Côtes du Rhône La Dame Rousse
2018
The Delormes of Domaine de la Mordorée are a lovely family, committed to their terroir in the broadest possible sense. For them 'terroir' is not merely an expression of geology or geography: rather it is a concept that embraces the totality of life in the place where they live and everything about the way they conduct their lives in that place. They consider themselves to be 'guardiens' of the local ecology, which is why they farm biodynamically, and why they have chosen 'la Mordorée' as...
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A visionary, perfectionist, and passionate winery shows their respect of the terroir and their love of the land. The Estate is fully organic, with a biodynamic approach to land and cellaring. The harvest is done manually on the entire farm. Strict pruning practices and green harvesting guarantees the right number of clusters and better air circulation per vine. This also brings colour, structure, and complexity of aromas to the berries.
The winery’s philosophy is that nature is much more gifted than man, and that technology is only used to avoid blunders. They let the natural yeasts of the land do the work, checking the evolution of the fermentation through frequent analysis. 100% destemming, 15 to 20 days of maceration with a temperature control.
Deep red in colour, this Côtes Du Rhône has classic aromas of ripe red fruits such as cherries, strawberries, flowers, and spice. It is a medium-bodied, perfectly balanced wine with soft tannins, and layered flavours of blackcurrant, cherry, red fruits and violets.
This has a wealth of ripe red and purple berries with a swathe of fresh flowers and some pastry notes. The palate is spiced up with some brash oak and delivers a powdery, fluffy finish. From organically grown grapes.
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The medium ruby-colored 2018 Côtes Du Rhône La Dame Rousse checks in as 40% Grenache, 30% Syrah, 15% Cinsault, and the rest Carignan and Mourvèdre, raised all in tank. It has a classic bouquet of ripe cherries, strawberries, flowers, and spice. This carries to a medium-bodied Côtes Du Rhône that has a layered, elegant texture, moderate concentration yet terrific balance, and a great finish. This is as charming and drinkable as they come.
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A blend of Grenache, Syrah, and Mourvèdre brought up in tank, the 2019 Côtes Du Rhône La Dame Rousse is a big, rich, powerful Côtes du Rhône loaded with notions of smoked black cherries, licorice, scorched earth, and ample minerality. These all carry to a medium to full-bodied Southern Rhône that has terrific purity of fruit, ripe, present tannins, and a great finish. I love its balance and it’s going to deliver ample pleasure over the coming 4-6 years.
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