October 18, 2004

Mourvedre / Monastrell / Mataro

Pronounced [more-VAY-druh]

From the International Wine of the Month Club

As long as the weather is warm, Mourvedre ably tolerates a wide variety of soils. It is popular across the south of France, especially in Provence, where it is responsible for the greatness of Bandol, and many a fine red Cotes-du-Rhone. It is often blended in Chateauneuf-du-Pape; Languedoc makes it as a varietal. Spain uses it in many areas, including Valencia. In the United States, Mourvedre remains a minor factor for now, pursued by a few wineries that specialize in Rhone-style wines. The wine it produces can be quite pleasing, with medium weight, spicy cherry and berry flavors and moderate tannins. It ages well.

From Tablas Creek

Mourvedre is native to Spain, where it is known as Monastrell and is second only to Grenache (Garnacha) in importance. From the Spanish town of Murviedro, near Valencia, Mourvèdre was brought to Provence in the late Middle Ages where, prior to the phylloxera invasion at the end of the 19th century, it was the dominant varietal. The phylloxera invasion was particularly devastating to Mourvedre. Whereas most of the other Rhone varietals were easily matched with compatible rootstocks, Mourvedre proved difficult to graft with the existing phylloxera-resistant rootstock. Thus, when the vineyards were replanted, most producers in Chateauneuf-du-Pape chose to replant with varieties that were easier to graft, such as Grenache. For decades, Mourvedre was found almost exclusively in the sandy (and phylloxera-free) soil of Bandol, on the French Mediterranean coast, where it is bottled both as a red wine (blended with Grenache and Cinsault) and as a dry rose. Compatible rootstocks for Mourvedre were developed only after World War II. Shortly thereafter, Jacques Perrin of Chateau de Beaucastel led regeneration efforts in Chateauneuf-du-Pape and made Mourvedre a primary grape in the red Beaucastel wines. Since the late 1960s, total plantings in Southern France have increased dramatically. Mourvedre came to the New World as Mataro (a name taken from a town near Barcelona where the varietal was grown) in the mid to late 1800s. In Australia, it found a home in the Barossa Valley and in California it was first established in Contra Costa County. Until recently, the grape was rarely bottled by itself, and was instead generally used as a component of field blends. The increasing popularity and prestige of Rhone varietals and a return to the French Mourvedre name has given the varietal a new life. Currently about 400 acres are planted in California.

Posted by Michael at 10:47 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack