Tardieu-Laurent, Vieilles Vignes, Saint Joseph, Rhône, 2010

Tasting: Saint Joseph 2010

Sweet ,intense, menthol nose, vibrant and packed with black fruit and quite oaky too. Has a lean attack, with high acidity, but there’s intensity and flair and a welcome limpidity. There’s isn’t a great deal of flesh or weight but it has finesse and length, marred only by a slight astringency on the finish.

Tasting: Saint Joseph 2010

Spicy welcoming nose; summer pudding and a hint of cinnamon. Palate has generous and sweet fruit, perfect 2010 balance and a finely-tapered, elegant finish, with hints of aniseed and even eucalyptus adding extra interest.

Tasting: Saint Joseph 2010

Spice, pine woods, vanilla airs, an alert bouquet backed by red berry fruit, has a country style tang, smoke and liquorice.The palate shows a live acidity in its fine tuned fruit, is not showy, and needs to settle, to fuse.The fruit is brisk, so are the wiry tannins just now. Has some dash in its make-up.