M. Chapoutier’s 2020 Côte-Rôtie La Mordorée is a 100% Syrah from the Northern Rhône, blending fruit from both the Côte Blonde and Côte Brune. Chapoutier farms biodynamically (Demeter-certified, per James Suckling), and this cuvée is produced in small quantities (about 500 cases annually, per background notes). Winemaking details cited by Jeb Dunnuck include complete destemming, fermentation in open-top fermenters, and élevage of two years in French oak.
The critical reception is notably strong, with several excellent reviews. Jeb Dunnuck rates it “97+,” calling out “liquid rock-like minerality” alongside “smoked red and black fruits, violets, and exotic, gamey, floral nuances,” and says it offers “an incredible mix of richness and elegance, with flawless balance… and a great, great finish.” He also projects a long window, suggesting it will “have 25–30 years of prime drinking.”
Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate is similarly emphatic at 96 points, with Joe Czerwinski describing it as “one of the best Chapoutier Cote Roties I can recall tasting,” highlighting aromas of “menthol, cedar, wild blueberries, vanilla and violets” and a palate that is “smooth, silky and elegant,” finishing “really long.” He expects it to drink well “for close to two decades.”
Two more 97-point assessments reinforce the wine’s stature. James Suckling calls it “this great Cote-Rotie,” emphasizing an “incredibly dense nose of forest berry fruits, licorice, smoke and pepper,” plus “stunning concentration and enormous structure,” recommending it as “best from 2025.” Vinous (Josh Raynolds) notes an “intensely perfumed nose” of cherry liqueur and cassis, and a “strikingly long finish.”
Decanter (93) finds a “very ripe and expressive style,” with “sweet, ripe tannins” and “considerable oak influence,” advising patience for the terroir to show more clearly. Overall, 2020 La Mordorée reads as a powerful, modern Côte-Rôtie with pronounced perfume, real structure, and the balance to reward cellaring.
