As for the estate wines, the 2012 La Dame Rousse Cotes du Rhone Rose is composed of 40% Grenache, 30% Syrah and the rest Cinsault, Carignan and Mourvedre. One of the finest roses from southern France, it exhibits copious amounts of licorice, lavender, strawberries, black cherries and a hint of Provencal herbs. Medium-bodied, it is best consumed over the next year.
Run by the Delorme brothers, Domaine de la Mordoree ranks as one of the most impeccably, precisely run estates and negociant businesses in western Europe. Their least-expensive offerings are stunningly good, and their high end, flagship wines from Lirac and Chateauneuf du Pape are magnificent. Moreover, this estate continues to go from strength to strength. Although it is too expensive to recommend, year-in and year-out one of the finest roses made in the world is Mordoree’s Reine des Bois Tavel Rose. I rated the outstanding 2012 91 points ($34.00). Well-known in these pages, Fran Kysela runs a surprisingly large volume import business with a strong focus on value-priced wines from Southern France, Argentina, Australia, and Spain.
Importer: Fran Kysela, 331 Victory Rd., Winchester, VA; tel. (540) 722-9228; fax (540) 722-9258