Domaine de la Mordoree
Simon Field MW, BBR Buyer, February 2012
The Delorme brothers have, since 1986, forged an enviable reputation. They are based to the south-east in the village of Tavel, celebrated for its rosé wines, but they also own 4 hectares of vines on the Crau plateau of Châteauneuf-du-Pape and a very well-positioned parcel in Lirac. Christophe is adamant that 2010 is their best ever vintage; the key to its quality is the juxtaposition of trademark concentration and very fine tannins, much finer, he maintains than in 2007 or 2009, both highly successful years of course. Mordorée are aiming for full organic certification in 2013, aided in no small measure by the new member of the team…Sarko the horse…(at least I think that this is the name they gave!)
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.
Bottle 6 x 75cl 1cs
Christophe and Fabrice Delorme at Domaine de la Mordorée did not take long to project this fine estate (which is named, somewhat poetically, after a woodcock) into the Premier League.
Based in the Southern Rhone appellation of Tavel, the brothers make, as one would expect, delicious rosé wine in addition to a very fine Lirac and an excellent Châteauneuf-du-Pape.
Christophe produced his first wines there 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.
The vineyards are organically cultivated as much as possible, only using chemical weedkillers and pesticides as a very last resort. As for the winemaking, the grapes are all systematically destemmed upon arrival at the winery and vinification takes place in temperature controlled stainless steel fermenters. The wines are then matured in a mixture of stainless steel vats and new oak barrels. The Châteauneuf-du-Pape Cuvée de la Reine des Bois is a limited bottling only produced in the very finest years.