Domaine de la Mordorée - Châteauneuf-du-Pape La Reine des Bois 2021

Bettane & Desseauve

About the estate:

The estate offers expressive wines from the finest vineyards in Vaucluse and Gard. Everything is done with the utmost respect for the terroirs, with the aim of producing wines that live up to their potential. Madeleine Delorme, accompanied by her daughter Ambre, continues to work with great care and determination in the spirit of excellence that characterizes the estate and this winegrowing family. A superb range of salty, full-bodied whites and deep, delicate reds, enlivened by a thirst-quenching tension and a perfectly balanced structure. The estate is moving towards increasingly racy and precise wines. The fourth star is fast approaching.

Decanter

About wine:

The nose is magnificent and already shows a spicy and woody complexity. The tannins are abundant and will need time to settle, but the fruit is opulent enough to wait. Very long finish. Mainly from rolled pebbles from the Bois de la Ville, La Crau and La Nerthe vineyards, fermented and aged 80% in stainless steel and 20% in old barrels. All destemmed.

Guide Hachette des vins

About wine:

A wide range of grape varieties make up this deep, well-aged Châteauneuf, which impresses with its concentrated color and dense tears. The nose is still reserved but refined, with subtle fragrances of blueberry, juniper, and menthol, opening onto a fresh, long, and powerful palate, anchored by beautiful, rich tannins and underscored by restrained acidity, which gives it time to develop. Suitable for aging.

About the estate:

Created in 1986 by Francis Delorme and his son Christophe, the 58-hectare estate (certified organic and biodynamic) is spread over 38 plots and eight communes. Following Christophe's untimely death in 2015, his wife Madeleine and their daughter Ambre took over the reins of the estate. Advocates of low yields, the Delormes produce vintages with disconcerting ease, whether in Tavel, their original stronghold, Lirac, Châteauneuf-du-Pape, or "simple" Côtes-du-Rhône. Unmissable.

Robert Parker - Wine Advocate

About wine:

Bottled just two weeks before my tasting, the Châteauneuf du Pape La Reine des Bois 2021 was nonetheless impressive, displaying lovely notes of cherry and berries. Medium-bodied to full-bodied, it was quite tart and lively, with rather dry tannins (perhaps due to its recent bottling), but it showed great concentration and length.

James Suckling

About wine:

A complex and beautifully balanced Châteauneuf for this difficult vintage, with a wide spectrum of fruit aromas ranging from ripe cherry to wild blackberry, as well as wild herbs and summer flowers. It is barely full-bodied thanks to its mineral freshness and crisp tannins. A blend of 80% Grenache, 10% Mourvèdre, 5% Syrah, and 5% Vacarese. Made from biodynamically grown grapes certified by Demeter. Enjoy now or cellar.

Jeb Dunnuck

About wine:

The Châteauneuf Du Pape cuvée La Reine Des Bois 2021, the flagship of the range, has a slightly deeper color, with more blackberries and darker cherries, mixed with notes of toasted herbs, black licorice, and peppery garrigue. It is concentrated and medium-bodied to full-bodied, with a solid structure and a beautiful finish. I would compare it to the cream of the crop of the vintage. To be enjoyed over the next 10 to 15 years. The 2021 is a normal blend of 80% Grenache, 10% Mourvèdre and the rest Vaccarèse, from the Le Bois de la Ville, La Crau and La Nerthe vineyards, which was destemmed and aged mainly in stainless steel (80%), with the rest in used barrels and a little new oak.