Domaine de la Mordorée la Dame Rousse Tavel Rouge 2010

A brilliant salmon color with a complex nose of flowers, cherries and cranberries. Round and full bodied, with a long-lasting finish. This is usually one of the finest roseacute; wines produced each year and the 2010 is the finest we have ever tasted from this producer.

Ripe and very focused, featuring a deliciously pure beam of cherry and fleshy strawberry fruit, laced with hints of jasmine and cherry blossom. The finish is long and mouthwatering. Drink now.

The 2009 Tavel La Dame Rousse rose (60% Grenache, 20% Syrah, 10% Cinsault, and 10% Clairette) is a bigger effort displaying impressive notes of spring flowers, red and black currants, cherries, strawberries, and licorice. Aromatically, it reminds me of a red wine. In the mouth, it is medium to full-bodied with super fruit as well as a lush personality. To me, it is nearly the equivalent of the more expensive Tavel La Reine des Bois.

An astounding characterful rosé, the Mordorée Tavel has a hugely complex nose of cherry, carnation and strawberry set against a backdrop of herbes de Provence. Intensely flavorful in the mouth, this wine finishes on a long note of lemon zest and white cherries. An excellent foil for roast pork.

Ripe, with plump watermelon and cherry notes framed by a bright, stony edge. Long and juicy on the well-detailed finish. Drink now.

Vivid pink. Expressive bouquet evokes wild strawberry, cherry skin, dried rose and a deeper note of licorice. Juicy, penetrating red fruit flavors stain the palate, picking up a dusty note of talc on the back end. Deftly combines depth and vivacity and finishes with lingering red berry flavors and a refreshing kick of blood orange.

The 2005 Tavel Rosé is one of my favorite summer quaffing wines, but it can only last a year and within two months of this report the 2006 will probably be hitting the marketplace. One of the advantages of the 2005 growing season and the cooler conditions is that there is terrific acidity not only in the reds but also the whites and rosés.