KYSELA PERE ET FILS, LTD.

"The 2023 Tavel Cuvée De La Reine Des Bois brings more richness and depth, with an almost red wine-like slant to its notes of wild strawberries, crushed stone, and white flowers, with a very distinctive salty, mineral-like style that stands apart. Medium to full-bodied on the palate, it's similar to the Dame Rousse with its overall balance and purity, with that riveting sense of class that you rarely find in rosé. The blend of the Reine des Bois is 60% Grenache, 20% Syrah, and 10% each of Clairette and Cinsault, and it's a selection made in the cellar. Rosé doesn't get better."

- Jeb Dunnuck (Importer Highlight: Fran Kysela ; July 2024), 94 pts

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 - Wine Enthusiast (August 27th 2024), 90 pts

"A blend of 60% Grenache, 20% Syrah, 10% Cinsault and 10% Clairette, the 2022 Tavel La Reine des Bois is a touch darker in hue than its stablemate, the La Dame Rousse, but it's still not among the darkest of Tavels in the glass. That's perfectly okay, as the aromas and flavors are textbook for the appellation: crushed stone, flowering garrigue, ripe cherries and mouthwatering strawberries, all capped off by refreshing citrus-zest notes on the lengthy finish. Full-bodied and full-flavored, it's one of the candidates for top Tavel this year. - Joe Czerwinski"

- Robert Parker's Wine Advocate (May 2023), 93 pts

 "A powerful core of black cherry and plum flavors reverberates throughout this profoundly ripe, stately wine that's anchored in minerality and freshness. A Grenache-based blend of both red and white regional grapes, it's a deeply extracted, garnet-hued rosé that truly straddles the lines between red and white winemaking. Framed with tea tannins, it's a satisfying year-round sip that will hold well into 2024. Anna LEE C. IIJIMA"

 - Wine Enthusiast (August/September 2022), 94 pts

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- Decanter (October 1st 2022), 93 pts

"Lastly, the smaller production 2021 Tavel La Reine De Bois comes from more pebbly soils (the base Tavel is more sandy soils), and while it's not as powerful as some of the past vintages, it nevertheless has remarkable purity, precision, and elegance, with beautiful notes of framboise, honeyed flowers, spice, and crushed stone. Rosé doesn't get much better in my opinion, and this is Tavel at its more elegant and seamless."

- Jeb Dunnuck (November 2022), 92 pts

"Brilliant orange. Red and dark berry, floral, citrus zest and succulent herb qualities on the deeply perfumed nose, as well as hints of smoky minerals and baking spices. Concentrated yet lithe, offering palate-staining black raspberry, cherry and blood orange flavors and a suave touch of candied lavender. The mineral and spice notes drive a strikingly long, gently chewy finish that echoes the floral and blood orange notes. This bottling is not just an outstanding rose, it's a flat-out exceptional wine, period – the food-matching potential here is endless. Mushroom risotto and seafood paellas come to mind, as does blue cheese and grilled, strongly seasoned rabbit, even artichokes. - Josh Raynolds"
-  Antonio Galloni's Vinous (June 2021), 94 pts

"Large round stones surround the vineyards for the blend of 60% Grenache, 15% Clairette, 10% Syrah with Cinsault, and Bourboulenc. Dark strawberry pink in hue, it’s crisp and dry, with heather and raspberry in a savory-sweet duet. Stony from start to finish, the wine is lyrical with a finish of mint and roses."

- The Tasting Panel (January/February 2022), 93 pts

 "Tasted at the beginning of 2022, this elegant deep-pink rosé shows the longevity and complexity of exceptional Tavel from producers like Domaine de la Mordorée. Blackberry and cherry flavors are concentrated and zingy still, accented by nuances of crushed earth, spice and smoke along with delicate, lingering tea tannins on the finish. A true evergreen rosé, it's likely to drink well through 2023, at least. Anna LEE C. IIJIMA"

 - Wine Enthusiast (August/September 2022), 93 pts + Editors' choice

"This Tavel rosé has a stunning nose of ripe cherries and summer flowers! This manages to be simultaneously be mouth-filling, silky and crisp. I love the mineral freshness that drives the long finish. A blend dominated by grenache and clairette. From biodynamically grown grapes with Demeter certification. Drink now."

- James Suckling (March 2022), 92 pts

"Translucent light red color. A beautifully refined Tavel, La Reine des Bois reveals a highly perfumed melange of red fruits with a hint of spice on the nose. It has a soft, silky mouthfeel and remarkable purity and density of flavor on the palate with strawberry-infused Grenache playing a leading role. Berries, red plum, and red apple flavors persist on a long finish. Destemmed 60% Grenache, 15% Clairette, 10% Syrah, 10% Cinsault, and 5% Bourbolenc from a 3 ha parcel of 40 year old vines on the Vallongue plateau.- Don WINKLER"

- i-winereview.com (Rosés From Around the World: 2021 Annual Report), 92 pts

"Medium siam color. Aromas and flavors of blackberry, black cherry, fresh plum, and grapefruit zest with a round, vibrant, dry medium-to-full body and a sleek, complex, long finish with no oak flavor. A Rosé showing both rich dark fruit flavors and crisp citrus."

- Beverage Testing Institute (March 2021), 91 pts - Gold Medal

 

 

"Intensely fruity yet fascinatingly complex, La Reine des Bois consistently reigns as one of the best wines from Tavel. This vintage offers profound, mouthwatering black-cherry and cassis flavors accented by strikes of crushed stone and sizzling black spice. It’s lush and velvety through a long, delicately tannic finish. Lovely already, the wine will drink beautifully through 2023. - Anna Lee C. IIJIMA"

- Wine Enthusiast (September 2020), 94 pts, Editors' Choice

"Another great rosé from this estate, the 2019 Tavel Cuvee La Reine Des Bois sports a classic Tavel deep raspberry hue yet is still a graceful, incredibly elegant rosé that offers lots of raspberry and framboise fruit as well as plenty of white flowers and spice, medium to full body, perfect balance between its acidity and fruit, and clean, dry finish. It’s as classy and elegant as rosé gets! Drink it over the coming year or so."

- Jeb Dunnuck (March 2020), 93 pts

"A substantial rosé with a red cherry-berry and rose petal perfume and excellent depth of flavor. Offers a weighty palate infused with fresh fruit and superbly balanced. Pairs superbly with spicy Mexican food. 60% Grenache, 15% Clairette, 10% Syrah, 10% Cinsault, and 5% Bourboulenc from organically cultivated 3 ha vineyard of 40-year-old vines grown in a sandy-limestone mix of gales roulés (cobblestones).- Don WINKLER"

- i-winereview.com (2019 Vintage Rosés from Around the World, June 2020), 92 pts

"Always one of Tavel's best bottlings, Mordorée's 2018 Tavel La Reine des Bois is a bit less ripe and impressive than previous vintages, but it's still excellent. Hints of crushed stone accent red currant and grapefruit aromas, while the medium to full-bodied palate is smooth, silky and intense, finishing on a peppery note. - Joe Czerwinski"

- Robert Parker's Wine Advocate (Issue #245, October 2019), 91 pts

Go To Mordoree Tavel Rose La Reine des Bois

"The flagship rosé is the 2018 Tavel Cuvée De La Reine Des Bois. Which has a classic Tavel deep ruby color as well as a juicy nose of candied cherries, strawberries, exotic flowers, and spice. A full-bodied, deep, rich, layered rosé, it has a beautiful texture, no hard edges, the classic power and richness of Tavel, and a clean, crisp finish. This is a food rosé all the way and a brilliant effort."

- Jeb Dunnuck (August 16th 2019), 91 pts

Go To Mordoree Tavel Rose Reine des Bois

"Bold, intense and flavorful, the 2017 Tavel La Reine des Bois continues to set the standard for the appellation. It's a rich, full-bodied rosé, with lush, mouth-filling flavors of cherries, raspberries and white chocolate, underscored by lime zest and refreshing brine notes. The price is creeping up, but it remains a benchmark in terms of quality. - Joe Czerwinski"

- Robert Parker's The Wine Advocate (June 15th 2018), 93 pts

Go To Mordoree Tavel Rose Reine des Bois

"While Grenache is dominant, this robust, full-bodied rosé is a blend of five traditional Rhône grapes. It's a complex wine boasting a core of concentrated raspberry and red-cherry flavors layered with sage, bramble and smoked meat. It's an excellent year-round accompaniment to light meals well through 2020. - ANNA LEE C. IIJIMA"

- Wine Enthusiast (March 2019), 92 pts

Go To Mordoree Tavel Rose Reine des Bois

"The 2016 Tavel La Reine des Bois is among those at the very top of the appellation. It's full-bodied, ripe and rich, marrying ample fruit with complex spice notes and a wonderfully silky texture.- Joe Czerwinski”
- Robert Parker's The Wine Advocate (Issue 233, October 31st 2017), 93 pts

Go To Mordoree Tavel Rose Reine des Bois