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Mordoree Tavel Rose La Reine des Bois Domaine de la Mordoree $40

(Carefully curated notes below are taken from the producer’s website)

Varietal Grenache, Clairette, Syrah, Cinsault, Bourboulenc

Location Rhone Valley, Tavel AOC France

Drink Now or Cellar? Drink now or cellar for 2 more years

Tasting notes:

“This Tavel rosé has a stunning nose of ripe cherries and summer flowers! This manages to be simultaneously be mouth-filling, silky and crisp. I love the mineral freshness that drives the long finish. A blend dominated by grenache and clairette. From biodynamically grown grapes with Demeter certification.”

– James Suckling (March 2022), 92 pts

Food pairings!

The 2020 Domaine de la Mordorée “La Reine des Bois” is one of those rare rosés that behaves more like a light red wine at the table. Its concentration of strawberry, raspberry, pomegranate, spice, and savory Rhône herbs allows it to pair beautifully with a wide range of foods. Roast chicken with Provençal herbs, duck breast, grilled salmon, tuna, seafood stews, and garlic-laden Mediterranean dishes are all natural matches. The wine’s depth and structure also make it an excellent companion to charcuterie boards, tomato-based dishes, paella, grilled vegetables, and spice-driven cuisines such as Thai, Vietnamese, and Indian fare. If you’re hosting a dinner party, this is the rosé that can comfortably carry an entire meal from appetizers through the main course

From Them to You!

La Reine des Bois – “Queen of the Woods” – represents premium quality from Domaine de la Mordoree. This iconic wine is produced in the Vallongue plateau – a Villafranchienne terrace of cobble stones on sandy-clay base organically and biodynamically grown vineyard. Domaine de la Mordorée is widely regarded as one of the benchmark estates of France’s Southern Rhône Valley. Founded in 1986 by brothers Christophe and Fabrice Delorme in Tavel, the estate quickly earned a reputation for producing some of the region’s finest wines, from Tavel rosés to Châteauneuf-du-Pape and Lirac. The winery has long embraced environmentally responsible farming, becoming fully certified organic and practicing biodynamic viticulture across its vineyards. Their philosophy centers on meticulous vineyard work, hand harvesting, low yields, and allowing each terroir to express itself authentically. “La Reine des Bois” (“Queen of the Woods”) represents the estate’s flagship bottling and is considered one of the reference-point wines of Tavel, showcasing the appellation’s ability to produce age-worthy, gastronomic rosés with remarkable complexity and structure.

Crama de Mattei Patima Cab Sauv 2019 Romania

(Carefully curated notes below are taken from the producer’s website)

Varietal Cabernet Sauvignon

Location DEALU MARE ROMANIA

Drink Now or Cellar? Drink now or cellar through 2031

Accolades:

93 PTS J AMES SUC K LI N G-U.S.

GOL D ME D A L MU N D US V I N I-GE RMA N Y

GOL D ME D A L -90 PTS.GIL B E R T & G A ILL A R D I N TE R N A TIO N A L C H A LLE N GE, F R A N CE

GOLD MEDAL WINE LOVERS AWARDS

GOL D ME D A L V I N A R IUM I N TE R N A TIO N A L WI N E COMPETITIO N – R OMA N I A

Tasting notes:

Patima stands for the infinite love for nature and the living creatures of these terroirs, for traditions and customs, for faith and hard work. This wine is the sum of all of them. The wine intrigues with fruit, fascinates with its spicy notes, surprises with a vaguely hinted sweetness. Fruity aromas of plums, cherries and blueberries. Note of cocoa and spicy nuances of black pepper, cinnamon and anise

Food pairings!

Its dark fruit, spice, and structured tannins make it a natural match for hearty, savory dishes. Pair it with grilled steak, roast lamb, braised short ribs, burgers, or smoky barbecue, where the wine’s richness and firm structure can stand up to bold flavors. Earthy dishes like wild mushrooms or rosemary roasted vegetables work beautifully as well, while aged cheeses such as Manchego or Gouda bring out the wine’s deeper cocoa and spice notes. For dessert, dark chocolate or chocolate-covered cherries make an unexpectedly excellent finish.

From Them to You!

The winery:

P.D.O: DEALU MARE ROMANIA

DeMatei Winery embodies a unique terroir, spanning across the rolling hills of Tegăneanu and Zorilor, in Dealu Mare Wine Region. This land demands respect, skill, and meticulous care to reveal its full potential, producing exceptional wines with outstanding aging capabilities—an excellence reflected in every vintage of Prince Matei. Cultivating the land and its fruits demands hard work, dedication, and, above all, expertise. Through the visual identity of the DeMatei brand seeks to honor craftsmanship and the deep-rooted philosophy that has shaped the way of life in the Dealu Mare Wine Region.

The culture:

The first written records of viticulture in this region date back to the 14th and 15th centuries. Historical foreign documents describe the Dealu Mare vineyard as producing a “high-quality rich, strong, and long-lasting” wine.