Tardieu Laurent : Côte-Rôtie "Vieilles Vignes" 2023

Darkly coloured. Lovely herbal effect on the nose, very powerful, with potent black fruits. The tannins are quite leathery and slightly drying. Very ripe, with a long finish. Will be good in time, in a ripe, succulent style.

Dense and brooding, offering a chewy, compact core of black currant, mulberry and grilled anise. This is saline, with earth tones of tobacco leaf and forest floor alternating with violet and ganache. Firm and dry on the finish, where there’s an intense, iron-edged mineral layer and an old-school note of iodine. Best from 2027 through 2038. 350 cases made, 25 cases imported.

A textural, driven and well-composed red with aromas of dark cherries, roasted meat, warm spices, smoke and black earth. Medium-bodied with fine tannins. Refined texture, with a lively blue fruit character and a spicy, vibrant finish. Drink or hold.

Absolutely brilliant aromatics of smoky red and black fruits, spring flowers, black olive, and graphite emerge from the 2023 Côte Rôtie Vieilles Vignes, and with air, more classic smoke, meats, and chocolaty goodness come through. Based on 100% Syrah from the Serine clone sourced from the La Landonne, Chavaroche, Lancement, and Rochains lieux-dits, it was not destemmed and spent two years in new barrels. It's full-bodied and has a beautifully concentrated, layered mouthfeel, perfectly integrated oak, ripe tannins, good acidity, and a great finish. I was able to follow this bottle for multiple days, and it held up beautifully. Hide bottles for 5-8 years and enjoy over the following two decades. Drink 2031-2051.