We stay in close touch with Walter and
Ronnie McKinlay of Domaine de Mourchon. They
always have something interesting going on.
And, one of the interesting things right now
is their Cotes du Rhone 2008. You might
already be drinking their terrific Cotes du
Rhone Villages Seguret Tradition and
Grande Reserve. For sure, I have
drained my share of those bottles, but, if
you're looking for that de Mourchon signature
quality at a more everyday price, you've got
to taste the 2008 Cotes du Rhone. There are
fresh, red fruit aromas and flavors with a
little spice mixed in.
Robert Parker chimes in on Domaine de
Mourchon:
"This is the best estate today in Seguret,
and they continue to take the quality of
their Cotes du Rhone to an exciting
level... They are gorgeously made, pure, rich,
beautifully textured, savory, and everything
a wine in Provence should be."
After all, aren't we all looking for wines we
can serve every night without a compromise?
It's natural to want our wines and drink
them, too, isn't it? Every glass should be
good - very good, in fact. That's what makes
this Cotes du Rhone unbelievable.
Wine Spectator thinks so also:
" Domaine de Mourchon Côtes du Rhône 2008 -
Fresh and juicy, with open-knit red cherry
and currant fruit laced with hints of
garrigue and tobacco. There's a nice chalky
twinge on the finish. Drink now. - J.M."
This wine is 80% Syrah and 20% Grenache. The
vines are old - 40 years! The soil is a
magical combination of clay and limestone and
gray sandstone on steep slopes. You all know
how I feel about clay and limestone soil -
clay for water retention during those hot,
hot Provencal summers and limestone for
drainage so the water goes right deep down to
the roots. The yields are only 40 hectoliters
per hectare, which is way below average for a
wine of this price. The wine is not aged in
oak.
On your next trip to Provence you should
think about visiting Domaine de Mourchon. The
winery is behind the village of Séguret about
300 meters up on a twisty little way. It is a
modern beauty with shiny stainless steel
tanks configured in a circle in one room.
This winery is state of the art with table
de tri for sorting every grape carefully
to make sure there are no inferior ones in
the final blend, and designed to use gravity
to pamper the grapes as they transfer to vat.
Then there is the tasting room, which is
sun-splashed and painted in Provençal hues of
dusty pinks and earthy tones. Waves of
relaxing Provençal welcome wash over you as
you stand with your glass of minerally and
dark-hued Cotes du Rhone. You won't want to
leave.
Cynthia Hurley
