2016 Domaine de la Mordoree La Reine des Bois Lirac 750 ml

We’ll stop raving about the historic 2016 Southern Rhône vintage when the once-in-a-lifetime hit parade shows some sign of slowing down. But judging by the 2016 Domaine de la Mordorée Lirac La Reine Des Bois—a stunning 95-point beauty that we are offering at an unbelievable $45 a bottle—that moment is nowhere near the horizon.

The Domaine de la Mordorée is for fans of big, powerful Châteauneuf-du-Pape: Deep, dark, and generously extracted, it shows tons of rich blackberry compote, cola, crushed flowers, licorice, and a spiced finish. Don’t miss out on a Rhône red that delivers well above most Châteauneuf-du-Pape special cuvées. 

Jeb Dunnuck, arbiter of all things Rhône, is not shy about heaping praise on Domaine de la Mordorée, the winery behind today’s fantastic release: He bestowed a perfect 100-point score on their 2016 Châteauneuf-du-Pape—which will set you back $100—and had similarly effusive praise for this 95-point Lirac.

Dunnuck called the ‘16 Reine Des Bois “one of the finest releases from not only this appellation but the entire Southern Rhône.” If ever there was a year to look beyond the grand vins of the region to the outer appellations that are turning in Châteauneuf-like performances for a fraction of the price—2016 is it. 

Domaine de la Mordorée is one of the shining stars of the west side of the Rhône river. Headquartered in the rosé-only appellation of Tavel, the domaine’s strengths go well beyond their fantastic rosé. Encompassing 125 acres of vines spread over 38 plots in various Rhône communes, there is little that Domaine de la Mordorée does not do well.

The Grenache, Syrah, and Mourvèdre that compose La Reine des Bois come from 40-year-old vines that rise from the clay, sand, and stony galets roulés soils of the Delorme family’s Lirac holdings. The ripe grapes are given a generous 30-day maceration before being fermented in stainless steel and used oak casks. The result is a stunning Southern Rhône overachiever: A Lirac that rivals Châteauneuf-du-Pape in everything but price. 

Christophe Delorme—the man who founded Domaine de la Mordorée in 1986 and pushed it to greatness—died in 2015, which made 2016 the first full season in decades without the founder at the helm. But Christophe’s wife Madeleine and daughter Ambre carried on utilizing the methods he established over thirty years—aggressive pruning, organic farming, hand-harvesting, and hand-sorting—and crafted the highest-rated Reine des Bois in history. 

The 2016 Reine des Bois showcases the exacting vineyard stewardship and winemaking that Domaine de la Mordorée has become known for, and in a region known for wines that need years to soften, this 95-point Châteauneuf-du-Pape rival proves there’s no need to wait to enjoy the vintage of a lifetime.