2018 Domaine de la Mordoree La Dame Rousse Cotes du Rhone 750 ml

When a top-tier, 100-point Southern Rhône legend known for what the Wine Advocate calls a “reference point” Châteauneuf-du-Pape also produces an under-$20 Côtes du Rhône, it’s usually the recipe for a brilliant value. 

This 2018 Domaine de la Mordorée La Dame Rousse Côtes du Rhône is likewise a benchmark for Rhône greatness… for $18. But don’t let the price fool you. Robert Parker himself deemed Domaine de la Mordorée “always one of my favorite estates in the Southern Rhône.” High praise considering Parker’s well-documented love of the region’s wines. This dual 91-point red would be an utterly fantastic wine at twice as much, or even four times the price as we discovered recently… more on that later. 

James Suckling praised its “wealth of ripe red and purple berries with a swathe of fresh flowers” and indeed the aromas of black currant, graphite, and violet lead into a bright, zesty, peppery palate. High-toned raspberry is laced with new leather and savory herbs, leaving an impression of complexity that far exceeds the price. Excellent tension cuts through the vibrant berry character, keeping the wine lively and lifted throughout. Fine, tea-like tannins round out the finish, ensuring that this 2018 La Dame Rousse will remain a cellar staple for the next four years.

Sommeliers in the know have always gravitated towards the Mordorée label, and the promise of quality that lies just beyond the glass bottle. Perhaps that’s why our friend, a rather notable San Francisco sommelier, kept coming back to the bottle of this 2018 La Dame Rousse we brought to a party he threw. It was a rather large gathering and a mixed non-industry crowd, so we brought this Côtes du Rhône, a bottle we knew we’d enjoy but priced where we wouldn't mind sharing with new friends. 

We interpreted our somm pal’s raised-eyebrow enthusiasm for this bottle as a relatable love of the producer—that is until he made a speech at the end of the night, thanking us for “so generously bringing a Mordorée,” which he dubbed his “wine of the night.”

We’re not sure which $80-$175+ Mordorée bottling he mistook this for (they all do look rather similar with the trademark woodcock so prominently featured on the label), but we didn’t have the heart to tell him he stopped the party to wax poetic about our generosity for bringing a wine that set us back $18. 

We too have long been fans of Mordorée’s $175+ premium offerings and are thrilled to have access to this overperforming Côtes du Rhône, made by the same talented winemaking team. Parker has been a vocal fan of the entire lineup of wines since the late 1980s, when the late Christophe Delorme resurrected the historic estate and built a tremendous portfolio from Châteauneuf-du-Pape to Lirac.

Especially in 2018, when crops were down 40%, the organically-grown grapes yielded amplified, deeply fruit-driven wines of structure like this 2018 La Dame Rousse Côtes du Rhône, which Decanter called “concentrated, but not overly so, with vivid red fruits into the long finish.”

For less than $18, this double 91-point 2018 Domaine de la Mordorée La Dame Rousse Côtes du Rhône is the ultimate way to familiarize yourself with this landmark estate without spending a fortune. Though feel free to let your friends think you did.