Jean Tardy
Jean Tardy is a compact and ebullient old fox, assisted by his young son Guillaume. It always seems to me that he is somewhat surprised at the interest in his wines. Being a vigneron for forty years looking after the vines for what is now the domaine Meo Camuset, fame has come late to him, and the anonymity of the vineyard has had to give way to the more public role of dealing with inquisitive English wine merchants.

He has only bottled up 100% of his wine since 1989, beforehand he took the easier, hassle-free option of selling to the negociants as so many used to – and still do. “There is no secret to making great wine; small yields,” he explains, “and you cannot make wine in eight days!” referring to the long cold pre-fermentation and long cuvaison that he uses here to great effect for 20 days or so.
The wines are voluptuous: packed with fruit, concentrated and yet so very pure. This is one of the really underrated estates in Burgundy producing regularly, since 1992, top quality serious Vosne Romanee and one of the very best Nuits St Georges.

Guillaume, the son, is a nice chap in his mid 20s, who started working with his father at the 2000 harvest. They have to give back Méo Camuzet vines in 2007, but have put together small Domaine of village vines, which they were able to get with the help of SAFER (Société d’Amenagement Financière et Expoitation Rurale) The new vines were bought in Vosne Romanée on a lieu dit called Les Vineux.