WTN: Confused by my Mordorée

Domaine de la Mordorée Lirac "La Reine des Bois" 2007 14,5% abv; c.15€

A third each of Grenache, Syrah and Mourvèdre from c.40yo vines.

This is a famous property that I had never before tried, so when I managed to get one for this price, I decided to educate myself.

I was quite frightened on first sniff: it seemed to have quite a bit of wood. I thought their Lirac wasn't supposed to be their woody cuvée? A few hours decanting seems to make the wood go so thoroughly into hiding that I start to wonder if I were hallucinating earlier on.

But even after a few hours, this is an angry wine. Full of aggressive, dark fruit aromas and camphor rather than garrigue. It is inky, raw and alcoholic. It has low acidity and a resulting flatness and lack of liveliness on the palate. The black, brooding, inky stench made me expect a massively extracted wine and indeed there is a wall of tannin. Harshly alcoholic throughout the palate and hot on the finish. Very unbalanced.

I think I disliked it for three reasons: it is too young, it is the victim of a hot vintage and it seemed so inky and bitterly tannic as to be over extracted (and remember: I love tannins! I have no problem drinking young Nebbiolo.).

I was under the impression that as long as one stayed away from Mordorée's "super-cuvées", even those with my preferences should like the wines? So what did I do wrong? Get the wrong year? Or is this, though only a "humble" Lirac, actually one of their super-cuvées?

[David M. Bueker]

2007 is a BIG year, and the wines are ripe, high in alcohol, and proabably not in your taste zone. Now a year like 2004 or 2006 might be more to your liking (I hear 2008 is not as big either).

Domaine de la Mordorée Lirac "La Reine des Bois" 2007 14,5% abv; c.15€



I was under the impression that as long as one stayed away from Mordorée's "super-cuvées", even those with my preferences should like the wines? So what did I do wrong? Get the wrong year? Or is this, though only a "humble" Lirac, actually one of their super-cuvées?

Reine des Bois is a super-cuvée. They also do a basic Lirac. CndP Reine des Bois is, of course, a super+ cuvée.

Domaine de la Mordorée Lirac "La Reine des Bois" 2007 14,5% abv; c.15€



I was under the impression that as long as one stayed away from Mordorée's "super-cuvées", even those with my preferences should like the wines? So what did I do wrong? Get the wrong year? Or is this, though only a "humble" Lirac, actually one of their super-cuvées?

Reine des Bois is a super-cuvée. They also do a basic Lirac. CndP Reine des Bois is, of course, a super+ cuvée.

Is the Reine des Bois a supercuvee across all their appelations? The CNdP is an expensive wine, but the Reine des Bois Lirac is about a third of the price in Aus.

I had the 2004 of the Lirac Reine des Bois a few weeks ago - it is indeed more approachable and morello cherry like than Otto describes the 2007, although not without structure.

cheers

Andrew

Is the Reine des Bois a supercuvee across all their appelations? The CNdP is an expensive wine, but the Reine des Bois Lirac is about a third of the price in Aus.

I'm just looking at the entry for Mordorée in a couple of well known french annual guides. The Reine des Bois cuvées are the top bottlings for each appellation. Some prices -

Lirac basic 07 €9,75
Lirac RdB 07 €14,90
Tavel basic 08 €10,20
Tavel RdB 08 €12,50
CndP RdB 07 €40,50

One of the guides gives a higher rating to the basic Lirac 07. The other says that the house style "...renders the wines imposing, strongly tannic and woody....the RdB cuvées faithfully represent that house style."

I am sitting on some bottles of CndP RdB 2000 bought in the days when I was more impressed than now by Parker's ratings. Somehow my hand never stretches in that direction when I am looking for a fix of CndP.

I thought maybe air might improve things, but it was even worse today. The over extracted, bitterness was more in focus and the fruit was completely lacking in liveliness. Lots still left - probably will end up used in cooking.

I had to open up an antidote - which turned out so good that I'm going to have to post a note on it!

I used to like the Lirac Reine des Bois and it seemed not over-artificed. The CdP is made by Igor. I haven't had the Lirac in a long time (at $30-35 in the US, it hasn't seemed worth it). Maybe it has gotten souped up too. David might be right that the vintage is showing on it, but that wouldn't make it taste of wood.