Mourvèdre reached a brief cult status in the last 20 years especially among the elite wines produced in the Paso Robles region, because it was artfully blended into some of the highly sought after cuvèe’s of the area. Up north (in California) it is also a strong diversifying factor to many of the great GSMs that exist in both the coastal and interior regions. Mourvèdre is a very powerful and expressive grape variety. Mourvèdre can hang tough with the sometimes brutally hot summers of Northern California. Its thick skin helping it cope. So it does especially well in the hotter climates of the El Dorado AVA.
Oregon’s Willamette Valley is not ready for Mourvèdre just yet. Give climate warming some more time. However, it can be found in the Rogue River regions of Southern Oregon which are plenty hot enough and also provide the soil attributes it loves.
Mourvèdre goes from spicy, to sultry, to earthy, and deeply so, but can also be subtle, lively and herbaceous. It is hard to pin point Mourvedre, in all of its directions. It has surprised me, both for its acid and its tannin. But maybe now as Mourvedre gets ever more serious and pricey, we are catering again to the Cabernet drinker that loves tannin rich wine. So the winemakers respond, and the varietal has moved far beyond obscurity and lower price points, to a more serious varietal. Exotic spices, and herbaceous tones are the distinct characteristics you should always find in a good Mourvèdre. Or Monastrell, Mataro, wait what is it? Mourvèdre has lots of synonyms and a complex history.
In the under-rated geographic zone, and for the budget minded, maybe it is time to find out about Monastrell. From a region than rarely overcharges for wine, Spain. Spain offers excellent export bottles of this varietal, which in Spain is called Monastrell. Jumilla, is a wine region that is expressly committed to producing the Monastrell grape, and some very elegant ones often mixed with Syrah and Cabernet Sauvignon. It is worth searching out some wines from Jumilla Spain, I have yet to be disappointed, especially in the $15-25 price point that is often “exported”. It’s a great way to budget start this journey.
However you discover Mourvedre, and whatever price point, the spectrum’s are vast. Be sure to open up the wine for a while, and it will change. Mourvèdre is often one of the wines most receptive to decanting, and of course to serving with a rich spice filled meal.
So where do you go for some varietal focused Mourvèdre in California? Well you can hit up Tablas Creek which has a plethera (at least 5) renditions of this grape in their offerings. Tablas Creek is the grandfather of Rhone varietals within California. A truly exceptional winery, with a lab, an amazing staff and the support of the Perrin family that birthed modern Rhone varietals within the state of California.
Oak must be complimentary to the complexity of this varietal. How often is oak not overdone? Not often enough, and when you jump into the Mourvèdre pool this becomes especially interesting. An example of Mourvèdre from fruit to savory notes is Edio Vineyards which consistently ranks very high with this varietal. We are talking winemakers that pick their fruit at peak flavor. All critical factors in creating a wine that stands on its fruit and terroir pillars first and then layers in savory notes. Edio sources its grapes from the grandfather of Northern California, namely grapes that were planted and managed by Ron Mansfield.
Holly’s Hill is somewhat rare in that its number one varietal in terms of total acreage planted is, you guessed it, Mourvèdre. That is right alongside the Tablas Creek playbook. However that is still rare. This is a winery that sourced from the Tablas Creek nursery over 20 years ago. Carrie and Josh Bendick the winemakers continue to experiment deeply with this varietal. If you stay committed to them through the wine club you will be able to taste a spectrum of Mourvèdre that is hard to match across California.
California Mourvèdre is typically earthy in its flavor tones, with hopefully a “slight” amount of toasted oak. Savory notes of mushroom, truffle-like notes, or some unique tones out of the oak blending in with the grape. You can try a rich, yet young feeling Mourvedre when you try Holly’s Hill Poco Loco variant. Is there a wee bit of residual sugar in that varietal? The focus with Poco Loco is a “drink it now” varietal that is both juicier and yet opulent. Overall, Mourvèdre is quite expansive in what it can deliver, and I have given you a range of wineries here to try to be purposeful on what this variety can deliver. Mourvèdre is hard to pin down in this AVA. It gets even more crazy on a global scale.
Speaking of young Mourvèdre, the first-ever Mourvèdre release from Jonathan Lachs at Cedarville is a remarkable study in restraint and polish. Eschewing the rustic intensity often associated with the grape, this wine is centered on pure, refreshing fruit. With high quality integrated oak, the structure supports a beautifully complex, savory-earth core that drinks like a classic, fruit-spectrum French benchmark. This is a triumphant niche addition to the Cedarville repertoire that reflects years of thought and dedicated effort.
If you spend time looking for wine, you’ll appreciate spending more time looking for unique Mourvèdre’s, once you make friends with it. It is more complex and diverse than say (some leaner) Grenache and should last longer in your cellar as well. It is an under appreciated grape in the world of wine today. Mourvèdre loves lots of sun and heat so its future is bright. Mourvèdre sometimes ripens slowly if the harvest time gets too cool, delivering some of the spectrum I laid out for you in this blog.
Cheers!