The modern styled 2007 Rasteau Vieilles Vignes is a beauty and one of the hidden gems in the vintage. Made from 75% Grenache and 25% Syrah, aged two years in new and twice used barrels, it offers youthful notes of blackberries, currants, toasted spices and sweet oak in a full-bodied, concentrated style. I’d happily drink bottles today, but it has another decade of longevity as well.

The inky/purple-colored 2007 Cotes du Rhone-Villages Rasteau Vieilles Vignes (100% Grenache from the blue clay sectors of Rasteau) is a dense, masculine effort offering oodles of fruit, high glycerin, and unbridled power. Forget this blockbuster for 2-3 years, and drink it over the following 15+. This partial look at the Tardieu-Laurent portfolio concentrates on the value-priced offerings from the southern Rhone. Michel Tardieu’s Chateauneuf du Papes were reviewed in issue #179.Importer: Wilson Daniels Ltd., St. Helena, CA; tel. (707) 963-9661