2018 Cote Rotie La Mordoree
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Tasting notes
Saturated ruby. Displays intensely perfumed red and blue fruit preserves, baking spices, candied violet and licorice scents; a smoky mineral quality builds in the glass. Plush, sweet and broad on the palate, offering deeply concentrated, smoke-laced cherry-vanilla, boysenberry and fruitcake flavors that spread out and pick up a spicy nuance with aeration. Manages to be powerful but elegant as well, showing impressive balance and velvety, even tannins that shape a very long, floral- and dark fruit-driven finish. One-third new oak.
Critic scores
Jancis Robinson MW
Jeb Dunnuck
More reviews and scores
Straight up stunning, the 2018 Côte Rôtie La Mordorée does everything right and is a borderline perfect Côte Rôtie readers should snatch up. Coming from the La Côte Brune and Côte Blonde lieux-dits, it’s 100% Syrah (I believe all destemmed) and was brought up in 35% new demi-muids. Incredible spice-laden black raspberry and mulberry fruits, notes of new leather, incense, and acacia flowers, full-bodied richness, sweet tannins, and no hard edges all make for a captivating 2018. It shows the ripe, sexy style of the vintage, yet it remains perfectly balanced and has an undeniable sense of elegance and nobility. Don't miss a chance to try this beauty. It offers loads of pleasure today yet is going to evolve for 20-25 years.
Deeply perfumed aromas of ripe black/blue fruits, licorice, exotic spices and olive on the intensely perfumed nose. Stains the palate with sappy black currant, boysenberry and candied violet flavors, and steadily picks up spiciness and a hint of minerality with aeration. Rich and weighty but energetic as well, finishing with excellent clarity, mounting tannins and strong, blue-fruit-driven tenacity.
Always a blend of the Côte Blonde and Côte Brune lieux-dits, the 2018 Cote Rotie la Mordorée features scents of pencil shavings, raspberries and some tea-like florals. It's medium to full-bodied and silky-textured, but it's concentrated at the same time, with a long, crisp finish that hints at violets.