94/100 James Suckling 92/100 Jeb Dunnuck 92/100 Vinous 95/100 Jeb Dunnuck (2019 vintage) 93/100 Wine Spectator (2019 vintage) 93/100 Vinous (2019 vintage) 91/100 Robert Parker, Wine Advocate (2019 vintage) 92/100 Wine Spectator (2018 vintage) 92/100 Jeb Dunnuck (2018 vintage) 92/100 Decanter (2018 vintage) 92/100 Vinous (2018 vintage) 91/100 Wine Enthusiast (2018 vintage) 90/100 Robert Parker, Wine Advocate (2018 vintage) 95/100 Wine Enthusiast (2017 vintage) 94/100 Decanter (2017 vintage) 93/100 James Suckling (2017 vintage) 91/100 Jeff Leve, The Wine Cellar Insider (2017 Vintage) 90/100 Robert Parker, Wine Advocate (2017 vintage) 95/100 International Wine Report (2016 vintage) 94/100 Robert Parker, Wine Advocate (2016 vintage) 93/100 Wine Spectator (2016 vintage) 93/100 Decanter (2016 vintage) 92/100 Vinous (2016 vintage)
Organic
James Suckling "A fragrant and spicy Chateauneuf that marries richness and structure with finesse and fascination. The fine tannins build beautifully at the self-confidently dry finish, where spicy and chalky elements mingle beautifully, with just a hint of milk chocolate neatly accenting this. A complex blend based on grenache. From biodynamically grown grapes with Demeter certification."
Jeb Dunnuck "it offers a ruby/purple hue as well as a classy, perfumed Grenache nose of wild strawberries, cherries, dried flowers, and peppery garrigue. Playing in the medium to full-bodied, elegant style of the vintage, it has ripe yet present tannins, good purity, and outstanding length. The blend is 90% Grenache, 4% each of Syrah and Mourvèdre, and the balance Vaccarèse and Counoise. While this cuvée is billed as the entry level/second wine of the estate, it’s made in a very different style than the Reine des Bois and is well worth your time and money."
Vinous "Bright violet. Primary red and dark berry and garrigue scents are complemented by licorice and white pepper flourishes. Appealingly sweet and open-knit, offering energetic raspberry, cherry cola and lavender pastille flavors that tighten steadily with aeration. Shows fine clarity and spicy cut on a long, penetrating finish that's given shape by subtly chewy tannins."
Jeb Dunnuck " a beautiful array of both red and black fruits as well as classic Provençal notes of lavender, peppery garrigue, and flowers. Rich, medium to full-bodied, and beautifully textured on the palate, this is another terrific vintage for this cuvée, which remains an incredible value in the market today." (2019 vintage)
Wine Spectator "An expressive version marked by linzer torte, raspberry coulis and plum pâte de fruit notes, with a licorice note lacing it all up through the finish, where flashes of apple wood, tar and red tea fill in nicely. This is for fans of the fruit-driven style. Grenache, Syrah, Mourvèdre, Counoise and Vaccarèse. " (2019 vintage)
Vinous "Vivid ruby. Spice-accented red berry preserve and cherry aromas are complemented by pungent floral and mineral nuances. Appealingly sweet and seamless in the mouth, offering sappy raspberry, cherry liqueur, licorice and baking spice flavors braced by a spine of juicy acidity. Finishes supple, broad and long, with lingering floral and spice notes and well-knit tannins that lend shape and gentle grip." (2019 vintage)
Robert Parker, Wine Advocate "...it delivers plenty of red fruit notes, ranging from redcurrants and raspberries to slightly darker cherries. Full-bodied and perhaps a touch warm, it's supple and fine, turning silky and elegant on the finish." (2019 vintage)
Wine Spectator "A singed alder note leads off, followed quickly by a mix of steeped plum and black cherry pâte de fruit flavors. Black licorice and graphite underscore the finish. " (2018 vintage)
Jeb Dunnuck "...made in a more charming, forward style compared to the La Reine des Bois release.Ripe strawberries, red currants, toasted spice, and garrigue notes emerge from this classy, frontend loaded, already impossible to resist 2018. With soft tannins, a fleshy mid-palate, and a great finish, it’s ideal for drinking over the coming decade." (2018 vintage)
Decanter "Rounded, full-bodied, generous and good concentration for the vintage, but also quite approachable. This has some depth and intensity, a gentle mineral seam within that brings freshness and length. Has more focus and thrust than most 2018s. Fermented and aged mostly in stainless steel, along with some old barriques" (2018 vintage)
Vinous "Shimmering ruby. Expressive aromas of cherry and red berry preserves, succulent herbs and flowers and baking spices pick up a spicy nuance with air. Sappy and penetrating, offering bitter cherry, black raspberry and rosemary flavors that flesh out through the back half. Closes long, smooth and broad, with repeating florality and subtle tannins adding gentle grip." (2018 vintage)
Wine Enthusiast "...it's a plush, delicately muted wine feathered in soft, furry tannins and a flurry of dried herb and baking spice notes that linger on the finish." (2018 vintage)
Robert Parker, Wine Advocate "...a large-scaled ball of plum and blackberry fruit and savory nuances. Hints of mocha, black olive and licorice bring added interest to this soft, easygoing offering that should be consumed over the next 6-8 years" (2018 vintage)
Wine Enthusiast "With it's pristine blackberry and boysenberry flavors and a juicy, freshly concentrated demeanor, the Grenache-dominant La Dame Voyageuse is more welcoming in youth than the producer's densely packed La Reine des Bois bottling. Etched by savory complexities of garrigue and walnut skins, and held upright by firm, velveteen tannins, it's a stunner in its own right that should drink beautifully well through 2030." (2017 vintage)
Decanter "The fruit is all destemmed and fermented in old barriques, plus a little stainless steel. The aromas wake you up with their vivid, peppery, spicy fireworks. The palate is medium-bodied, with lovely concentration of fruit. There's real freshness and vitality here, with balanced acidity and snappy, saline, gently serrated tannins. It's so drinkable and moreish, I would pick this over their Reine des Bois in 2017, which has a much riper (I would say overripe) fruit profile. One of my value picks of the vintage." (2017 vintage)
James Suckling "A rich and attractively ripe nose with very juicy, attractive berry flavors. This has a super rich feel and delivers such impressive depth and length of fine, supple and gently grainy tannin on the palate. There’s a lot to like here. From organically grown grapes." (2017 vintage)
Jeff Leve, The Wine Cellar Insider "Medium-bodied, the soft, round, ripe and juicy red fruits are all over the place. It is hard to believe this is only a second wine!" (2017 vintage)
Robert Parker, Wine Advocate "...boasts scents of leather, black cherries and dusty earth. It's not as concentrated as the Reine des Bois, but it's still full-bodied, with a generous, welcoming feel and a silky finish." (2017 vintage)
International Wine Report "... is a simply sensational release in this vintage. It instantly beings to impress with its fantastic aromatic profile of blackberry, dark cherry and strawberries along with garrigue leather, bacon fat, black pepper and hints loam and tar. On the palate this displays a wonderful elegant character, with soft, polished tannins making for a gorgoeus mouthfeel. Layered and complex, this brilliant red goes on to impress with incredible purity, along with a gorgeous combination of earthy and meaty characteristics that continue through the long supple finish. While the 2016 is nothing short of outstanding now, it also shows incredible promise to become even more compelling as it evolves." (2016 vintage)
Robert Parker, Wine Advocate "is a rich, dramatic bottling, the best I've tasted under this label. It's approachable now, but smart money is on it aging well for at least a decade. It's full-bodied and supple, with concentrated blueberry, mulberry and plum fruit, hints of licorice, cola and braised meat and just a dusting of baking spices (10% of the blend aged in oak)." (2016 vintage)
Wine Spectator "Intense, featuring lively licorice and plum reduction notes leading the way, followed by fruitcake, raspberry pâte de fruit and sweet tobacco flavors. Shows excellent drive and focus through the finish, with a nice graphite edge." (2016 vintage)
Decanter "Very ripe damson, plum and sloe notes. Mouth-filling, mouth coating, with good weight and concentration of fruit, and a long finish. The alcohol, as usual, is just a touch raised, but there is so much fruit you barely notice. A ripe and flamboyant style that will age well." (2016 vintage)
Vinous "Brilliant ruby. Intense red fruit liqueur and floral pastille aromas pick up suggestions of licorice and smoky minerals in the glass. Sappy and concentrated yet lively as well, offering palate-caressing raspberry and cherry compote flavors that are given lift and cut by a core of juicy acidity. Shows a suave combination of richness and elegance and finishes very long and sweet; velvety tannins sneak in to add shape and grip. " (2016 vintage)
Domaine de la Mordoree was founded in 1986 by brothers Fabrice Delmore and Christophe Delorme and has become one of the top estates in the Rhône, with arguably the exceptionally consistent quality. Christophe Delorme was highly regarded by Robert Parker Jr. of The Wine Advocate, who pinned Mordorée as "one of the world’s greatest wine estates". In a 2007 issue of the Wine Advocate, Parker said:
"With 135 acres spread throughout some of the most impressive appellations of the southern Rhône, Christophe Delorme and his brother...have done nothing but produce one exquisite wine after another. Of course, the top cuvees of Châteauneuf-du-Pape are rare and expensive, but this is a place to find terrific Cotes du Rhones and Liracs as well. Delorme is equally adept at dry whites as well as reds, and turns out some stunning roses both under the Cotes du Rhône and Tavel appellations..."
With a total of 5 hectares of vines, many over 100 years old, Domaine de la Mordoree practices only self sustainable, organic farming of their vineyards in all their locations including Chateauneuf du Pape, Lirac, Tavel and the Cotes du Rhone. In 2013 Domaine de la Mordoree was certified 100% organic. The estate's Châteauneuf-du-Papes, Lirac Reds & Whites, and Tavel Rosés are among the most highly rated of the region.
Christophe produced his first wines in 1987. Up until that time the estate had been little more than a hobby for his father, an industrialist with two great passions; shooting and wine.
Christophe totally refurbished and modernised the winery as well as replanting much of the vineyards. Today the domaine has 40 hectares of vineyards - 7 hectares in Tavel, 15 hectares in Lirac (top-notch examples), 16 hectares for generic Côtes-du-Rhône and 3 hectares in Châteauneuf-du-Pape. Following Christophe's untimely death in 2015, his wife and daughter, Madeleine and Ambre, have taken on the running of the domaine, ably assisted by Rémy Chauvet, who was the cellarmaster under Christophe. As Jeb Dunnuck has put it in the Wine Advocate, 'the estate is obviously still in incredibly capable hands'.
Christophe’s legacy and his talent live on through his daughter Ambre, as well as a talented team at Domaine de la Mordoree that includes winemaker Rémy Chauvet, who worked as Christophe’s cellar manager. Jeb Dunnuck praised the estate for the quality of their first vintage without Christophe, saying the Domaine was “obviously still in incredibly capable hands.”
Châteauneuf-du-Pape is a historic village between the towns of Orange and Avignon, in France's southern Rhône Valley. It is famous for powerful, full-bodied red wines made predominantly from the classic southern Rhône grape trio: Grenache, Syrah and Mourvèdre. These three varieties are behind the vast majority of the appellation's red wines, although a total of eighteen are approved for use – a mix of red and white grape varieties.
94/100 James Suckling 92/100 Jeb Dunnuck 92/100 Vinous 95/100 Jeb Dunnuck (2019 vintage) 93/100 Wine Spectator (2019 vintage) 93/100 Vinous (2019 vintage) 91/100 Robert Parker, Wine Advocate (2019 vintage) 92/100 Wine Spectator (2018 vintage) 92/100 Jeb Dunnuck (2018 vintage) 92/100 Decanter (2018 vintage) 92/100 Vinous (2018 vintage) 91/100 Wine Enthusiast (2018 vintage) 90/100 Robert Parker, Wine Advocate (2018 vintage) 95/100 Wine Enthusiast (2017 vintage) 94/100 Decanter (2017 vintage) 93/100 James Suckling (2017 vintage) 91/100 Jeff Leve, The Wine Cellar Insider (2017 Vintage) 90/100 Robert Parker, Wine Advocate (2017 vintage) 95/100 International Wine Report (2016 vintage) 94/100 Robert Parker, Wine Advocate (2016 vintage) 93/100 Wine Spectator (2016 vintage) 93/100 Decanter (2016 vintage) 92/100 Vinous (2016 vintage)
Organic
James Suckling "A fragrant and spicy Chateauneuf that marries richness and structure with finesse and fascination. The fine tannins build beautifully at the self-confidently dry finish, where spicy and chalky elements mingle beautifully, with just a hint of milk chocolate neatly accenting this. A complex blend based on grenache. From biodynamically grown grapes with Demeter certification."
Jeb Dunnuck "it offers a ruby/purple hue as well as a classy, perfumed Grenache nose of wild strawberries, cherries, dried flowers, and peppery garrigue. Playing in the medium to full-bodied, elegant style of the vintage, it has ripe yet present tannins, good purity, and outstanding length. The blend is 90% Grenache, 4% each of Syrah and Mourvèdre, and the balance Vaccarèse and Counoise. While this cuvée is billed as the entry level/second wine of the estate, it’s made in a very different style than the Reine des Bois and is well worth your time and money."
Vinous "Bright violet. Primary red and dark berry and garrigue scents are complemented by licorice and white pepper flourishes. Appealingly sweet and open-knit, offering energetic raspberry, cherry cola and lavender pastille flavors that tighten steadily with aeration. Shows fine clarity and spicy cut on a long, penetrating finish that's given shape by subtly chewy tannins."
Jeb Dunnuck " a beautiful array of both red and black fruits as well as classic Provençal notes of lavender, peppery garrigue, and flowers. Rich, medium to full-bodied, and beautifully textured on the palate, this is another terrific vintage for this cuvée, which remains an incredible value in the market today." (2019 vintage)
Wine Spectator "An expressive version marked by linzer torte, raspberry coulis and plum pâte de fruit notes, with a licorice note lacing it all up through the finish, where flashes of apple wood, tar and red tea fill in nicely. This is for fans of the fruit-driven style. Grenache, Syrah, Mourvèdre, Counoise and Vaccarèse. " (2019 vintage)
Vinous "Vivid ruby. Spice-accented red berry preserve and cherry aromas are complemented by pungent floral and mineral nuances. Appealingly sweet and seamless in the mouth, offering sappy raspberry, cherry liqueur, licorice and baking spice flavors braced by a spine of juicy acidity. Finishes supple, broad and long, with lingering floral and spice notes and well-knit tannins that lend shape and gentle grip." (2019 vintage)
Robert Parker, Wine Advocate "...it delivers plenty of red fruit notes, ranging from redcurrants and raspberries to slightly darker cherries. Full-bodied and perhaps a touch warm, it's supple and fine, turning silky and elegant on the finish." (2019 vintage)
Wine Spectator "A singed alder note leads off, followed quickly by a mix of steeped plum and black cherry pâte de fruit flavors. Black licorice and graphite underscore the finish. " (2018 vintage)
Jeb Dunnuck "...made in a more charming, forward style compared to the La Reine des Bois release.Ripe strawberries, red currants, toasted spice, and garrigue notes emerge from this classy, frontend loaded, already impossible to resist 2018. With soft tannins, a fleshy mid-palate, and a great finish, it’s ideal for drinking over the coming decade." (2018 vintage)
Decanter "Rounded, full-bodied, generous and good concentration for the vintage, but also quite approachable. This has some depth and intensity, a gentle mineral seam within that brings freshness and length. Has more focus and thrust than most 2018s. Fermented and aged mostly in stainless steel, along with some old barriques" (2018 vintage)
Vinous "Shimmering ruby. Expressive aromas of cherry and red berry preserves, succulent herbs and flowers and baking spices pick up a spicy nuance with air. Sappy and penetrating, offering bitter cherry, black raspberry and rosemary flavors that flesh out through the back half. Closes long, smooth and broad, with repeating florality and subtle tannins adding gentle grip." (2018 vintage)
Wine Enthusiast "...it's a plush, delicately muted wine feathered in soft, furry tannins and a flurry of dried herb and baking spice notes that linger on the finish." (2018 vintage)
Robert Parker, Wine Advocate "...a large-scaled ball of plum and blackberry fruit and savory nuances. Hints of mocha, black olive and licorice bring added interest to this soft, easygoing offering that should be consumed over the next 6-8 years" (2018 vintage)
Wine Enthusiast "With it's pristine blackberry and boysenberry flavors and a juicy, freshly concentrated demeanor, the Grenache-dominant La Dame Voyageuse is more welcoming in youth than the producer's densely packed La Reine des Bois bottling. Etched by savory complexities of garrigue and walnut skins, and held upright by firm, velveteen tannins, it's a stunner in its own right that should drink beautifully well through 2030." (2017 vintage)
Decanter "The fruit is all destemmed and fermented in old barriques, plus a little stainless steel. The aromas wake you up with their vivid, peppery, spicy fireworks. The palate is medium-bodied, with lovely concentration of fruit. There's real freshness and vitality here, with balanced acidity and snappy, saline, gently serrated tannins. It's so drinkable and moreish, I would pick this over their Reine des Bois in 2017, which has a much riper (I would say overripe) fruit profile. One of my value picks of the vintage." (2017 vintage)
James Suckling "A rich and attractively ripe nose with very juicy, attractive berry flavors. This has a super rich feel and delivers such impressive depth and length of fine, supple and gently grainy tannin on the palate. There’s a lot to like here. From organically grown grapes." (2017 vintage)
Jeff Leve, The Wine Cellar Insider "Medium-bodied, the soft, round, ripe and juicy red fruits are all over the place. It is hard to believe this is only a second wine!" (2017 vintage)
Robert Parker, Wine Advocate "...boasts scents of leather, black cherries and dusty earth. It's not as concentrated as the Reine des Bois, but it's still full-bodied, with a generous, welcoming feel and a silky finish." (2017 vintage)
International Wine Report "... is a simply sensational release in this vintage. It instantly beings to impress with its fantastic aromatic profile of blackberry, dark cherry and strawberries along with garrigue leather, bacon fat, black pepper and hints loam and tar. On the palate this displays a wonderful elegant character, with soft, polished tannins making for a gorgoeus mouthfeel. Layered and complex, this brilliant red goes on to impress with incredible purity, along with a gorgeous combination of earthy and meaty characteristics that continue through the long supple finish. While the 2016 is nothing short of outstanding now, it also shows incredible promise to become even more compelling as it evolves." (2016 vintage)
Robert Parker, Wine Advocate "is a rich, dramatic bottling, the best I've tasted under this label. It's approachable now, but smart money is on it aging well for at least a decade. It's full-bodied and supple, with concentrated blueberry, mulberry and plum fruit, hints of licorice, cola and braised meat and just a dusting of baking spices (10% of the blend aged in oak)." (2016 vintage)
Wine Spectator "Intense, featuring lively licorice and plum reduction notes leading the way, followed by fruitcake, raspberry pâte de fruit and sweet tobacco flavors. Shows excellent drive and focus through the finish, with a nice graphite edge." (2016 vintage)
Decanter "Very ripe damson, plum and sloe notes. Mouth-filling, mouth coating, with good weight and concentration of fruit, and a long finish. The alcohol, as usual, is just a touch raised, but there is so much fruit you barely notice. A ripe and flamboyant style that will age well." (2016 vintage)
Vinous "Brilliant ruby. Intense red fruit liqueur and floral pastille aromas pick up suggestions of licorice and smoky minerals in the glass. Sappy and concentrated yet lively as well, offering palate-caressing raspberry and cherry compote flavors that are given lift and cut by a core of juicy acidity. Shows a suave combination of richness and elegance and finishes very long and sweet; velvety tannins sneak in to add shape and grip. " (2016 vintage)
Domaine de la Mordoree was founded in 1986 by brothers Fabrice Delmore and Christophe Delorme and has become one of the top estates in the Rhône, with arguably the exceptionally consistent quality. Christophe Delorme was highly regarded by Robert Parker Jr. of The Wine Advocate, who pinned Mordorée as "one of the world’s greatest wine estates". In a 2007 issue of the Wine Advocate, Parker said:
"With 135 acres spread throughout some of the most impressive appellations of the southern Rhône, Christophe Delorme and his brother...have done nothing but produce one exquisite wine after another. Of course, the top cuvees of Châteauneuf-du-Pape are rare and expensive, but this is a place to find terrific Cotes du Rhones and Liracs as well. Delorme is equally adept at dry whites as well as reds, and turns out some stunning roses both under the Cotes du Rhône and Tavel appellations..."
With a total of 5 hectares of vines, many over 100 years old, Domaine de la Mordoree practices only self sustainable, organic farming of their vineyards in all their locations including Chateauneuf du Pape, Lirac, Tavel and the Cotes du Rhone. In 2013 Domaine de la Mordoree was certified 100% organic. The estate's Châteauneuf-du-Papes, Lirac Reds & Whites, and Tavel Rosés are among the most highly rated of the region.
Christophe produced his first wines in 1987. Up until that time the estate had been little more than a hobby for his father, an industrialist with two great passions; shooting and wine.
Christophe totally refurbished and modernised the winery as well as replanting much of the vineyards. Today the domaine has 40 hectares of vineyards - 7 hectares in Tavel, 15 hectares in Lirac (top-notch examples), 16 hectares for generic Côtes-du-Rhône and 3 hectares in Châteauneuf-du-Pape. Following Christophe's untimely death in 2015, his wife and daughter, Madeleine and Ambre, have taken on the running of the domaine, ably assisted by Rémy Chauvet, who was the cellarmaster under Christophe. As Jeb Dunnuck has put it in the Wine Advocate, 'the estate is obviously still in incredibly capable hands'.
Christophe’s legacy and his talent live on through his daughter Ambre, as well as a talented team at Domaine de la Mordoree that includes winemaker Rémy Chauvet, who worked as Christophe’s cellar manager. Jeb Dunnuck praised the estate for the quality of their first vintage without Christophe, saying the Domaine was “obviously still in incredibly capable hands.”
Châteauneuf-du-Pape is a historic village between the towns of Orange and Avignon, in France's southern Rhône Valley. It is famous for powerful, full-bodied red wines made predominantly from the classic southern Rhône grape trio: Grenache, Syrah and Mourvèdre. These three varieties are behind the vast majority of the appellation's red wines, although a total of eighteen are approved for use – a mix of red and white grape varieties.
