France · Rhône Valley

Tardieu-Laurent

Tardieu-Laurent is a négociant operation founded in 1994 by Michel Tardieu and Dominique Laurent in the southern Rhône, sourcing old-vine fruit from across the entire Rhône Valley — from Côte-Rôtie in the north to Châteauneuf-du-Pape in the south — then aging the wines in barrels at their cellars in Lourmarin. The house became known in the late 1990s for high-extraction, heavily oaked Rhône wines that attracted extreme scores from Robert Parker, though the style has moderated significantly since the mid-2000s. Vieilles Vignes cuvées — produced from old-vine parcels selected by Tardieu's relationships with growers throughout the valley — are the primary auction lots: old-vine Crozes-Hermitage, Côte-Rôtie, Hermitage, and Châteauneuf-du-Pape bottlings appear regularly. At auction, 117 lots average $73 per bottle, a figure that reflects the wide span between entry-level Côtes du Rhône (under $30) and the rare Hermitage Vieilles Vignes, which achieved 98–100 points from Parker for the 2003 vintage. The Côte-Rôtie VV and Hermitage VV are the house's collectible apex: Hermitage VV can reach $200–$400 for top vintages like 2003, 2005, and 2010. Parker's enthusiasm for Tardieu in the early 2000s generated significant secondary-market activity; current auction demand is more selective and focused on the northern Rhône cuvées.