Tardieux-Gal

Loire Valley / France

At A Glance

Winemaker(s)

Simon Tardieux

Appellation

Touraine

Varieties

Sauvignon Blanc, Pineau d'Aunis, Côt, Gamay, Cabernet Franc

Farming

Organic

Their Story

As a teenager, Simon Tardieux began working in the vines of Catherine Roussel and Didier Barrouillet at Clos Roche Blanche. After university and a short stint as a social worker, he decided to return to Thésée and work outside in the vines. He teamed up with his neighbor Alain Courtault and together formed their domaine Courtault-Tardieux. The domaine has a total of 15 hectares of which they farm Sauvignon, Pineau d’Aunis, Cabernet Franc, Gamay and Côt. All harvesting is done by hand and all vineyard work is organic.
Mid Post Image

In the cellar, Simon has a very light hand as he aims to bottle his wines expressing their terroir at its purest. He uses only natural yeast and sulfur at bottling. No oak is used. The rosé and Sauvignon Blanc are vinified in stainless steel tanks while Simon uses fiberglass for the Tradition rouge.

Interview with Simon Tardieux of Courtault-Tardieux

 Where were you born and raised? I grew up in Noyers sur Cher, a small town ten kilometer far away from Thésée. Not in a farming family : my mother was a teacher and my father was a social worker. Red vines from Cher Valley, Chinon or south of France was on the table each day. And when friends come eat, my father use to serve Sauvignon from Cher Valley. My first emotion with wines glass was during a sunday lunch with friends who know meal and vines : Gamay 1996 from Clos Roche Blanche (organic farming in Mareuil sur Cher since 1993) : juicy and lenght red wine! If you could briefly describe your approach in the vineyard what would it be? In wineyard: "take care of vines like a good family father" In cellar : care and attention because wine is a fragile product. What excites you most about your vineyards? They are rooted in Thésée! If you could say one thing to the sommeliers who are introducing people to your wines for the first time, what would it be? I try to do honest and right wines, that can be representative of their variety, soil and millesime. What is your favorite type of music? For each season : - in spring : traditionnal cumbia and popular balkanic music - in sommer : 40's and 50's be bop (Gillespie, Parker, Basie...), cool jazz (Miles David first quintet...) and birth of hard bop (Coltrane, Blackey, Stan Getz...) - in automn : 60's collective free jazz experience (Sun Râ, Rolland Kirk, Ornette Coleman, Charlie Mingus, Max Roach...) - in winter : 70's to 2000's free music (Albert Ayler, Dave Holland Big Band, Carla Bley, Tim Berne...) If you could have any superhero power, what would you choose? Definitely teleportation.