Maison Tardieu Laurent - Châteauneuf du Pape - Vieilles Vignes 2006

The vintage

Firstly, the vineyards had to stand a very hot month of July, as hot as July 2003…
Then, they had to put up with a month of August amongst the coldest in the last 50 years ! After a rather pleasant 2005 autumn, winter cold suddenly struck. Frosts were frequent, and the thermometer did not rise above 13°during the best periods in the day.
2005-2006 Winter was long and chilly. Unfortunately, and once again, feeble rains were not sufficient to bring back up the level of water tables. A violent Mistral in Marc and April, then sunshine stronger than the average, did not help fixing this problem. The growing of the vine was thus perturbed, first at the period of the floraison, then in the course of the véraison, causing, in the whole of the vineyards, a notable heterogeneity.
In return, the vineyards remained perfectly healthy. There were more grapes than last year, with volumes close to 2003, but the berries were small, with thick skins. After the heat wave in July, the rains in August supported maturity. Now, the rains of September made the harvest of Grenache delicate. As often - as always ! - you had to be patient and wait for the right moment… As regards the vinifications, you had to show the same persistence. The Wines revealed their nature very late, in the course of the post- fermentation phases. The juice you could then taste, at this moment, let you anticipate the best - most beautiful wonders…
The very cool month of August did a world of good to this Vintage. The White Wines already reveal to be beautifully dense, with an uncommon freshness.They are precise Wines, with a clear and pure fruit. A Great Vintage.

Terroir

La Crau, les Serres, le Belvédère.

Ageing

Allier and Tronçais new oak and one Wine casks