Tardieu-Laurent is essentially a super-selective négociant-éleveur, family owned and run. Michel Tardieu is at the helm working alongside with his oenologist son Bastien with his wife Michelle and daughter Camille on administration. The concept of the company centres around Michel’s and increasingly Bastien’s Tardieu's abilities in sourcing small parcels of designated wines from quality fruit, then taking care of their élevage in the Tardieu’s cellar in Lourmarin. Michel has worked tirelessly to build relationships with small growers, over many years, encouraging best practice and sourcing, in the main, low production, old vine fruit. It is Michel’s and Bastien’s meticulous attention to detail, which makes these wines so special. Cornas is known as the “vin noir”, and you can see why as soon as you pour it – inky and glass-staining, with a bright purple rim. 100% Syrah-Serine, 60 to 100 years old. A half whole bunch fermentation. The nose is sauvage, animalistic, leathered and spicy. On the palate, the tannins appear finer than the nose suggests, aided by an acidic lift and lovely dark spicy fruit, before asserting themselves properly on the back-palate. A wine which demands patience. From plots at the base of the slopes. This is aged for 12 months in new and one year-old barrels, then spends 10 months in foudres.