Brett happens

Based in Châteauneuf-du-Pape, Domaine Pierre-Henri Morel – no website that I could find – is a recent joint venture between Morel and Michel Chapoutier, for whom Morel works as commercial director. The wines are made at Chapoutier’s facilities but Morel is responsible for all wine-making decisions.

Côtes du Rhône Villages Signargues 2011, Pierre Henri Morel ($19.25, 1233249)
Another of those blends whose composition nobody seems to agree on. The bottle’s back label says Grenache and Syrah, while an official looking technical information sheet says mostly Grenache with some Syrah. SAQ.com claims it’s 70% Syrah and 30% Grenache but the wine tastes more like 70% Grenache and 30% Syrah. Various US and UK vendors refer to Grenache, Syrah and Mouvèdre, often in a proportion of 50-25-25. The Quebec agent doesn’t even list Morel on its website and doesn’t include wine lists or technical information for any of the producers it does list. Whatever. The wine is reportedly fermented in concrete vats with daily pump-overs for three to four weeks and matured in concrete vats for 12 months. 14.5% ABV. Quebec agent: Clos des vignes.
Appealing nose: spiced plum and black cherry with hay loft, graphite and smoke notes, evolving toward raspberry liqueur. A heady, silk-textured, bone-dry middleweight. The peppery, tangy fruit, rasping acidity and fine mesh of tannins are the main show, while a mild astringency and flaring heat mark the finish. Carafe an hour before serving and drink at cool room temperature (20-30 minutes in the fridge on these warm summer evenings) to temper the heat. (Buy again? Sure.)