Mordoree Lirac Rouge Plume de Peintre 2016
What we are offering today is the holy grail of the Rhone Valley: Mordoree Lirac Rouge Plume de Peintre 2016. This wine is only produced in special vintages, 2012 being the last and now 2016 which is by far a superior Rhone vintage. The 2016 vintage has caused a feeding frenzy amongst collectors.
So, we have a wine rarely produced from one of Rhone’s top estates and the near perfect vintage combined with only 10 cases imported. All of which make this wine the most sought after wine not only in our portfolio, but in all of the Rhone Valley.It is no surprise this is considered the finest Lirac produced since the Delorme family of Mordoree was the force behind the rejuvenation of the Lirac region two decades ago.
A little research on the 2012 vintage shows it recently sold at auction for $170 euro a bottle! Make no mistake, this is the ultimate collector’s wine and from a vintage that puts the Rhone on our radar once again.
Review:
Tasted a week before bottling, the 2017 Lirac Blanc la Plume du Peintre is a blend of five varieties and was barrel fermented and aged in new oak (six Saint-Martin barrels, to be precise). Honey and caramel notes adorn tropical fruit, with hints of pineapple and guava framed and supported by orange and lime zest. It's full-bodied and rich, with a long, lively finish. - Wine Advocate 92-94 Points
Mordoree Lirac Rouge Reine des Bois equal parts Grenache, Syrah and Mourvedre
Color : deep dark red, with blueish hints.
Aromas : highly fruity ( raspberry, billberry, blackberry ), floral (violet) and intense with a grilled touch ( coffee ).
Palate : melted and concentrated tannins, full bodied, very long fresh finish.
Ageing potential : 8 to 10 years
Grilled meats, sauce meats, game birds, game rabbits and semi-mature cheeses.
Review:
One of the finest releases from not only this appellation but the entire Southern Rhône, the 2016 Lirac La Reine Des Bois is a unique blend of close to equal parts Grenache, Syrah and Mourvèdre that’s brought up in 30% used barrels, the balance in stainless steel. It literally jumps from the glass with loads of blackberry and currant fruits, graphite, charred meats, and peppery herbs. Deeply colored, medium to full-bodied, with sensational purity, give bottles a year or two and enjoy through 2028. It’s another brilliant wine from this estate that’s landed on both feet after the passing of winemaker Christophe Delorme in 2015.-Jeb Dunnuck 95 Points
Mordoree Lirac Rouge Dame Rousse is made from 50% Grenache, 50% Syrah
Color: Deep Red
Nose : Red fruits (raspberry, black-current) and flowers (violet).
Palate : Full, rich and ample, long finish, nice concentration.
Aging potential : 7 to 9 years
Surface : 22 Ha. Yield : 40 Hl./Ha. Vineyard age : 40 years Terroir : Clay / chalk, clay / limestone and sandy with pebble stones. Harvest : by hand Vinification : 100% destemmed , long 30 days maceration with a maximum of 34°C temperature
Pairs well with red meats, grilled meats, game and cheeses.
Review:
"A 50-50 blend of Grenache and Syrah, the 2016 Lirac la Dame Rousse offers hints of tar and black olive on the nose, then follows those up with ripe cherries, cracked pepper and a long, dusty finish. - Joe Czerwinski"
- Robert Parker's The Wine Advocate (Issue 233, October 31st 2017), 91pts
"Enticingly ripe, with dense raspberry and blackberry paste flavors forming the core while light anise, sweet spice and toast notes fill in around it. A licorice edge takes center stage through the finish. For the hedonist crowd. Drink now through . 2,300 cases made. –JM"
- Wine Spectator (November 2018), 91pts
"Another outstanding wine is the 2016 Lirac La Dame Rousse, an even split of Grenache and Syrah, completely destemmed, that was brought up in tank. It offers a full-bodied, pure, elegant style that’s very much in the style of the vintage as well as lots of dark fruits, violets, pepper, and obvious minerality. I love its purity of fruit, it’s nicely balanced, and it’s just a beautiful wine in a fabulous vintage for the southern Rhône."
- Jeb Dunnuck (March 27th 2019), 91 pts
Mordoree Lirac Rouge Reine des Bois equal parts Grenache, Syrah and Mourvedre
Color : deep dark red, with blueish hints.
Aromas : highly fruity ( raspberry, billberry, blackberry ), floral (violet) and intense with a grilled touch ( coffee ).
Palate : melted and concentrated tannins, full bodied, very long fresh finish.
Ageing potential : 8 to 10 years
Grilled meats, sauce meats, game birds, game rabbits and semi-mature cheeses.
Review:
"The 2014 Lirac Cuvee de La Reine des Bois is an incredible effort that transcends the vintage and is easily the wine of the vintage from Lirac. Possessing fabulous purity and elegance, with medium to full-bodied richness, classic notes of crème de cassis, caramelized meats, violets and licorice, sweet tannin and a great finish, I doubt it will be the longest lived example of this cuvée, but man, hats off to the team for this killer wine in a difficult vintage! - Jeb Dunnuck"
- Robert Parker's Wine Advocate (Issue 227, October 28th 2016), 93 pts
Mordoree Lirac Rouge Reine des Bois equal parts Grenache, Syrah and Mourvedre
Color : deep dark red, with blueish hints.
Aromas : highly fruity ( raspberry, billberry, blackberry ), floral (violet) and intense with a grilled touch ( coffee ).
Palate : melted and concentrated tannins, full bodied, very long fresh finish.
Ageing potential : 8 to 10 years
Grilled meats, sauce meats, game birds, game rabbits and semi-mature cheeses.
Review:
The 2015 Lirac La Reine des Bois continues this estate's mastery of the appellation, combining hints of vanilla with black cherry fruit in a full-bodied, richly textured and tannic wine. The blend is 40% Syrah, 30% Grenache and 30% Mourvèdre, with up to 15% being aged in barriques. Longtime readers will be happy to know that the 2010 (still youthful) and the 2006 (nearing maturity) are drinking well. Based on that, expect this vintage to drink well through at least 2030.-Wine Advocate 93 Points
Mordoree Lirac Blanc Reine des Bois Grenache 30%, Viognier 10%, Roussanne 10%, Marsanne 10%, Picpoul 10%, Clairette 20%, Miscellaneous 10%
Color : green gold
Aromas : white fruits, peach, apricot, pear, violet.
Palate : rounded, long finish, highly flavoured.
Ageing Potential : 4-5 years.
Surface : 4 Ha. Yield : 35 Hl./Ha. Vineyard age : 30 years Terroir : Clay / chalk with pebble stones. Harvest : by hand Vinification : skin maceration and direct pressing with temperature control. Fermentation : oak barrel fermentation for 25% of the total volume
Pairs well with appetizers, fish, seafood.
Review:
Probably the finest Lirac I've tasted to date, the 2016 Lirac la Plume du Peintre was still in barrel when I tasted it in June. A 50-50 blend of Grenache and Syrah, it's toasty up front, with blueberry and cherry fruit, great richness and freshness and a long, silky finish. It's full-bodied but never seems heavy or overdone, with touches of mocha and Mexican chocolate on the finish.-Wine Advocate 93-95 Points
The Mordoree Estate
This is arguably the top estate in our Portfolio. Domaine de la Mordoree (woodcock), located in the town of Tavel, in the Southern Rhone Valley, is the most consistent producer of top quality wine in my entire selection. In 1986, the brothers Christophe and Fabrice Delorme decided to dedicate themselves to their passion for wine. They started their own estate with the objective to produce the best wines in each appellation while preserving the environment
The Mordoree Vineyard
The vineyard consists of 55 hectares (135 acres), on 38 different parcels, which provide with a rich, wide range of soils and climates. The soil is a mix of clay, chalk and sand with pebble stones. The improvements at the Domaine have been incredible: new pneumatic presses, new stainless steel vats, new destemmer, new vinification and aging plant, and aging in oak barrels for the top wines. All the grapes are raised by culture raisonnée which is very close to organic viticulture (intervention in the vineyard only when necessary). The yield is reduced in the vineyard by ébourgeonnage (de budding in spring) and vendanges vertes in summer (green harvesting). Oak aging for the top wines in special barrels like “jupille” for 10 months. No expense is spared at this Domaine to achieve quality.
Alain Jaume Domaine du Clos de Sixte Lirac is made from 50% Grenache, 35% Syrah, 15% Mourvedre
An intense red garnet color. On the nose, aromas of red and black ripe fruit (kirsch and wild blackberry). The mouth is full, with aromas of blackcurrant liqueur and spice. Tannins are both harmonious and elegant thanks to the fleshiness of the wine. Hints of licorice and vanilla on the finish, which gives the wine length and complexity.
Soil type LIRAC vineyard is facing Chateauneuf du Pape, opposite side of the Rhône river. As showed by the picture and following geologist George Truc, soils are almost similar in both side. They are marked by the violence wrought by the Rhone river. It consists of a layer of marine molasses of the Miocene period covered by alpine alluvium. The presence of a great number of rounded stones known as "galets" in the earth is evidence of the time when the Rhone, then a torrent, tore fragments of rock from the Alps and deposited them on the plain. LIRAC is one of the up-coming best area from the southern Rhône valley, as it delivers outstanding wines. Winemaking & ageing Traditional wine-making in stainless still vats. Hand sorted bunches, crushed and destemmed grapes. Fermentation temperature : 30°C. 18 days of vatting with pigeages.
Review:
"The 2015 Lirac Clos de Sixte comes from an appellation that shares a similar terroir with Chateauneuf du Pape, yet is located just across the river, on the western side of the Rhone. It’s a serious, large scaled, voluptuous effort that that has lots of ripe tannin, a bid mid-palate and copious amounts of blackberries, black cherries, scorched earth, licorice and roasted herbs. One of the bigger boned and concentrated reds in the lineup, it will have a decade of longevity. - Jeb Dunnuck"
- Robert Parker's The Wine Advocate (Issue 227, October 28th 2016), 91-93 pts
What we are offering today is the holy grail of the Rhone Valley: Mordoree Lirac Rouge Plume de Peintre 2016. This wine is only produced in special vintages, 2012 being the last and now 2016 which is by far a superior Rhone vintage. The 2016 vintage has caused a feeding frenzy amongst collectors.
So, we have a wine rarely produced from one of Rhone’s top estates and the near perfect vintage combined with only 10 cases imported. All of which make this wine the most sought after wine not only in our portfolio, but in all of the Rhone Valley.It is no surprise this is considered the finest Lirac produced since the Delorme family of Mordoree was the force behind the rejuvenation of the Lirac region two decades ago.
A little research on the 2012 vintage shows it recently sold at auction for $170 euro a bottle! Make no mistake, this is the ultimate collector’s wine and from a vintage that puts the Rhone on our radar once again.
Review:
Tasted a week before bottling, the 2017 Lirac Blanc la Plume du Peintre is a blend of five varieties and was barrel fermented and aged in new oak (six Saint-Martin barrels, to be precise). Honey and caramel notes adorn tropical fruit, with hints of pineapple and guava framed and supported by orange and lime zest. It's full-bodied and rich, with a long, lively finish. - Wine Advocate 92-94 Points
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Category
Bright and light golden-yellow in color. Exotic and sweet vanilla bean aromatics backed by pear and kiwi with a slight orange peel. The palate resonates with texture and depth as stone minerality and cream brioche to match. Flavors of roasted plantains, gravenstein apple, and lemon zest frame the wine for a long yet soft finish.
Planted in the early 90’s, this is the coolest vineyard site in the Russian River Valley, located at Lee Martinelli Sr.’s home ranch in Forestville, CA. After riding around with Lee in his pick-up truck when we visited his Woolsey Road, Zio Tony, and River Road Vineyards, he decided to take me to this gem. He kept this particular vineyard in his back pocket until we hit it off. We did, and I think you’ll enjoy the ride as well.
Review:
Elusively crisp and inviting on the nose, this is a thickly intriguing wine, floral in orange blossom and fresh apple. Structured and lengthy, it retains a tangy acidity and structured finish, the grapes sourced from a dry-farmed vineyard. - Wine Enthusiast 92 Points
Short Street Chardonnay is made from 100% Chardonnay
Situated at the very heart of South Africa’s Swartland wine region, Short Street is the shortest street in the Riebeek Valley. A melting pot of creative energy, gourmet fare, farm fresh produce and the vibrant, uncomplicated lifestyle of the people, Short Street captures the essence of the Swartland, where passion, creativity and simplicity are distilled into a captivating experience.
Made in a rich, full-bodied, wooded style, this has an intense aroma of ripe apples, lime and pears with hints of tropical fruit, beautifully enhanced by subtle tones of well-integrated oak.
Although upfront and bold, the secret of this wine is in its exceptional balance.
Only free-run juice was settled and was inoculated with selected yeast to ferment in temperature controlled stainless steel tanks between 13-14 degrees Celsius. After fermentation the wine is matured in French oak for 3 – 6 months to integrate flavors and enhance a luxurious mouth-feel.
erve slightly chilled with to rich seafood dishes like scallops or creamy crab chowder.
