Of a regular quality, this Wine is at the top, and ranks with the very best.
The vintage

In 2007, the challenging, pretty wet, conditions leading up to the end of Spring,
resulted in disease pressure in the vineyards. Combined with the potentially higher yields of the year, this reminded the observant Vignerons of testing vintages of the past.
Providentially, Summer was remarkably dry. A formidable sunshine and a sustained wind - although less fierce than in the preceding years - thus cleansed the Vineyards of any disease.
Even better : in these ideal conditions, the harvest began 120 days after flowering.
It is exceptional that there is so long a period of time between flowering and harvesting - normally 100 days.
The harvest was drawn out. The conscientious Vignerons harvested “à la carte”,
parcel by parcel, taking into account a complex heterogeneity, linked to the various maturing pace of each cépage, and to the greater or lesser precocity of each Terroir.
An impeccable sanitary state, and fresh nights, allowed the collection of perfect grapes,
ideally healthy. And, cool temperatures made it possible to start slow vinifications
under optimal conditions.
A subtle balance between fruit, crispness, and finesse of the tannins. The extraction of colour in the cuves never was this easy. The aromatic profiles are complex, powerful, without a hint of over ripeness. The tannins appear to be fine, round, and mellow.
Less imposing than in 2005, but amply sufficient, these tannins let anticipate a keeping Vintage. Yet, the most striking feature of 2007 is the purity of perfect fruit - the volatile acidities are the lowest ever recorded - a promise of a radiant expression of the Vins Rouges, and even more so, of the Vins Blancs.
The involvement and the know-how of the real Vignerons. In 2007, a number of Vignerons of the Vallée du Rhône, the best ones, redoubled efforts, so that their grapes reached a Quality close to perfection. Indeed, the work of the man can be decisive... unless the Vintage is “obvious” from the start, a case which is not so frequent ! The battle of authenticity, and of excellence, is to be attained in the Vineyards. Starting with the soils.
More than ever, being a Vigneron, is being able to “listen to” Nature. This way only, the challenge of adapting the Vineyards to the climatic changes will be won...

Terroir

Pierelles, Beaumes, Murets, Maison Blanche.

Ageing

New barrels. Allier and Tronçais.

Vinification

100% destemmed.

Tasting

Irreproachable sap and density : this Wine is sheer happiness. Try “to forget” some bottles, and taste this invaluable Gem in its 10th year, on a Breton lobster...

Alcohol content

13,5%

Bottling

Manually, with light filtration.

Cépages

Marsanne : 85 %
Roussanne : 15 %

With its head-turning aromas of honey, truffles and ripe peaches, this is a knockout offering from Tardieu Laurent. In the mouth, it’s broad yet focused, with layers of rich, nuanced flavors that coat the palate before ending in a long, mineral-inflected finish.

Joe Czerwinsky
Wine Enthusiast , 94/100 , 2010-04-01

Creamy and ripe with rich texture and dense fruit plus spice and minerals; notes of vanilla, oak and mature fruit flavors; long, lush and intense.

Anthony Dias Blue
The Tasting Panel , 92/100 , 2010-10-01

Fifty-year-old marsanne vines provide for most of this wine, with 15 percent made up of 35-year-old roussanne. The result in 2007 is a fascinating combination of power and delicacy, the wine’s oily texture filigreed with fine acidity, the marzipan flavor lifted with restrained floral notes and a light white peachiness. Delicious now, it’s sure to gain complexity over the next decade. Tuck it away for bacon-wrapped scallops.

Wine & Spirit , 93/100 , 2010-02-01

Creamy, but with good drive, as Jonagold apple, Cavaillon melon, creamed peach and sweetened butter notes are backed by a hint of macadamia nut. The long, alluring finish lets it all hang together nicely.

James Molesworth
Wine Spectator , 93/100 , 2010-02-28

Yellow-gold. Floral scents of poached pear, beeswax, smoky herbs and minerals. Creamy, palate-coating orchard and pit fruit flavors are firmed by dusty minerals and show a slightly rough edge. The mineral quality dominates the long, chewy, vaguely honeyed finish. Packs a solid punch but I wonder about that hardness.

Josh Raynolds
Stephen Tanzers International Wine Cellar , 89/100 , 2010-02-01