Chateauneuf-du-Pape, Rhône, France

B-21 Top Recommendation
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From an outstanding 2020 vintage producing wines with “freshness and balance” according to the Wine Spectator, Maison Tardieu-Laurent crafted this selection of highly rated red wines from top quality, low-yielding old vine fruit from select parcels throughout the Northern and Southern Rhone, these 90 plus pt. Tardieu wines all exceptional values and now even better at special pre-arrival pricing.

Developing unique access to the Rhone’s top old vine parcels during his decades as a top consultant in the region, Michel Tardieu produced these masterfully crafted 2020 selections from an unusually warm and dry vintage, a testament to the old vines' “impressive ability to adapt” according to the Wine Spectator. Collaborating with his network of growers to encourage sustainable viticultural practices and employing careful harvesting to guarantee optimal ripeness, Michel Tardieu and his son Bastien transported the fermented wines from each grower to their cellars in Provence, where each underwent a unique aging regimen utilizing a mix of new and used French oak barrels and foudres. Sourced from mostly Grenache vines over 60 years of age blended with fruit from 40-year Syrah and Mourvedre, the 92 pt. 2020 Tardieu Laurent Rasteau Vieilles Vignes is rich and powerful, a “ripe, textured, textbook Rasteau to enjoy over the coming decade” according to Jeb Dunnuck and a top Southern Rhone value. From a Northern Rhone vintage described as “exceptional” by critic Dunnuck, the full-bodied 92 pt. 2020 Tardieu Laurent Crozes Hermitage Vieilles Vignes comes from 100% Syrah vines over 60 years of age, boasting powerful concentration and bright, textured fruit hinting of granite with a velvet finish that’s “already delicious” according to Dunnuck and poised to evolve over the next decade. Describing it as “absolutely brilliant,” the 98 pt. 2020 Tardieu Laurent Chateauneuf du Pape Cuvee Speciale is “a true wow wine if there ever was one” according to Dunnuck, the blend of 99% Grenache from old vines over 100 years of age boasting rich aromatic, graphite-tinged fruit and impeccable balance, summed up as “enticing” by the Wine Spectator’s James Molesworth. From 100% Syrah over 60 years of age, the compelling 96 pt. 2020 Tardieu Laurent Hermitage is “a sizeable and mighty wine” according to Decanter’s Matt Walls, a textbook Hermitage of exceptional power and depth boasting a bright, brambly core of luscious dark fruit hinting of crushed stone with velvety structured tannins promising two decades or more of longevity.

Echoing the words of the Wine Spectator’s Matt Kramer, who declared “All other things being equal, I’ll buy an old-vine wine every time,” these impeccably sourced 2020 Tardieu-Laurent old vine selections are a must buy for fans and collector of age worthy Rhone reds, their combination of unrivalled quality at bargain pricing a terrific opportunity to mix a case to enjoy without hesitation over the next decade or more.

98JD

Lastly, the 2020 Châteauneuf Du Pape Cuvée Spéciale is a true "wow" wine if there ever was one. I believe all from La Crau and mostly Grenache, it has incredible purity in its blue fruits, peppery herbs, violets, and graphite-like aromas and flavors. Deep, full-bodied, and flawlessly balanced, with ripe tannins and a great mid-palate, this absolutely brilliant 2020 needs just 2-3 years of bottle age and I suspect will see its 20th birthday in fine form. Bravo!

98 points, Jeb Dunnuck (Nov 2022)

Alcohol By Volume: 15.5%

#FRTLGR20AE

$69.98

Compare At: $79.99

7 bottles in stock. Ships in 1 to 2 business days.

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