Winemaker Notes
Deep ruby color.
Raspberry, a hint of violet, a touch of black olive tapenade and rosemary, with predominant spice and rosemary notes on the nose.
Full flavored, elegant, very well structured and balanced.
Professional Ratings
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Wine Spectator
Bass notes of roasted mesquite and ganache support the fig and currant core, with lots of singed bay leaf, charcoal and espresso to fill in on the finish, where a black tea note echoes in the background. Shows serious muscle, but riveting acidity keeps it all harnessed. Needs a little time to settle in, but will be worth the wait for its terrific length and range. Best from 2015 through 2030.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2009 Cote Rotie La Mordoree (471 cases) is potentially the finest La Mordoree made since the monumental 1991 (which is just beginning to hit full maturity at age 20). Spring flower, black olive, smoky barbecued meat, creme de cassis, graphite and black cherry characteristics are all found in this complex, aromatic effort. With an unctuous texture and a full-bodied mouthfeel, this is a gorgeous example of Cote Rotie Syrah that should drink nicely for 20-25+ years.
Marked by an unmistakable deep purple hue and savory aromatics, Syrah makes an intense, powerful and often age-worthy red. Native to the Northern Rhône, Syrah achieves its maximum potential in the steep village of Hermitage and plays an important component in the Red Rhône Blends of the south, adding color and structure to Grenache and Mourvèdre. Syrah is the most widely planted grape of Australia and is important in California and Washington. Sommelier Secret—Such a synergy these three create together, the Grenache, Syrah, Mourvedre trio often takes on the shorthand term, “GSM.”
The cultivation of vines here began with Greek settlers who arrived in 600 BC. Its proximity to Vienne was important then and also when that city became a Roman settlement but its situation, far from the negociants of Tain, led to its decline in more modern history. However the 1990s brought with it a revival fueled by one producer, Marcel Guigal, who believed in the zone’s potential. He, along with the critic, Robert Parker, are said to be responsible for the zone’s later 20th century renaissance.
Where the Rhone River turns, there is a build up of schist rock and a remarkable angle that produces slopes to maximize the rays of the sun. Cote Rotie remains one of the steepest in viticultural France. Its varied slopes have two designations. Some are dedicated as Côte Blonde and others as Côte Brune. Syrahs coming from Côte Blonde are lighter, more floral, and ready for earlier consumption—they can also include up to 20% of the highly scented Viognier. Those from Côte Brune are more sturdy, age-worthy and are typically nearly 100% Syrah. Either way, a Cote Rotie is going to have a particularly haunting and savory perfume, expressing a more feminine side of the northern Rhone.