Lirac Rouge 'La Reine des Bois' Domaine de La Mordorée 2018/20

Domaine de La Mordorée, Tavel

“I’ve yet to see these guys put a foot wrong, and regardless of the vintage, they’re able to make superb wines.”
Jeb Dunnuck, The Wine Advocate October 2014

The Delorme family meticulously runs one of the most successful domaines in the Southern Rhône, La Mordorée. Very sadly, Christophe passed away unexpectedly in 2015. His dynamism and drive will be sorely missed, but his wife, daughter, brother Fabrice and team continue to further refine the quality of wine that derives from their 40 hectares of vines, as, like many, they believe that the best wines are made in the vineyard. Every wine receives the same care, be it the simplest Côtes du Rhône or the top Châteauneuf du Pape. Despite success and multiple awards, the prices remain very reasonable.
From a deep-rooted winegrowing background, it was only in 1986 that the Delorme family dedicated itself entirely to their passion for wine. Their goal was clear: to produce the best wine from each of their appellations, while preserving terroir. The family therefore acquired new lands, broadening the vineyard holdings and enriching their spread of appellations with new parcels of land, including Châteauneuf du Pape in 1989. In time, they have built up a 60 hectares vineyard on 38 different plots of land, in 8 different districts. This mosaic of different parcels provides a rich, wide range of soils and microclimates. Faithful to their passion for the woodcock, the family decided to name the Domaine after its “poetical” name: La Mordorée. They then used two other themed names for two of their Lirac cuvées: ‘La Dame Rousse’ (the Redheaded Lady) and ‘La Reine des Bois’ (the Queen of the Woods).

”Being a wine grower means knowing one's vineyard by heart: knowing every individual vine, feeling the stress of a drought like in 2003 or the rains of 2002, as if we were the plant itself. Being a wine grower is having both feet deeply rooted in one's land, in its very soil, feeling what the vine feels, and adapting the winemaking process to the different fruit styles. Being a wine grower is not about blindly applying scientific methods: the heart of wine growing is man, with his instinct, passion, intuition, and improvisation. This is perhaps the main difference between wines that are technically perfect and wines that have a real soul. Our code of ethics is profoundly based on respecting the gifts of nature through our soils and landscapes. This code of ethics is consequently applied to all the stages of production, ensuring that future generations may live in harmony with our heritage.”
Christophe Delorme

Sweet and opulent, this is really rather yummy with abundant notes of blueberry, thyme, blackcurrant, spice and olives. Very dense, textured, saline and toothsome; powerful.

Grapes: 40% Syrah, 30% Grenache, 30%  Mourvèdre.Organic