The Domaine de Mourchon Grand Reserve Label
Wine Spectator gave me a look at
their "editors' most exciting new wines"
and I spotted two of our favorites: Domaine
de Mourchon Cotes du Rhone Villages Seguret
Grande Reserve and Tradition
2006.
Here are some tempting notes about the
Grande Reserve:
91 points. "Very dark, showing fig and
currant paste notes, but very racy, with
graphite, freshly drawn espresso bittersweet
cocoa and black tea notes helping to extend
the long, alluring finish. Nice underlying
grip. Drink now through 2011."
Robert Parker chimes in on Domaine de
Mourchon as well:
"The 2006 Grande Reserve tastes more like a great Chateauneuf du Pape than a Cotes du Rhone-Villages Seguret. There is plenty of tannin, earth, garrigue, spice box, and pepper characteristics as well as oodles of black cherry and black currant fruit. This beautifully complex wine with tremendously expressive aromatics cuts a broad, full-bodied mouthfeel, but do not think it can't age as it possesses plenty of structure and tannin. It should hit its stride in two years, and last for a decade thereafter."
"One of the reference point estates in the southern Cotes du Rhone, Domaine de Mourchon is situated in the charmingly beautiful Provencal hill top village of Seguret. This is a tour de force in winemaking from the Cotes du Rhone-Villages of Seguret. Kudos to Domaine de Mourchon! These splendid cuvees are all worth buying by the caseload.
"This is the best estate today in Seguret,
and they continue to take the quality of
their Cotes du Rhone to an exciting level. Of
course, Grenache is the base for these wines.
They are gorgeously made, pure, rich,
beautifully textured, savory, and everything
a wine in Provençe should be. Rated 91-93 Robert Parker
The 2006 Cotes du Rhone Seguret Tradition is a lighter style that one would be tempted to call more elegant vis a vis the more massive 2005, but it has very pretty fruit, loads of cherries and strawberries, roundness, and charm that are lovely and ideal for drinking over the next 5-6 years. Rated 90 Robert Parker
All of this can be attributed to Englishman Walter McKinlay, who purchased 40+ acres in 1998. It is amazing how quickly he has become a superstar in Seguret. The aging process here is relatively simple, with the wines kept in both concrete vats and oak casks. There is 100% destemming.
Domaine de Mourchon 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. It's very hard
to leave this place. Waves of relaxing
Provençal welcome wash over you as you stand
with your glass of minerally and dark-hued
Cotes du Rhone Villages Seguret Grande
Reserve or Tradition in your hand.
The cherries, black and red, waft from the
glass.
The cepage of the Tradition is
65% Grenache and 25% Syrah and 10% Carignan.
The cepage of Grande Reserve is
65% Grenache and 35% Syrah. The vines are 60
years old. 40% of the Grande Reserve
receives oak barrel-ageing for nine months.
The Tradition is not-oaked.
You'll love the smoothness of these wines.
They are pungent and flavorful. One glass and
you'll be headed to Provence. Cynthia
Hurley
To order just hit reply and let me
know how
many
cases.
Delivery will be immediate.
