The estate
Established since 1808 in Tain-L'Hermitage, M. Chapoutier is an elite reference among fine Rhône Valley wines today.
Winemaker and wine merchant, Michel Chapoutier has successfully brought this family-owned business to the very top. The wines by Maison Chapoutier are renowned by the finest connoisseurs from all around the world for their refinement and high quality. A man of many talents, Michel Chapoutier holds the world record for 100/100 scores awarded by the American critic, Robert Parker. Mathilde, Michel Chapoutier's daughter, has taken over the running of this iconic house, which has over 350 hectares of vineyards in the most prestigious appellations of the northern and southern parts of the Rhône Valley region.
The vineyard
La Mordorée by M. Chapoutier is a Côte-Rôtie wine made from old Syrah vines.
The blend
Syrah (100%).
The tasting
Colour
The colour reveals a subtle violet hue.
Nose
The dense and powerful nose gives off aromas of blackberries, wood oil and coffee.
Palate
The concentrated palate exudes alluringly racy tannins and stretches to a persistent and aromatic finish.
Chapoutier's La Mordoree cuvee is produced from 75-80-year old Syrah vines planted in both the Cote Blonde and Cote Brune, aged in 100% new oak casks, and bottled with neither fining nor filtration. The 1999 Cote Rotie La Mordoree is the finest he has produced since the 1991 (two bottles drunk over the last six months confirm this fabulous wine's potential as it is just now beginning to emerge from a cloak of tannin). The 1999 has closed down since its pre-bottling tasting. The color is an inky purple, and the wine is dense and powerful, with notes of smoky blackberries, creosote, and espresso. Concentrated flavors reveal high levels of tannin (surprising in view of last year's report), and a rich, long, 45-second finish. This impressive 1999 will take longer to reach its plateau of drinkability than I thought last year. Anticipated maturity: 2009-2023.