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Monastrell - Mourvèdre - Mataro: the three most common passports this great
grape variety travels under. You'll find lots more tastings of M-based wines and info
on the various
Bandol pages of the site and
this Pic St-Loup feature, as well as
articles and
news items; the most recent written for
Wine
Business Monthly in the US. At some point I might also
add a major research
project I did on the variety in 2005, although it's long and a bit technical/academic, so not everybody's
idea of fun reading! Anyway, I've included wines below where Mourvèdre is
blended with other grapes - such as Tempranillo, Grenache, Syrah/Shiraz,
Cabernet even - or wines made entirely from those varieties, because they're
worth mentioning... Tasted May 2005 at the London wine trade fair.
SPAIN - JUMILLA
Finca Omblancas
2003 was the first vintage from this winery-to-watch, and amazingly their Delaín
wine was made from 3 year old vines.
2003 Delaín (Monastrell,
13.5%) - quite smoky and full-bodied, shows nice ripe liquorice and herb
flavours leading to fairly structured, firm and powerful palate with good
length. 87
2003 Denuño Monastrell - lovely complex
'sweet' berry fruit with liquorice and herb notes; quite concentrated, lush and
ripe v meaty framework. 88-90
Bodegas Valle del Carche
2004 Vega Carche
Monastrell - nice ripe fruit with reasonable depth and a touch
of tannin in the mouth. 85
2004 Tempranillo - more structured with grippier and fresher palate yet
has generous rounded fruit too, tangy v liquorice. 87
2000 Reserva (Tempranillo,
Cabernet Sauvignon & Syrah) - shows more
upfront oak layered with lovely savoury tobacco v ripe berry fruit, nice depth
and style with firm well-textured mouthfeel, power and class.
90-92
Casa de la Ermita
2004 Monastrell (organic) - delicious ripe and savoury fruit,
raisins v firm tannins and smoky long finish. 90
2002 Crianza (Tempranillo, Monastrell
& Cabernet Sauvignon) - smoky maturing complex
nose, again offers lovely ripeness v structured backdrop with elegant length.
92
Casa Castillo
2004 Vendimia (Monastrell &
Tempranillo) - attractive 'modern' juicy fruit
style, quite chunky and grippy on the palate showing fair concentration.
87
2001 Las Gravas (Monastrell,
Syrah & Cabernet Sauvignon)
- complex, grilled and developed fruit; very firm yet has richness and depth
too. 90+
Bodegas Salzillo
2002 Zenizate Crianza (Monastrell) -
concentrated with lovely coating of ripe yet savoury fruit and firm, nicely
maturing tannins. 89+
2004 rosado (Monastrell)
- attractive chunky fruit displaying ripe raspberry and strawberry, weighty
finish. 87
2003 Camelot Dulce
Monastrell ("Knights of the Round Table...on second thoughts, let's
not go to Camelot; it's a silly place..." Guess the movie? Email me and you'll
win...my respect) - very rich, oxidised and meaty set against loads of raisin
and liquorice fruit, with balancing bite on the long complex finish.
90+
N.B: the Dulce, sweet style is made from very late picked
Monastrell grapes fermented to 11%, fortified with spirit to about 15% and
aged in old casks. This leaves at least 50 grams/litre of natural sugar.
Bodegas
Bleda
2004 Castillo de Jumilla
Monastrell rosado - earthier style
than rosé above with very deep colour, nice fruit and a touch of dry grip on the
powerful palate. 87
2004 Monastrell - ripe pure berry and tobacco fruit, luscious
black cherry palate with a bit of tannin adding framework.
87
2000 Reserva (Monastrell &
Tempranillo) - mint and cigar notes lead to mature
savoury v ripe 'sweet' flavours, tight structure and power v lingering dried
black fruits. 90
2002 Divus (Monastrell) - cedar new oak
aromas but shows ripe rustic complexity too, very concentrated with good balance
of oak, firm tannins and fruit. 92+
Bodegas
Viña
Elena
2002 Pacheco Crianza (Monastrell) - rich
dried fruits on the nose then firm savoury texture, quite powerful and
concentrated. 90
Bodegas Agapito Rico
2004 Carchelo (Monastrell) - nice juicy
'modern' style fruit, rich black cherry flavours then firmer finish.
87
Three more Dulce
Monastrells:
2003 Nuestra Señora de la
Encarnacion - complex oxidised nose with
very minty yet savoury nuances, concentrated sweet liquorice fruit with bite of
tannins, acidity and alcohol. 89
2003 Alceño,
Pedro Luis Martínez - amazing blackberry
fruit with slight 'rancio' characters, firm tannins yet long fruity finish.
92+
2000 Bodegas Olivares
- minty wild herb aromas with black
cherry and dark chocolate, super concentration v bite of tannins and alcohol
(16%); fab. 95
SOUTH AFRICA
These 3 wines were all made by Charles Back.
2004 Spice Route Mourvèdre, Swartland - shows quite a bit of spicy oak but
also vibrant berry and herb fruit underneath, good depth on a tight rounded
framework. 89
2004 Fairview Mourvèdre (+10% Shiraz)
- nice spicy berry fruit leads to a gamier palate, attractive ripe tannins add a
touch of grip to the fair depth of fruit. 87
2004 Charles Back Shiraz-Mourvèdre - lively spicy black fruit nose,
liquorice v gamey background flavours, tight and firm yet nicely rounded.
89
AUSTRALIA
Mitchelton, Victoria
2002 Crescent Shiraz-Mourvèdre-Grenache - plenty of coconut spiced oak,
tight concentrated and firm palate; needs time although perhaps too much oak for
the fruit to really develop? 89
2002 Parish Shiraz-Viognier - meatier more savoury fruit, rich and dark
with lovely depth, firm and powerful yet elegant length too.
92+
2003 Shiraz - more delicate style with herby berry fruit and creamy wood,
firm dry tannins v lingering 'sweetness'. 87
D'Arenberg, McLaren Vale
2002 The 28 Road Mourvèdre - attractively smoky ripe & minty berry fruit,
a touch of background oak adds chocolate flavours too; firm and powerful,
tightly textured finish. 89+
2003 The Cadenzia Grenache-Shiraz-Mourvèdre (+
Viognier) - more berry-ish and open, liquorice
Grenache fruit leads to structured yet perfumed mouthfeel!
87
2003 The Laughing Magpie Shiraz-Viognier - delicious aromatic, pure spicy
Syrah nose lifted by a touch of background choco oak; nice ripe texture and
fruit extract without being too heavy. 89+
2002 The Dead Arm Shiraz - herbal intensity set against very ripe fruit,
subtle concentration v textured oak, dry yet ripe finish, big but not too.
90+
2003 The Dead Arm Shiraz - very perfumed blackberry and herb
fruit, the oak isn't very integrated at the moment but this has sumptuous depth
and tight firm finish. 92+
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