Courtault-Tardieux - Touraine Rouge 'Dialogues'

Type

Red Wine

Appellation

Touraine

Variety

50% Cabernet Franc
50 % Côt

Listening to the eponymous 1995 album by Charlie Haden (bass) and Carlos Paredes (Portuguese guitar) inspired the name for this new cuvée. A bit about its origin: 2018 was a smooth harvest, except for the final days. The domaine had two varieties left to harvest, but only one tank remaining. After many heated discussions, they decided and were able to reach a solution where a dual objective of balance and harmony could be reached over time: co-ferment the two varieties in the same tank. Domaine Tardieux-Gal's vines have been certified organic since 1998. Grapes are hand harvested and vinified with native yeasts, with no added sugar and only a small amount of sulfites used.

Viticulture

Vineyard name

Les Automes (Côt) - Les Sagères (Cabernet)

Soil type

White clay, flint, and sand

Vine age1972 (Cabernet Franc in 'Les Sagères') / 1981 (Côt in 'Les Automes')

Vineyard size0.60 ha total (0.3 ha each)

PruningShort (Côt), Guyot (Cabernet)

ExpositionSoutheast

Altitude120 m

Vinification

Fruit is destemmed, co-fermented with native yeasts, and macerated for 20 days

Elevage10 months in stainless steel tanks

Harvest typeHand Harvested

Fining/FilteringUnfined / Tangential filtration

Additional info

Total production average5,000 bottles

More about
the producer

Domaine Tardieux

Founded in 1977 (Simon joined in 2009)

16 hectares

As a teenager, Simon Tardieux began working in the vines at a famous organic domaine called Clos Roche Blanche. After university and a short stint as a social worker, he decided to return to Thésée and get back to viticulture – the only problem was that he didn’t have any vineyards. In 2009, Simon teamed up with his neighbor Alain Courtault, who had been farming organically since 1998, but was still selling most of his harvest off to the local coop. Together, they created a range of simple, eminently drinkable wines that showcase the best of French farming, and a decade later, they are bottling all of their grapes.

Following Alain's retirement in 2020, Simon took over the domaine gradually, mentored along the way by Alain. The work in the vineyards goes far beyond follow...