M. Chapoutier : La Mordorée 2006

Black olive/tapenade, black raspberry, camphor, and tar notes intermixed with a scent reminiscent of a Nori seaweed wrapper leap from the glass of the dark ruby/purple-tinged 2006 Cote Rotie La Mordoree. Made from 100% Syrah, this is a muscular, dense, luscious effort displaying good acidity, moderately sweet, noble tannin, and a rich, complete finish. It can be drunk now or cellared for 15+ years. While Michel Chapoutier produces some of the world’s greatest wines from single parcels of old vines spread throughout the northern and southern Rhone (see my ecstatic reviews of his 2007 and 2006 Chateauneuf du Papes in issue #179), he also has an impressive portfolio of value-priced wines that are often overlooked when this impressive producer is discussed. Following are some top-notch picks that all sell for exceptionally fair prices. Chapoutier has not achieved as great a success in Cornas as he has in the other northern Rhone appellations, although his Cornas wines get better with each vintage. There are four extraordinary single-vineyard white wines, all of which are among the greatest dry white wines in the world. While all of them can be drunk young, they are meant for extended cellaring. Made from very small yields, they represent the essence of a varietal as well as a vineyard site. As the following notes demonstrate, 2006 was one of the greatest vintages for white wines at Chapoutier. The single-vineyard selection parcellaire red wines range in production from 500 to nearly 1,000 cases. 2007 is a very good vintage for these selections, but 2006 has an edge. It is reminiscent of 1996 because of the wines’ freshness and acid levels, but Chapoutier’s 2006s are even more concentrated than his 1996s. Chapoutier’s four 2006 cuvees of single-vineyard Hermitage are exquisite. Most of the yields were between 10 and 20 hectoliters per hectare, and the wines are extravagantly rich. The 2006 and 2007 luxury cuvees of Chateauneuf du Pape Croix des Bois and Chateauneuf du Pape Barbe Rac were reviewed in issue #179. They are all astounding wines, especially in 2007. Importer: Terlato Wines International, Lake Bluff, IL; tel. (847) 604-8900

This is jam-packed with zesty briar, loganberry and blackberry fruit, along with plenty of sweet tapenade, Maduro tobacco, iron and licorice notes. The long, super-juicy finish really lets the iron edge sing. Best from 2010 through 2021. 711 cases made.

Deep red. Highly perfumed aromas of smoky red berries, minerals, Asian spices and black pepper. The abundant red fruit flavors are pinot-like but the wine's smokiness and pepper drag me straight back to the Rhone. Silky and sweet, with assertive raspberry and cherry flavors, gentle tannins and mounting notes of olive and peppery spices. Finishes with impressive energy, clarity and persistence.