2010 was a great vintage in Rioja in general and seems to be exceptional here, with a 2010 Viña Ardanza Selecci?n Especial (what used to be Reserva Especial) that can challenge any of the recent vintages and hopefully can develop in bottle to reach...
The 2017 Knights Valley is powerful, dense and wonderfully rich, with tons of the savory and mineral inflections that make Knights Valley Cabernets so alluring. Graphite, game, menthol, licorice and red fruit are front and center.
Mourchon's very talented winemaker, Sébastien, is a Gigondas native and knows everyone in the village. A few years ago, I mentioned to him that I wished Mourchon made a Gigondas, and he told me he'd be happy to craft one for us using a secret source from one of his vigneron friends. I thought he was joking—until a sample arrived. Fantastic stuff! And he still won't tell me where he sources it from... It's obviously someone very good.
-Phil
Appellation Côtes du Rhône Villages Contrôlée
A deep garnet red colour with well-blended fruit aromas of raspberry and blackberry and a hint of liquorice on a spicy background. The palate is both velvety and generous with supple fruit.
Enjoy with roasted vegetables, slow-cooked meat dishes or fresh goat’s cheeses.
GRAPE VARIETIES: 65 % Grenache, 25 % Syrah, 10% Carignan
AGE OF VINES: 40 years
TERROIRS: A mixture of clay, limestone and grey sandstone on steep slopes
YIELD: 35 hl/ha
AGEING: 100% concrete vats
-Importer notes
Alluring and expressive, with beautiful range to the violet, plum and cherry liqueur flavors, all edged in graphite. Delivers impressive harmony and texture, with warm cedar notes rounding out the formidable palate. Reveals slightly grainy tannins that p...