Tardieu-Laurent dinner @ 28-50 with Bastien Tardieu...

This dinner ten days ago was one I had been massively looking forward to. I love the wines from The Tardieu family. 28-50 Fetter Lane did a really great job of hosting the dinner, efficient but understated service and cracking food - menu below!

You can see some other Tardieu-Laurent posts that show the range of the wines. This family firm with father and son team of Michel and Bastien at the helm on the wine side just do a great job. They work with, often in the vineyard as well as cellar, a whole series of producers from Condrieu to Bandol. Producing about 80% reds and 20% whites. They are just what a quality focussed micro-negociant should be. The firm started in 1994 and the 1994 and 1995 vintages were aged in Burgundy (hence the "Laurent" bit) and then from 1996 onwards in Lourmarin where they are based now.

We started this evening with Condrieu 2015 as an aperitif. Now I don't really "do" Viognier in the same way that some people don't like pistachio ice cream (they are insane) but this I did like, and not just because I am biased. Full rich texture but a good bit of acidity and a nice oak integration, I imagine this doesn't see much new oak. It worked well as an aperitif but has plenty about it to be a great food wine. Bastien said it was from a new producer to them, based in Vernon with a parcel facing full south and on thin soil.

It was then time to be seated.

Goose and mustard terrine

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Norfolk Horn lamb rump

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Cheese and Pudding

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Chocolate Cremeux and Fourme d’Ambert

As Bastien said a few words we were served the Hermitage Blanc 2007 en magnum. This was a real star of a wine. This sees 24 months in oak but not much new. One of the key aspects to this wine being the fact that it is possibly the most long-lived of all their wines. One important point of the ageing being that it is done on the fine lees, Bastien noting that this is crucial to the character and complexity. There is a lot going on here, waxy with notes of petrol and pear then lanolin and beeswax, a rich wine but not heavy, more intense than heavy, a little white truffle...splendid just splendid.

As we moved from Terrine to lamb (which was superb) so we moved to reds, all from magnums:

Gigondas 2004 en magnum this is from a higher part of the Gigondas area known as les dentelles, meaning silk or lace as opposed to teeth as one might think. It is an area known for grace and elegance. As an aside, if you get the chance to go to Gigondas then go. It is a beautiful village and has a great restaurant - Oustalet - as outlined in this trip. Back to the wine, this is perfect now, good slightly degraded character and nice earthiness to combine with red back fruits.

Châteauneuf-du-Pape Cuvée Spéciale 2006 en magnum what a wine this is. Year in, year out I love this. 100% Grenache ("as Chateauneuf should be!"), made with 100% whole cluster from 100year+ old vines in La Crau on a sandy soil (only really shared by Rayas, La Crau and Pignan). There is no pumping over, it is what Bastien described as a tea-bag wine. The colour, as Grenache should be, is not too deep. There is an extremely elegant freshness to this wine. I just love the poise and balance, the slight white pepper but mainly the redder leafy fruits. Spot on. All this from a decent, but not more than that, vintage. I have some mags of 2010 but Bastien made me promise I will leave them for a while.

Côte Rôtie Vieilles Vignes 1999 en magnum drinking a wine that is special for a particular reason is always great. The reason this is such is that it was only made in magnum and never sold. It was only the 3rd time Bastien had drunk it! Only three times have they made a Vieilles Vignes Cote Rotie and this was just 300 magnums (2 barrels). There was a "normal" Cote Rotie 1999. The nose is just classical Cote Rotie, all bacon fat and dark spiced fruit. The palate had a more ferrous feel, a savoury bite that left you wanting more. I would say it is mature now, clearly it will continue to age but is spot on at the moment.

When it comes to planning dinners one of the trickier areas is the last course, especially if the producer in question is white or red wine dominated. Here we had a great option. The other "first world problem" is whether you have cheese or pudding first so we served a fortified red with cheese and pudding alongside each other.

Rasteau Vin Doux Naturel 2014 this was a production of just 600 bottles and 2014 was only the second time they had made this. The only Rhone village that has an official appellation for Vin Doux Naturel (or Rhone Port as we simplified it to on my table) is Rasteau. This village, 50 years ago, made almost exclusively VDN. The vines are 80 years old. There is an insane drinkability to this, I am delighted that I bought some. It is redder in fruit than Port, elegant, more drinkable in volume at an early stage, also "only" 17% rather than 20%. Splendid!

And that was it really...a thoroughly enjoyable evening, Bastien throwing great nuggets of information into the mix and everyone just getting stuck in. Wine as it should be...

Bandol, Tardieu-Laurent 2012 & 2013

So, I got back from holiday exactly a week ago and having been down to a little village in Provence called Correns (near Brignoles) I felt a bit silly that I hadn't made it to Bandol (only an hour down the road). The good news is that we're almost certainly going back next year and I will make the trip for sure. Hopefully co-ordinated with another visit to the Stade Mayol to see Toulon play in a pre-season friendly as we did this year (vs Stade Francais) and last (vs Clermont). 

Getting back to the office this week it was time to take an early look at the Rhone 2015 offer we do with Tardieu-luarent (about whom more below) and quickly Bandol popped up in conversation with Mr Hartley…so what better thing to do than follow two tastings I did on holiday - Chablis 1er cru Vaillons three ways and Barolo threeways in France - by having a look at Bandol 2012 and 2013. I bought a bottle of each, got them home, cooled then down a little, did not decant and then tasted (drunk that is) the wines over Friday and Saturday making notes as I went.

Here's a little generic background on Bandol itself. There is a good page on it in "The World Atlas of Wine" as well. In short it is the type of place that makes wines the way I tend to like them made: Old vines, low yields, minimum intervention (but stopping short of what might be called "crafted", "natural" or "beardy") and most importantly not raised in lots of new oak. The supplier that Michel and Bastien Tardieu source from looks very like Spike Milligan from the few pics I have seen. This specific wine is 95% Mourvèdre and 5% Grenache (the vines in both being well over 50 years old) on Clay-limestone soils in the "Le Castellet" sub region.

Some words on Tardieu-Laurent
Established in 1996, Michel Tardieu is a négociant-éleveur, buying wines selected according to the quality of the vineyard, in their raw, fermented state.

The wines, from many different but not all communes of the Rhone (and sometimes slightly beyond, as in this case) undergo malolactic fermentation, generally under the watchful eye of Michel and increasingly by his oenologist son, Bastien. They look after the maturation process, blending and sale of the wines. Logically, given that the accurate translation of terroir and vintage is fundamental to the Tardieu-Laurent mind-set, intervention is minimal. None of the wines are fined and only a few receive a very light filtration. Top quality ingredients are, however, absolutely essential. To that end, a huge part of Michel’s and Bastien’s work involves building long-term, mutually beneficial relationships with a network of low-yield producers (who's identities are never revealed or referenced), who own specific, top quality parcels of largely old vines.

Michel and Bastien know, by heart, both the vineyards and the specific parcels within those vineyards, which are of interest to them. (Note to self: don't buy a car from either of them - Bandol to Cote Rotie is a long way!) Most of the vines selected are naturally low-yielding old vines of 50 years of age, regularly older. Often the size of the individual parcels is too small to be independently viable, but, by buying a number of them, there is the wherewithal to produce a workable blend. The naturally restricted volumes result in increased complexity and intensity. There have been times when the supplier in a certain area has been changed, most recently with Crozes-Hermitage which was good but is now (from 2012 or 2013 - I can't remember exactly which) is truly exceptional.

On a purely personal note, two of the wines from Tardieu that I always look to buy each year are the Chateauneuf-du-Pape (CNDP) Cuvee Speciale and the CNDP Blanc VV. Of the latter I have a four vintage tasting, 2011-2014, that I will be doing soon and writing up.

Click HERE for an account of a recent and rather epic recent Rhone trip...

Right, on with the business at hand, "the tasting":

7pm Friday night
2012 - Deep fully colour with saturation but not a glossy appeal to be honest both wines at this young stage have a similar look with a very outer rim of cherry. The initial reaction on the nose is of savoury density balanced with freshness from slightly muted black cherry fruit. There is a taught-ness and good complexity. Moving to the palate, which is largely consistent with the nose, there is a density but not a heaviness, the fruit is dark but with a hint of cranberry freshness in there. The tannic structure is very proper by which I mean the tannins are not polished and caressed with new oak or glossiness, quite the opposite they are ripe but properly grippy and just a shade drier that one is used to. This is a good uncompromising characteristic. Good start. Young but bold.

2013 - As mentioned the colour is largely constant with the 2012. The fruit here is just a shade redder but still in essence dark, there is a similar crunchy and proper tannic structure. This is less muted from a fruit perspective than the 2012 which often leads one to say it is less serious but lets wait and see.

If after tasting at this stage someone said "right you can only drink one bottle this evening" it would be the 2013…just.

11.30 Saturday morning (both bottles are still 2/3 full)
2012 - Still the more serious of the pair, a little saline, darker fruit than the 2013. This has a slight sternness as well as the structure having mellowed a little. I get the impression this will repay cellaring and then be a lovely middle-aged and older wine. Still quite tight.

2103 - A crunchier fruit now, more focusing acidity too, still big but not as dense. The tannins are less dry and more powdery (which I like), there is more vibrancy.

I am starting to find a definite similarity here in the fruit profile to both Gamay (when serious and with more structure here) but also serious Barbera when made with low yields and no new oak. Looking forward to drinking the rest later...

6pm Saturday night
As you might expect the differences are more pronounced by now.
2012 - Far more the "animal" of these wines, more grip and grit and more obvious ferrous character, more oxidative and "grunty". This is crying out for rich food in a sauce, cassoulet would be superb, I like this. It makes me think of northern Rhone as much as anything.

2013 - There is also a slightly ferrous feel here but in a very gentle way  and there is a cool fruited element. Much more minerality in a "crushed rocks" fashion. The fruit is a sort of deep red and the tannins have that moreish powdery quality. I find it fascinatingly moreish and complex.

Conclusions:
I can see a good line between the wines, especially on opening. What is good though is that the differences started to appear. I certainly see the 2012 as a wine to leave for 4-5 years and see where it is then...I think it will be cracking as a winter wine with grip and savoury richness. The 2013 is probably worth leaving for 2 more years or so as it did evolve. I am inclined to think the 2013 is, by a shade, the better wine which might not be what vintage character (or perceived quality) might have suggested. Anyhow at under £20 on your table this is a wine packed with character and a nice lack of compromise...

Holiday bottles in France - 2014

The family holiday this year was spent, with another family, down in the Dordogne near Beaulieu. One of the advantages to driving is that I can take a couple of cases of wine. We had a great house with a pool, very remote but most of the time was either spent cooking, talking about food and wine or drinking and eating!

I took various things and we hunted around the supermarkets, town markets and a few shops for the others. I was not making full tasting notes as this was a break but I have put a few comments below.

The local "drop"

Cahors is the nearest area of real production so we sampled plenty during out time. One of the favourite producers for me was Clos de Gamot which has old vines and seemed to have a nice and unobtrusive style. I think little or no new oak too which is always a good thing in my book. There did seems to be two styles from the small sample we drank. I am going to call them, "rustic tradition" and "Wannabe Argentinians". The former has no fear of funky aromas and a bit of dirty spice, medium weight, more interesting to my mind. The later is more viscous and technically more fruited and pure but seemed to lack a creation sense of place or uniqueness.

A few Bordeaux

Not being far from Bordeaux a few bottles were always going to creep into the range from that great Region. Grand Place 2009 was a little overstated as the name suggests. Baron de Lestac 2011 white was ok but overoaked which slightly spoilt what could have been a lovely good value bottle. Les Carmes Haut Brion 2004 which I bought a few of some years back has been disappointing me of late, some of the sweat charm has gone and it is a little too savoury now. A fine lesson in not ageing a wine you like as it is/was.

Some Burgs

From left to right; A very ordinary Bourgogne Blanc 2012, a delicious with food Chablis 1er Cru Vaillons 2007 from Vincent Dampt, an insipid and uninteresting Julienas 2013 (yes Beaujolais is not high on my list but this was just dull) and a bad bottle of Corton Charlemagne 2004 from Bonneau du Martray (see next post for a good bottle!).

Got to love the Germans

The German selection was probably the strongest in terms of the producers shown. The magnum of Prum was real highlight. I had never hidden my love of the Prum wines and this was just another great example (Wehlener Sonnenhur 2011 magnum), it'll age well but is so delicious now. The Spatlese Jubilee bottling from Schloss Schonborn is an absolute favourite of Mrs H and rightly so, very intense fruit. The two Mullers are the estate Rielsings from 2009 and 2010 and they are true to type, 2010 more linear and more focussed, 2009 easier and lovely if simpler.

As predicted!

Of course there was a showing from Italy! and I have to say they were on good form. From left to right:
Brunello di Montalcino 2006 - We had two bottles of this and my only real regret is that I did not buy more, it is youthful but stunning and just so enjoyable, I can't think if anytime when I wouldn't love to just open and enjoy this. 
Chianti Classico Reserva Le Baroncole 2010, San Giusto - I am a fan of San Giusto and think that Percarlo is great and the basic Chianti is a "no brainer" BUT this may be the weak link (well at this young age anyhow), it is just too oaked and that masks what is obviously good fruit…a good wine but not what it could be!
Avvoltore 2006 - Sturdy showing from this wine, very good with big meat dishes, the more recent vintages (2002 onwards) appear not to quite have the charm of old but this is a good wine.
Barolo Brunate 2007, Marcarini - As with most 2007 Barolos I believe in serving this cool and after a quick double decant, it is feminine for Barolo, a Volnayesque Barolo of sorts. Very good way to translate the vintage, enjoyable if not serious.
Barbera d'Alba 2012, Negri - A good richly fruited if not heavy Barbera, good all-rounder, best with another 12 months but good.

The rest!

The highlights here:
Crozes-Hermitage VV 2011, Tardieu-Laurent - This is too young by rights but is delicious in a mini-Hermitage sort of way…savoury bacon with dark fruit. 
Chateauneuf du Pape Blanc VV 2011 - I have had several bottles of this now and whilst it'll age well it is just so balanced and lovely now, not too much structure, not too much fruit just bliss.
Rebmann generally - Not a producer I know but they seem to be a big firm or a negoce who do all that alsace offers, the Pinot Gris got drunk in good quantity, nice simple and enjoyable wines.

There were a good few beers along the way but the sensible thing we did was never go to the fortifiers or spirits (well baring a bit of Pastis).

Wines in Wales

I am very late in posting this but there we go!

Our annual family trip down to Wales (back in May!) for a week is always great chance to try lots of bottles especially with my "Cousin -in-law" Cynan who loves his wine, having contributed lots of the below, and cooks amazing food!

24-5-14

CNDP VV Blanc 2011, Tardieu-laurent

Lovely, a bit of oak but "in check", richness of white fruits and a little sweet toffee, so drinkable.

Les Carmes-Haut-Brion 2004

Good nose or classical cedar, black fruit and gravel…the palate is a little dry now and a little foursquare. The sweetness does not last. having had this a few times I am ever so slightly disappointed by it's balance now.

25-5-14

La Roche Blanche 2013 Muscadet Cotes de Grandieu sur lie, Domaine Herbauges

Very taut and mineral, white fruit may be but mostly stones and acidity. The screw cap closure I think makes it even more exaggerated would be interesting if decanted. Decent though.

Chablis 1er Cru Vaillons 2007, Vincent Dampt

In good shape with an unctuous nutty (unsalted) texture. Needs food really as there is a slight side of oxidation without it.

CNDP VV Blanc 2011, Tardieu-laurent

Lovely again, a bit of oak but in check, richness of white fruits and a little sweet toffee, so drinkable. Very good with cheese and still balanced at a warmer temperature. Fond of this!

Chorey-Les-Beaune Piece du Chapitre 2004, Domaine Tollot-Beaut

Nice wine with elegance and not at all forced, slightly lifted green/red fruit, not amazing but a decent 2004.

Chorey-Les-Beaune Piece du Chapitre 2007, Domaine Tollot-Beaut

A more decadent fruit than the 2004, more black amongst the red, good and enjoyable, nicely balanced, I like this.

Les Carmes-Haut-Brion 2004

The end of the bottle from the day before, a little drier but still ok.

Barbaresco 2006, Produttori del Barbaresco

Lovely, gentle for 2006 with a nice fragrance, there is the grip you expect of 2006 but it is not a waste to drink now.

Barolo Brunate 2006, Marcarini

Quite a silky wine for a 2006, so more "Brunate" in style than it is 2006 in style. Good texture and not pronounced tannin. I liked this also.

26-5-14

Ardeche Chardonnay 2012, Louis Latour

Fine, a little oxidative and flabby but decent enough, unexciting.

Passopisciaro 2006 Double magnum

Crunchy red bruised fruit, a lovely nervousness and life, lifted, not light in flavour but not dense in texture. Great minerality and if anything even better on day 2. You can tell the Contrada’s (the single vineyard sites that until 2008 went into the generic wine) are in here.

27-5-14

Que Bonito Cacareaba 2004, Benjamin Romeo

Oranges and Melons with delicious unctuousness. There is some acidity but it is very soft, almost a creamy texture with some botrytis. Entering a slightly lifeless stage. my last bottle gone, always meant to leave one for decades but...

Barolo Villero 2007, Brovia

Understated lightness as though they have picked very early to avoid the heat, there is almost a spritz, it was fine to drink but I am not sure it’s quite right. Second time I have had it and I remain unconvinced.

Passopisciaro 2006 Dmag

Again and getting better if anything!

Recioto della Valpolicella 2010, Tesauro

Lots of dark cherry and a few forest fruits then intensity of viscosity and chocolate, long, intense but not without refinement and class. Good.

28-5-14

Que Bonito Cacareaba 2004, Benjamin Romeo

The last little bit - good!

Barolo Cannubbio 2007, Francesco Rinaldi

Quite dense and structured, not too warm. There is focus and I really think this estate did well in 2007.

Recioto della Valpolicella 2010, Tesauro

Good again not oxidised at all despite half open bottle from previous evening.

29-5-14

El Aprendiz "Albarinblanco" 2013, Leyenda del Paramo - Very clean and focussed, crisp and zippy, almost Gruner like! makes you hungry! 

Le Rocchette Barbera d"Asti 2010, Tenuta Olim Bauda - good wine this with that tell tale cool(er) vintage Barbera cleanness, has precision and very food friendly...

I am sure there are bottles I have missed!

The Tardieu-Laurent 2012's

The Rhone is one of the regions I have come to really like later in my wine career. I'll be honest and say that I find tasting the wines difficult at times, Syrah and Grenache being very different, far more so that Cabernet and Merlot in my opinion. The same can be said of the difference between Viognier and the other main white grapes, Marsanne and Roussanne. Drinking rather than tasting however is a different issue, much fun to be had.

One of the Wine Press was in to taste the full range of Tardieu-Laurent 2012's last week and afterwards I took the opportunity to go through the range. Most aren't yet bottled so these were cask samples with a tiny bit of So2.

The Whites

Saint Peray VV - Some pear fruit but also a lovely minerality, really good stuff - 17-18.

Condrieu - A little blowsy (I'm not Condrieu fan sadly), lots of expression, open and quite full - 16

Hermitage Blanc - Eaux de Vie and a little spritz, decent, less oak that some years, an almost Islay Whisky like saltiness, feminine for Hermitage Blanc, not convinced this is the true showing - 16-18

Cotes du Rhone Les Becs Fins - Great value, elegant, fresh, flowers but not OTT, impressive - 17

Cotes du Rhone Guy Louis - Clean and clear, lovely fruit, poised, quite serious, good! - 17+

CNDP Blanc VV - Beautiful nose, fruit and savoury complexity with focus, really lovely, the pick of the whites for me - 18++

The top two whites for me!

The Reds

Cotes du Rhone Les Becs Fins Rouge - Clean red fruit, a little candied, nice richness, lifted 16-17
Cotes du Rhone Guy Louis Rouge - Whiff of oak that will integrate, good texture, a little spice and cream a little "tarty" now but could be a star when it all knits together - 16 (++?)
Rasteau VV - More heady, mulled fruit, nice balance, a little white pepper, berry fruit, a little drier - 17
Vacqueyras VV - Kirsh, heady but not OTT, juicy fruit, like dry port but then quite refined, confusing but potentially very fine - 16-18
Gigondas VV - A little more savoury than the Vacqueyras but also clasily refined - 17 (+)
CNDP VV - A little more overt than the CS that follows, the new oak makes a difference but should knit in well - 17
CNDP Cuvee Speciale - Mulled fruit, not bruised, has compote complexity, very fine with a long and elegant finish, impressive - 18-19
Crozes-Hermitage VV - Pencil lead refinement, not my stye of fruit but impressive, precise. 17
Saint-Joseph Les Roches VV - Heady with crimson and ink to the eye, loved this, more forward and fruited than the C-H, nice finish too - 17.5
Cornas Coteaux - Bacon and berries! Not too savoury on the palate a little dry but this is Cornas - 17
Cote-Rotie - Meaty and a little sweaty, as it should be, root beer (i.e. mellow "deep heat") and rugby changing rooms, more elegant on the palate than I expected - 17.5
Hermitage - Muted nose, "grown-up" texture, real substance, otherwise hard to assess 17-18.

Really interesting tasting, my feeling is most of the white will drink really well straight "out the box". The reds will certainly re-pay 2-4 years in the cellar.

The top three reds, all very promising.