M. Chapoutier, Cote Rotie, La Mordoree 2018

The 2018 Côte Rôtie La Mordorée comes from the La Côte Brune and the Côte Blonde lieux-dits and is brought up in demi-muids, roughly 35% being new. Black raspberries, currants, cured meats, new leather, and Asian spice notes all define the bouquet. Full-bodied, powerful, and opulent on the palate, it has lots of tannins, loads of fruit, and a great finish.

Always a blend of the Côte Blonde and Côte Brune lieux-dits, the 2018 Cote Rotie la Mordorée features scents of pencil shavings, raspberries and some tea-like florals. It's medium to full-bodied and silky-textured, but it's concentrated at the same time, with a long, crisp finish that hints at violets.

Saturated ruby. Displays intensely perfumed red and blue fruit preserves, baking spices, candied violet and licorice scents; a smoky mineral quality builds in the glass. Plush, sweet and broad on the palate, offering deeply concentrated, smoke-laced cherry-vanilla, boysenberry and fruitcake flavors that spread out and pick up a spicy nuance with aeration. Manages to be powerful but elegant as well, showing impressive balance and velvety, even tannins that shape a very long, floral- and dark fruit-driven finish. One-third new oak.