Tardieu-Laurent is one of the Rhone Valley's most acclaimed micro-negociants, founded in the early 1990s by Michel Tardieu and Dominique Laurent and now directed by Michel alongside his son Bastien. The house sources fruit from old vines in the finest appellations of the northern and southern Rhone, applying careful cellar management in large barrels and whole-cluster fermentation to reveal wines of intense character and considerable longevity. The Hermitage is the house's most prestigious cuvee, sourced from very old vine parcels on the legendary granite and limestone hill above Tain-l'Hermitage.

Hermitage is the most celebrated appellation in the northern Rhone, producing Syrah from the hill's granite soils that is capable of ageing for thirty to fifty years in top vintages. The 2021 northern Rhone vintage was cool and fresh, producing wines of elegant structure and aromatic precision rather than the opulent ripeness of warmer years. For Tardieu-Laurent's old-vine sourcing, the 2021's freshness and mineral character are well-suited to the house's style of wines that emphasise terroir definition over extraction and concentration. In magnum format, the wine's development is slowed and extended.

Tardieu-Laurent's reputation for sourcing from the best parcels in each appellation gives their Hermitage a consistent quality advantage: the relationships built over more than three decades with growers in Hermitage's most prestigious positions ensure access to fruit of genuine Grand Cru character. Two stars in the Revue du Vin de France guide confirms the house's standing among Rhone specialists and collectors.

Cellar for eight to twelve years. Best from 2033 to 2055 in magnum. Pair with roasted game, venison or truffle preparations. Decant three to four hours before service when ready to open.

Deep, near-opaque ruby-black. The nose shows Hermitage's hallmark soot, dark fruit, smoked meat and a fine floral-mineral complexity from the granite and limestone soils. The palate is both full-bodied and powerful, with excellent mineral concentration and freshness, coiled tannins and a very long finish. Requires substantial cellaring; exceptional potential.