Tardieu Laurent : Crozes-Hermitage "Vieilles Vignes" 2025

Characteristics and Tasting Tips for the Crozes-Hermitage « Vieilles Vignes » 2025 from Tardieu-Laurent

Food and Wine Pairings

This Crozes-Hermitage pairs beautifully with roasted or slow-braised red meats, as well as poultry such as duck, particularly when prepared with a hint of sweetness or Mediterranean herbs. It is equally at home with feathered game and dishes showcasing mushrooms such as porcini, whose texture and earthy flavour echo the smoky, spicy character of the wine.

Crozes-Hermitage « Vieilles Vignes » from Tardieu-Laurent, a granite-grown Syrah from the northern Rhône Valley

The Estate

Founded in 1996 in Lourmarin, in the Luberon, Tardieu-Laurent is a Rhône Valley négociant-éleveur that owns no vineyards of its own. Now run by Michel Tardieu and his son Bastien, it works with around a hundred partner growers and follows an approach to maturation inspired by Burgundian methods. This approach, founded on the selection of old vines and meticulous work in the cellar, has built the house's reputation among the great names of the Rhône négoce.

The Vineyard

This Crozes-Hermitage comes from parcels located in the sectors of Larnage, Battis, Gervans, Les Chassis and the slopes of Mercurol, where decomposing granite soil gives the vines a characteristic mineral expression. The vines have an average age of 60 years, a factor that contributes to the concentration and depth of the harvested grapes.

The Vintage

The 2025 vintage proved demanding and uneven across the Rhône Valley, marked by sustained fungal disease pressure throughout the growing cycle. These conditions called for rigorous selection in the vineyard, so that only parcels that had reached satisfactory ripeness were retained.

Vinification and Maturation

The vinification of the Crozes-Hermitage « Vieilles Vignes » 2025 uses around one third whole-bunch fruit, adding structure and extra aromatic dimension. Maturation takes place in two stages: twelve months in new oak barrels and in barrels that previously held wine, sourced from the forests of the Allier and Tronçais, followed by six months in foudre. Bottling is carried out without fining or filtration, in order to preserve the purity of the fruit and the texture of the wine.

Grape Variety

100% Syrah.