Tardieu-Laurent 2013 Vieilles Vignes Red (Châteauneuf-du-Pape)

Country: France / Rhône Valley
Variety: Rhône-style Red Blend
Winery: Tardieu-Laurent / Vieilles Vignes

Bigger, richer, oaken and more structured than T-L’s regular Châteauneuf-du-Pape, this cuvée flirts with being just too much. Vanilla, cedar and plum cake aromas, licorice, plum, and cocoa on the palate have a lot to recommend them, while the muscular midpalate and firmness of the tannins on the finish suggest agreeability but not much charm. Try after 2020?