Tardieu Laurent : Saint Joseph "Vieilles Vignes" 2021

Tasting Notes and Serving Suggestions for the Saint Joseph "Vieilles Vignes" 2021 from Tardieu Laurent

Tasting

Color

The wine displays a deep purple hue with bright, luminous highlights.

Nose

The nose reveals intense aromas of dark fruits, notably blackcurrant, blackberry, and dark plum. These fruity notes are complemented by the distinctive signature of garrigue, bringing herbal nuances and a subtle peppery lift. A pronounced granitic minerality emerges, lending freshness and definition to the whole. With aeration, secondary notes of smoked bacon, leather, and dried violet appear, enriching the aromatic complexity. Floral hints of violet and rose gradually develop, accompanied by delicate touches of black pepper and anise.

Palate

On the palate, the wine unveils juicy notes of dark fruits—especially blackcurrant, blackberry, and dark plum—balanced by aromas of saffron, lavender, black olive, and mushroom that linger through the finish. The attack reflects the structure and concentration resulting from the vintage’s low yields. The high acidity, characteristic of 2021, brings freshness and balance, preventing any heaviness despite the fruit’s concentration. The tannins are fine, rounded, and well integrated. The mid-palate shows richness without excess, creating an impression of cohesion with mineral notes that frame the whole.

Food and Wine Pairings

This Saint Joseph "Vieilles Vignes" 2021 pairs perfectly with roasted, braised, or grilled meats such as veal, pork, beef, lamb, duck, and game. Its mineral structure and herbal notes also harmonize with Mediterranean dishes featuring aromatic herbs such as rosemary, thyme, and oregano. The wine also elegantly accompanies eggplant- and tomato-based dishes, cured meats, as well as preparations with wild mushrooms. For lovers of full-flavored fish, it pairs well with tuna and other fish with a pronounced umami character.

Serving and Cellaring

Saint Joseph "Vieilles Vignes" 2021 is ideally enjoyed at a temperature of 15.5°C. It is recommended to open the bottle about thirty minutes before serving to allow the wine to breathe and fully express its aromatic complexity.

A Saint-Joseph with Crystal-Clear Aromas and Granitic Minerality

The Estate

The Tardieu Laurent house was founded in 1994 by Michel Tardieu. Its philosophy is based on the meticulous selection of exceptional old-vine parcels, ideally fifty to one hundred years old, and on building long-term relationships with partner winegrowers. In 2004, Bastien Tardieu, Michel’s son and a Montpellier-trained oenologist, joined the family business. Today, Michel Tardieu runs the house alongside his two children, Bastien and Camille. In 2018, Christopher Descours’ EPI group became the majority shareholder, enabling the house to strengthen its distribution in France while preserving its identity and working methods.

The Vineyard

The Saint-Joseph "Vieilles Vignes" 2021 comes from several historic parcels located within the appellation, on the right bank of the Rhône. Selected plots notably include "Paradis sur Mauves", situated on the famous Mauves hill in the southern part of the appellation, and "Coteaux Vitrine sur Saint Pierre de Bœuf", in the northern part. The vines, composed of syrah and serine (an old clone of syrah), have an average age of over fifty years. The soils are exclusively granitic, giving the wine its distinctive minerality and crisp definition. The vineyards’ eastern exposure—unlike the south-facing slopes of Hermitage across the way—encourages gradual ripening under the influence of the morning sun, creating energetic, vibrant wines typical of the appellation.

The Vintage

The 2021 vintage broke with the series of six warm, sunny years that preceded it in the Rhône Valley. The year began with a brutal frost on April 7 and 8, with temperatures dropping as low as -10°C, causing significant and uneven damage in the vineyards. This frost was followed by an exceptionally wet spring, with persistent rains threatening fruit set and encouraging fungal diseases. Summer proved moderate in temperature but unpredictable, with intermittent rainfall. Yields were historically low, but this reduced crop load allowed the vines to focus their energy on ripening a smaller quantity of grapes. Harvest dates were pushed back by around two weeks compared to 2020, recalling the classic vintages of the 1990s. Despite these challenges, the vines responded beautifully to the extreme conditions, producing grapes of exceptional quality with crystal-clear freshness and remarkable mineral definition.

Winemaking and Aging

For the Saint Joseph "Vieilles Vignes" 2021, all the grapes were destemmed before fermentation. Vinification was carried out with meticulous temperature control, the vintage’s cool conditions allowing for slow, optimal fermentation. Aging lasted ten months in first- and second-fill barrels of Allier and Tronçais oak, followed by an additional six months in 100- to 400-liter foudres. This approach favors the expression of terroir rather than overt oak character. The wine was bottled unfined and unfiltered.

Grape Variety

100% syrah.