The Marvel Of Mourvèdre
Mourvèdre gets its deserved time under the sun this May so raise a toast to this bold, rustic and underrated grape that straddles Spanish and French vineyards and aplomb and full bodied personality.
Give Mourvèdre its proper due on the day dedicated to celebrating this thick skinned red grape. Mourvèdre is originally from Spain but found its true home and astonishing success in France’s Rhone Valley. It’s mildly amusing how this full bodied red’s Spanish origins still draws surprise from most oenophiles who regard the red wine as Rhone Valley born and bred. Mourvèdre) is a deeply bold, rustic, and full-bodied red wine boasts of structure and meaty character, capped by tannins that certainly aren’t shy. In fact there is nothing shy about Mourvèdre which proudly reveals its big fruit and impressive weight tapering into firm lingering tannins. Mourvèdre yields a bevy of diverse full bodied styles across and a number of synonyms, chief among them, Monastrell, Alicante, Mataró and yeah, Torrentes, you head right. This hardy red wine grape is a late ripener, loves plenty of sun and can withstand heat streaks during the growing season.
So, long hang time imbues ample red fruit character while the skin leisurely thickens, setting the stage for heartily fruity and firmly tannin ferment. The Rhone Valley however accords Mourvèdre serious international cred with as the indispensable element of the classic Rhone Valley Blend (Grenache, Syrah & Mourvèdre). The GSM cannot be imagined without Mourvèdre which brings colour, structure and intense flavours to the mix. There is still more love in the south of France for the Spanish immigrant, primarily in Bandol appellation, where Mourvèdre’s individual brilliance shines brightest in the southern French appellation of Bandol where it makes full bodied single varietal and single vineyard expressions, oak matured and worth ageing for decades. So come discover perhaps the world’s most underrated grape at it gets its groove back across the world, new and old with Wine Park’s collection of Southern Rhone and full on Aussie blends. Cheers!
