Maison Tardieu Lirac Vieilles Vignes 2018
Maison Tardieu Lirac Vieilles Vignes 2018 reflects a challenging and heterogeneous vintage marked by generous spring rains, heat, and significant disease pressure in the vineyards. A brilliant September brought cool, sunny harvest conditions with marked thermal amplitudes, allowing the vignerons to select the ideal harvest moment plot by plot.
Description
The Vintage
Strange and paradoxical… This vintage has reserved us quite a few surprises, and still raises questions. Although described as « Great » by some Vignerons, its strong heterogeneity, depending on the sectors, imposes us to be attentive, measured, though hopeful.
2018 : the vegetative cycle is early. Spring sees generous rains and heat strokes alternate. According to “Elders”, from memory one has to get back to the 60’ to observe such pressure of diseases in the vineyard. And, unfortunately for some Domaines, the processing windows would, in the main, only open at the week-ends… The vintage therefore promises to be technically complicated, demanding meticulous, tedious, even relentless work, in the vineyards. Damage and losses vary… but yields on Grenache are historically low… Providentially, once again, we could count on Mother Nature’s final “nudge” ! Without hesitation we can assert that the quality of the remaining grapes, the quality of their juice, is mainly due to a brilliant month of September.
Indeed, the weather conditions during the harvest were almost perfect. Cool but sunny weather, with well-marked, valued, thermal amplitudes… The Vigneron was able to choose in all serenity the ideal moment to harvest, plot of land by plot of land, without having to operate any constrained arbitration…
Varietals
Grenache blanc 50%, Clairette 20%, Roussanne 20%, Picpoul 10%
Founded in 1996 by Michel Tardieu in Lourmarin, Provence, Maison Tardieu-Laurent has built its identity around a deep passion for wine, terroir, and the people behind each vintage. Specializing in the Rhône Valley, the family-run house carefully selects exceptional vineyard parcels and high-quality grapes, combining meticulous winemaking with thoughtful aging to express the distinctive character of each appellation. Today, Michel and his children, Bastien and Camille, continue this family tradition, crafting wines that reflect the richness, complexity, and individuality of the Rhône Valley’s finest terroirs.
Related products
95 D
91 JS
95 D
92 JS
