2006 Tardieu-Laurent Chateauneuf-du-Pape Cuvee Speciale

Rhone, France

Tardieu-Laurent Chateauneuf-du-Pape Cuvee Speciale is a beautiful red wine gem from the southern Rhone of France. This 100% Grenache cuvee comes from 80-to-100-year-old vines in the northern vineyard sites of Chateauneuf-du-Pape called La Crau, Font du Loup and Gardioles. Named for the village just north of Avignon, Chateauneuf-du-Pape (new castle of the Pope) is the place where Pope John XXII first built a summer residence and planted vineyards back in the 14th century. Michel Tardieu is the masterful Provencal winemaker behind his critically acclaimed wines. La Maison Tardieu-Laurent began as a venture with Burgundy negociant Dominique Laurent and is based in the charming village of Lourmarin in the Luberon. The Cuvee Speciale is an organic wine. This gorgeous wine received ratings of 92-94 from Parker and 94 from Wine Spectator.

Tardieu-Laurent Chateauneuf-du-Pape Cuvee Speciale is deep ruby red in color, offering a fragrant nose of raspberries, black cherries, cassis, licorice, and violets. It is full-bodied with moderate acidity and lean tannins. The wine shows robust flavors of black cherry, blackberry, raspberry, vanilla, and white pepper. It was aged in Allier oak barrels and hand-bottled unfiltered. Beautifully balanced to enjoy now and over the next 10-15 years, this 2005 vintage shows a gorgeous complexity and concentration of fruit. The wine is long and perfumed on the finish.

Enjoy Tardieu-Laurent Chateauneuf-du-Pape Cuvee Speciale with daube Provencal (slow-cooked beef), grilled mushrooms, rich pastas, and aged cheeses.