Domaine de la mordorée: Estate and wine guide

Located in TAVEL, in the southern Rhône valley, the La Mordorée estate produces some of the Rhône Valley's finest crus: Tavel, Châteauneuf du pape, Lirac and vin de france. It covers 58 hectares of vines spread over 38 parcels and 8 communes. In this article, I invite you to discover its history and a brief presentation of its three main cuvées.

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For the record:

Created in 1986 by Francis Delorme and his son Christophe, it's located just a few kilometers from Avignon, in the Southern Rhône Valley. The family owes its success to Christophe Delorme, who in the space of 30 years has brought the estate into the big league. He's a passionate winemaker who shares his love and respect for the land. The entire vineyard has been converted to Biodynamic farming. 

Since 2016, Madeleine Delorme and their daughter Ambre have continued Christophe's work with a team trained by him. They have chosen to preserve the company's values and continue to produce the very best wines. The the Mordorée takes its name from their favorite bird, the woodcock. They also chose 3 other nicknames in addition to the  "Mordorée " such as "La Remise", "La Dame Rousse", "La Dame voyageuse". and" La Reine des Bois" is the symbol for the names of the 4 cuvées. Like vintage exceptional  "The feather of the painter " also occurs. The estate is farmed organically and biodynamically. The grapes are harvested by hand. Situated at the crossroads of Provence and Languedoc, La Mordorée produces some of the finest vintages in the Rhône Valley: Tavel (where the winery is located), Châteauneuf du Pape, Lirac, Côtes-du-Rhône, Vin de France and Condrieu.

A quality environment :

One of this estate's greatest achievements is to have recreated sustainable ecosystems in vineyards that have visibly withstood extraordinary events. Among these were the floods in September 2002 following heavy rainfall. 600mm in two days, or the heatwave of summer 2003. Thanks to our research, the natural balances of the different terroirs will enable the vines to have natural defenses against the aggressions of insects, fungi, bacteria or climatic excesses.

 

Domaine de la Mordorée wines:

 

• Chateauneuf du pape Cuvée "Reine des bois" :

Assembly Grenache 75%, Mourvèdre 10%, Syrah 10%, Counoise 3%, Vaccarese 2%

Vinification and ageing Vinification: Total de-stemming and crushing, with long maceration, 30-day fermentation and temperature control. The wine is aged at 20 % in used barrels, and 80 % in stainless steel tanks.

Tasting Dark ruby, opaque color. Aromas of red fruits (strawberry, cherry) and black fruits (blackcurrant, blackberry), violets and licorice, with hints of leather and truffle. The palate is concentrated, full-bodied and ample, with a very long, fruity, liquorice finish.

Food & wine pairing : Pairs perfectly with red meats, sauces, game and soft cheeses.

This wine is kept at a temperature of 18 degrees and has an ageing potential of 12 to 18 years.

 

• Chateauneuf du pape Cuvée "La Dame Voyageuse":

Assembly Grenache 75%, Mourvèdre 10%, Syrah 10%, Counoise 3%, Vaccarese 2%

Vinification and ageing : vinification is carried out under total de-stemming and crushing, with a long maceration, a 30-day fermentation and temperature control. The wine is aged at 15 % in used barrels and 85 % in stainless steel tanks.

Tasting : A very dark, opaque ruby color with aromas of red fruit (strawberry, cherry), violet and licorice. The palate is full-bodied, fresh, with plenty of fruit, tannins and good length.

Food & wine pairing : Pairs perfectly with red meats, sauces, game and soft cheeses.

Serve at 18 degrees. It can be kept for 10 to 14 years.

 

• Lirac Blanc cuvée "Reine des bois" :

Assembly Grenache blanc 30 %, Clairette 20 %, Viognier 10 %, Roussanne 10 %, Marsanne 10 %, Picpoul 10 % and Miscellaneous 10 %.

Vinification and ageing Vinification: de-stemming and crushing, pellicular maceration, direct pressing and temperature control, with 10 % of barrel ageing in stainless steel vats.

Tasting Green-gold in color, with aromas of white and yellow fruits, peach, pear, apricot, citrus, verbena, iris and acacia. Round on the palate, very long, very fruity and elegant.

Food & wine pairing : Perfect with fish, certain shellfish, comté cheese and as an aperitif.

It is best served between 10 and 12 degrees, with an ageing potential of 6 to 7 years.

 

• Lirac Rouge cuvée "la Dame Rousse" :

Assembly Grenache 50 % and Syrah 50 %.

Vinification and ageing : Vinification takes place under 20-day maceration with temperature control and 100% fermentation in stainless steel tanks.

Tasting Very dark, dense red color, with fruity (plum, strawberry) and floral (violet) aromas, plus a hint of toast. The palate reveals notes of fine tannins, fatness and a very long, fresh finish.

Food & wine pairing : Pairs perfectly with grilled meats, stews, casseroles and certain Asian dishes.

 

You now have all the information you need to taste these famous vintages! We hope this article has been of interest to you, so please feel free to browse through our articles on other wineries.