More austere and even drier than the Cotes du Rhone, with additional minerality is the deep pink-colored 2002 Tavel, a rose for connoisseurs. It does not possess the flashy fruit or flamboyant aromatics of the Cotes du Rhone, but it reveals an admirable austere seriousness. Although bigger and denser, it is not necessarily better.One of the world’s great winemaking estates, proprietor Christophe Delorme has taken this property to the pinnacle of quality in approximately fifteen years. Domaine de la Mordoree’s white, red, and rose wines are reference points for the southern Rhone Valley.Importer: Kysela Pere et Fils, Winchester, VA; tel. (540) 722-9228