About the producer
The Delorme family meticulously runs one of the most successful domaines in the Southern Rhône, La Mordorée. Very sadly, Christophe passed away unexpectedly in 2015. His dynamism and drive will be sorely missed, but his wife, daughter, brother Fabrice and team continue to further refine the quality of wine that derives from their 40 hectares of vines, as, like many, they believe that the best wines are made in the vineyard. Every wine receives the same care, be it the simplest Côtes du Rhône or the top Châteauneuf du Pape. Despite success and multiple awards, the prices remain very reasonable.
From a deep-rooted winegrowing background, it was only in 1986 that the Delorme family dedicated itself entirely to their passion for wine. Their goal was clear: to produce the best wine from each of their appellations, while preserving terroir. The family therefore acquired new lands, broadening the vineyard holdings and enriching their spread of appellations with new parcels of land, including Châteauneuf du Pape in 1989. In time, they have built up a 60 hectares vineyard on 38 different plots of land, in 8 different districts. This mosaic of different parcels provides a rich, wide range of soils and microclimates. Faithful to their passion for the woodcock, the family decided to name the Domaine after its “poetical” name: La Mordorée. They then used two other themed names for two of their Lirac cuvées: ‘La Dame Rousse’ (the Redheaded Lady) and ‘La Reine des Bois’ (the Queen of the Woods).
Robert Parker Wine Advocate (robertparker.com):
A 50-50 blend of Grenache and Syrah, the 2017 Lirac la Dame Rousse still hadn't been bottled at the time of my visit. It features ripe red and black cherries and a hint of chocolate. Medium to full-bodied, rich and velvety in feel, it should drink well young. (Joe Czerwinski) Points: 89 - 91. Issue Date: 31/10/2019Decanter Magazine (decanter.com):
A lovely, concentrated wine full of lively sweet berry fruits – blackcurrant, black cherry, damson and plum with a sumptuous texture and spicy, dry finish. It’s bright and polished and very easy to drink. Made with organically grown Syrah and Grenache grapes from the estate’s 15ha of top vineyard holdings in Lirac. (Tasted by Georgina Hindle) Points: 93. Date Tasted: 26/04/2020Jeb Dunnuck (jebdunnuck.com):
Based on equal parts Grenache and Syrah brought up in stainless steel, the 2017 Lirac La Dame Rousse is another winner. Ripe black cherries, ground herbs, hints of leather, and tons of spice notes all emerge from this medium-bodied, supple, seamless red that's beautifully balanced. With no hard edges, light tannins, and tons of charm, it's well worth seeking out and will keep for 4-5 years. (Jeb Dunnuck) Points: 89. Date Tasted: 16/08/2016
Regions Vintage Report:
“After two exceptional vintages it’s difficult to believe that 2017 could match up to let alone deliver wines of similar quality. The styles though are different, with richer and often riper fruit in the North the wines are fuller than 2016 without the high concentration and balance of 2015. The South is another story, with once again a large deficit in volume, particularly for the Grenache. The season was quite warm and dry resulting in very low yields, sometimes up to 50% down. The North A relatively hot and dry vintage often resulting richer whites across the board, with the best producers managing to retain enough freshness and acidity for conveyance, for the majority these will be best consumed in youth. The reds are more of a mixed crew with some wines approaching the maturity and intensity of the 2015s, whilst others are more forward with softer tannins providing an earlier drinking window. The best producers harvested their whites early to keep the freshness but the reds much later to intensify the concentration and gain in complexity, especially for the tannin structure. The South The year started awkwardly with large amounts of “coulure” for the Grenache with the rest of the season not much easier, with a very dry summer reducing the crop further. The result is still very impressive and not too far from the highly lauded 2016 vintage. The wines are often very concentrated and, even if the acidity is a little low, the result is very impressive. Given the quality of 2017 it could have been considered as the vintage of the decade, but 2016 is still present in our minds and will be difficult to replace from the top of the pedestal. Many wines are very close in quality to the previous two vintages and I don’t think that we will see 3 successive star vintages like these for a while, furthermore 2018 is looking promising too although much more uneven between producers and appellations. The less precocious appellations fared best especially on soils less exposed to dry weather. In short, 2017 is another superb vintage if it was not for the very low volume produced.Christian Honorez, Director November 2018©adVINture 2020
