Translation missing: en.2024 Standish Release + Domaine de la Mordoree Tasting this Saturday 3-6PM: 2024 Standish Release + Domaine de la Mordoree Tasting this Saturday 3-6PM
The Standish Wine Co
The Standish have cemented themselves as one of, if not the, greatest producers of Shiraz in the country, wines that go toe to toe with Australia's so-called flagships, Grange and Hill of Grace, for less than 20% of the price. Dan Standish is a sixth generation Barossan who started the winery in 1999 while still working as a winemaker at Torbreck, wanting to dedicate the whole thing to a single grape. The heart of it is the old family plot where his grandfather first put a pair of secateurs in his hands at six years old, now the source for 'The Relic', and over the years he's added a handful of other Barossa sites he considers genuinely significant and unique.
Every batch is fermented and matured separately before a ruthless selection that can see as much as 80% of the crop sold off in bulk, with only the very best parcels ever making it into bottle under his name, exactly the way the finest growers in Europe work. Stylistically these are as profound as you'd expect from Barossa old vines, dark fruit wrapped in cocoa and an earthy richness, but it's the gentle spice, soil tone, asphalt and stony minerality, and above all the satin texture and dreamy perfume, that set them so far apart from the Barossa pack.
The new 2024 release has just landed and it is about as good as this country gets. Erin Larkin, writing for Robert Parker, handed the 'Schubert Theorem' a perfect 100 points, with the 'Lamella', the self-titled 'The Standish' and the 'Relic' Shiraz Viognier all sitting at 98. Each comes off a different vineyard but is made in the same way, so every wine speaks clearly to its own terroir, the self-titled bottling from the Laycock family vineyard in Greenock being the perfect introduction to the range. As Larkin put it, they have power, scope, breadth, depth and intensity, and none of it comes at the expense of detail, complexity or balance. Yields were well down this vintage and these never hang around once they land, so get in quick before they're gone!
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Domaine de la Mordorée Tasting
Saturday 13th
3pm-6pm
Join us this Saturday as we taste through the wines of Domaine de la Mordorée from the southern Rhône.
Mordorée are a genuine superstar of modern France, built on truly sustainable farming, certified organic since 2013 and Demeter biodynamic since 2020. They work 143 acres across Lirac, Tavel, Châteauneuf-du-Pape, Condrieu, Côtes du Rhône and a few Vins de France, everything hand harvested, yields kept low and intervention only ever when necessary. These are modern styled Rhônes that lean on a subtle touch of French oak for the top wines, while the unoaked 'La Dame Rousse' range delivers some of the best value to be found anywhere in the wine world. The estate is named for the woodcock, the local game bird once hunted by Ambre's grandfather François, a bird that carries a quiet symbolism of resilience and adaptability that feels apt given everything growers are up against today. The domaine was set up by Christophe Delorme, who sadly passed away suddenly in 2015 at just 52, and his vision lives on in the very capable hands of his daughter Ambre, his wife Madeline and longtime winemaker Rémy Chauvet.
I got to taste back through the range with the importer last week and top to bottom these wines capture everything that's great about the region across a real spread of price points. The rosés in particular are some of the best value going around in the shop right now, and as you move up into the 'La Dame Rousse' and 'Reine des Bois' wines you start to see real precision, power and depth, the kind of bottles you can happily drink on release or tuck away for a good while.
These are the wines that we'll be pouring on the day:
Domaine de la Mordorée Côtes du Rhône Rosé 2022
Domaine de la Mordorée Tavel Rosé 2022
Domaine de la Mordorée 'La Dame Rousse' Côtes du Rhône Rouge 2022
Domaine de la Mordorée 'La Dame Rousse' Lirac 2022
Domaine de la Mordorée 'La Reine des Bois' Lirac 2020
Come down to the store this Saturday and try these for yourself. See you there!