Domaine de la Mordorée Châteauneuf-du-Pape ‘La Reine des Bois’ 2017

Why is this Wine so Yummy?

Grenache 80 % Mourvèdre 10% Syrah 5 % Vaccarese 5%

“Domaine de la Mordoree continues to fashion some of Châteauneuf-du-Pape’s most exciting wines as well as Lirac, rosés from Tavel, and sensational Côtes du Rhône’s.”

Robert Parker Jnr.

About Domaine de la Mordorée

Domaine de la Mordorée was founded 34 years ago by the recently deceased Christophe Delorme whose work is continued by his wife (Madeleine) daughter (Ambre) longtime cellarmaster Rémy Chauvet in concert with two Châteauneuf enologists. These are modern styled Rhône’s farmed bio-dynamically that combine the subtle use of French oak for its top wines. The un-oaked ‘La Dame Rousse’ range deliver some of the greatest QPR wines anywhere in the vinous world. Witness the fine quality of these wines, even in difficult vintages, to grasp their inherent quality. The Lirac and Châteauneuf-du-Pape ‘Cuvée De La Reine Des Bois’ wines are compelling – rich, classy and concentrated. Mordorée is a genuine superstar of modern-day viticultural France.

Where in the World is Domaine de la Mordorée?

Domaine de la Mordorée is based in Tavel, close to where the Rhône Valley meets the Languedoc. The hold plantings across Tavel, Lirac, Châteauneuf-du-Papes in the southern Rhône, and, Condrieu in the northern Rhône.

A bit of History

Châteauneuf-du-Pape literally translates to “The Pope’s new castle” and, indeed, the history of this appellation is firmly entwined with papal history. In 1308, Pope Clement V, former Archbishop of Bordeaux, relocated the papacy to the town of Avignon. Clement V and subsequent “Avignon Popes” were said to be great lovers of Burgundy wines and did much to promote it during the seventy-year duration of the Avignon Papacy. At the time, wine-growing around the town of Avignon was anything but illustrious. While the Avignon Papacy did much to advance the reputation of Burgundy wines, they were also promoting viticulture of the surrounding area, more specifically the area 5–10 km (3–6 mi) north of Avignon close to the banks of the Rhône. Prior to the Avignon Papacy, viticulture of that area had been initiated and maintained by the Bishops of Avignon, largely for local consumption.

Clement V was succeeded by John XXII who, as well as Burgundy wine, regularly drank the wines from the vineyards to the north and did much to improve viticultural practices there. Under John XXII, the wines of this area came to be known as “Vin du Pape”, this term later to become Châteauneuf-du-Pape. John XXII is also responsible for erecting the famous castle which stands as a symbol for the appellation.

The Chateauneuf appellation is 15km long and 8km wide, consisting of 3200ha, and was officially delimited in 1930. All the hills of Chateauneuf have the same geology – Miocene soil covered by Alpine diluvium-composed of a layer of marine limestone from the Miocene period, covered by a blanket of rounded stones (or “galets”) which contribute much to the wines of Chateauneuf: they retain the intense heat of the Mediterranean sun during the day then slowly disperse it to the vines during the night.

The Mistral plays a crucial role in the quality of wines from the area and blows cold and dry wind from the north through the Rhone to the Mediterranean. These winds often blow at speeds greater than 100km per hour for more than 100 days of the year and are instrumental in keeping disease at bay in the vineyards.

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The Grape Varieties of Châteauneuf

Châteauneuf-du-Pape is traditionally cited as allowing thirteen grape varieties to be used, but the 2009 version of the AOC rules in fact list eighteen varieties, since blanc (white), rose (pink) and noir (black) versions of some grapes are now explicitly listed as separate varieties. Also in the previous version of the appellation rules, Grenache and Picpoul were associated with different pruning regulations in their noir and blanc versions, bringing the number of varieties previously mentioned from thirteen to fifteen.

Red varieties allowed are Cinsaut, Counoise, Grenache noir, Mourvèdre, Muscardin, Piquepoul noir, Syrah, Terret noir, and Vaccarèse (Brun Argenté). White and pink varieties are Bourboulenc, Clairette blanche, Clairette rose, Grenache blanc, Grenache gris, Picardan, Piquepoul blanc, Piquepoul gris, and Roussanne. (The varieties not specifically mentioned before 2009 are Clairette rose, Grenache gris and Piquepoul gris.)

Both red and white varieties are allowed in both red and white Châteauneuf-du-Pape. There are no restrictions as to the proportion of grape varieties to be used, and unlike the case with other appellations, the allowed grape varieties are not differentiated into principal varieties and accessory varieties. Thus, it is theoretically possible to produce varietal Châteauneuf-du-Pape from any of the eighteen allowed varieties. In reality, most Châteauneuf-du-Pape wines are blends dominated by Grenache. Only one of every 16 bottles produced in the region is white wine.