Tardieu Laurent : Châteauneuf-du-Pape "Vieilles Vignes" 2025

Characteristics and Tasting Tips for the Châteauneuf-du-Pape "Vieilles Vignes" 2025 Tardieu-Laurent

Serving and cellaring

The Châteauneuf-du-Pape "Vieilles Vignes" 2025 is best served chilled, at around 10 to 12°C.

A white Châteauneuf-du-Pape from old vines, crafted by Maison Tardieu-Laurent

The estate

Founded in 1996 in Lourmarin, in the Luberon, Maison Tardieu-Laurent is a négociant-éleveur in the Rhône Valley that owns no vineyards of its own. It relies on a network of nearly one hundred partner growers spread from the north to the south of the valley, selecting their finest parcels, in particular those planted with old vines. Today led by Michel Tardieu and his son Bastien, the Maison applies to these Rhône terroirs an approach to ageing inspired by Burgundian methods.

The vineyard

This white Châteauneuf-du-Pape "Vieilles Vignes" originates from emblematic parcels of the appellation, planted on the rolled pebbles (galets roulés) characteristic of the terroir. The vines used for this cuvée are among the oldest of the parcels selected by the Maison, with the Grenache Blanc and Roussanne several decades old, lending the wine a concentrated texture and great depth.

The vintage

The 2025 vintage proved paradoxical in the Rhône Valley. A mild, wet winter allowed the soils to build up precious water reserves, before a spring alternating generous rainfall with sudden bursts of heat. Two heatwaves, at the end of June and then at the beginning of August, subsequently weighed heavily on yields, causing the berries to desiccate. The welcome rains of early September ultimately unlocked ripening, rewarding the most patient growers, particularly in the southern Rhône, with a harvest of remarkable quality.

Vinification and ageing

For the Châteauneuf-du-Pape "Vieilles Vignes" 2025, Tardieu-Laurent continues the Burgundy-inspired approach to ageing that has long been applied to this white cuvée. The wine will be aged in French oak barrels of one and two wines, before being bottled without fining and with very light filtration, in order to best preserve the texture and substance of the wine.

Grape varieties

The Châteauneuf-du-Pape "Vieilles Vignes" 2025 is built on a blend of Grenache Blanc and Roussanne, the traditional white grape varieties of the appellation.