2012 Lirac Rouge, La Reine des Bois, Domaine de la Mordorée
Critics reviews
Another reference point estate in Chateauneuf du Pape (of which it seems like there are many), Domaine de la Mordoree includes a whopping 135 acres in total, yet with only 12 of those in Chateauneuf du Pape. The wines are made by the incredibly talented Christophe Delorme, and while they see time in oak and can have a modern feel in their youth, they never lose their Southern Rhone roots and age beautifully. As to the roses, the majority of the 2012s have already been reviewed by Robert Parker earlier this year (and I generally rated them a point or more higher than him) so I’ll just list the new wines here.
Jeb Dunnuck - Wine Advocate #209, Oct 2013
About this WINE
Southern Rhône Blend
The vast majority of wines from the Southern Rhône are blends. There are 5 main black varieties, although others are used and the most famous wine of the region, Châteauneuf du Pape, can be made from as many as 13 different varieties. Grenache is the most important grape in the southern Rhône - it contributes alcohol, warmth and gentle juicy fruit and is an ideal base wine in the blend. Plantings of Syrah in the southern Rhône have risen dramatically in the last decade and it is an increasingly important component in blends. It rarely attains the heights that it does in the North but adds colour, backbone, tannins and soft ripe fruit to the blend.
The much-maligned Carignan has been on the retreat recently but is still included in many blends - the best old vines can add colour, body and spicy fruits. Cinsault is also backtracking but, if yields are restricted, can produce moderately well-coloured wines adding pleasant-light fruit to red and rosé blends. Finally, Mourvèdre, a grape from Bandol on the Mediterranean coast, has recently become an increasingly significant component of Southern Rhône blends - it often struggles to ripen fully but can add acidity, ripe spicy berry fruits and hints of tobacco to blends.
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Description
Made from equal parts of Grenache, Mourvèdre and Syrah, this is a rich and juicy Lirac. Plump yet energetic, grippy yet fresh, the wine has plenty of character and a concentrated texture which is fleshy and gently spicy.
Simon Field MW, Rhône Wine Buyer
Being based on the other side of the river (in Tavel) has in no way impeded the progress of the Delorme brothers, who make excellent and highly-valued Châteauneuf-du-Papes. It should come as no surprise, therefore, that both their Tavel and their Lirac are also superb. The Tavel Rosé does not feature in our En Primeur offer, but the 2012 is available to buy ‘landed’ and is highly prized.
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