ELLEN’S WINE WORLD / FRENCH WINES – Red wine, French, Côte du Rhône. Domaine de Mourchon “Grande Réserve” 2011, AOC Séguret
These are our neighbours, just a couple hours down the Rhone river from Geneva, where the wines start to become bigger, richer, more powerful. One of the rising stars, as French wine media are calling it, is the Domaine de Mourchon winery in the Séguret area.
This was the richest and hottest (high in alcohol) of the 40 or so wines I tasted at a tasting session in Geneva, almost overpowering. They need time to mellow so if you have a wine cellar this is very good value for money but note that the Swiss supplier sells by the carton of 12. I tasted the 2011, 2010, 2009 and 2007 vintages. At age six, and even allowing for differences between vintages, this is a wine that finally achieves balance.
Notes: Robe, luscious deep purple. Nose, remarkable cooked fruit and jam nose in the youngest of 4 vintages I tasted, which should be ready in 3-5 years. The spices you expect from Syrah in this part of the world are evident in the nose, but are more apparent in mouth in the older vintages, where the rich fruits and spices are more balanced and the tannins become smoother. The 2009 was rounder, but could still use a couple more years. High in alcohol at 15.5, designed to go with rich food (their suggestion sounds right: tarragon roast chicken with cream sauce). Best carafed.
Grape variety: Syrah, Grenache blend from old vines
Vinification, maturing: More than half of the Syrah is aged in oak and the blend is then made in concrete tanks.
Where I enjoyed this: Tasted 14 November in Geneva at a tasting session that included several Rhone valley producers, organized by Elie Gazzar importers in Ecublens-Lausanne.
Sample price: CHF18.36/bottle, carton of 12, Gazzar.ch
Leave a Reply