Wine Mourvedre, also known as Monastrell, is a full-bodied Spanish red wine with a rustic character. The legend claims that the Phoenicians brought it to Europe in the XNUMXth century BC, but there is no evidence for this yet. In its pure form, this grape is quite sharp, so it is most often blended with, for example, Grenache, Syrah and Cinsault. The variety produces red, rosé, and fortified wines similar to port.
History
Despite the fact that the exact origin of the variety could not be established, most historians agree that this is Spain. The name Mourvèdre most likely comes from the Valencian city of Mourvèdre (the modern name of Sagunto, Sagunt). In the Catalan municipality of Mataró, the wine was known by the actual name Mataró, which is probably why it was eventually called Monastrell so as not to offend any of the regions.
By the XNUMXth century, the variety was already well known in France, where it flourished until the phylloxera epidemic at the end of the XNUMXth century. The epidemic was defeated by grafting the Vitis vinifera variety, but it turned out that Mourvèdre was poorly susceptible to it, so the vineyards with this variety were planted with other grapes or completely cut down.
In 1860, the variety was brought to California, around the same time it ended up in Australia. Until the 1990s, Mourvèdre was mainly used as an anonymous variety in fortified wine blends, but in the 1990s interest in it increased due to the spread of the GSM red wine blend (Grenache, Syrah, Mourvèdre).
Production regions
In descending order of vineyard area:
- Spain. Here, Mourvèdre is more commonly referred to as Monastrell, and in 2015 it was the fourth most popular variety in the country. The main production is in the Jumilla, Valencia, Almansa and Alicante regions.
- France. Mourvedre is grown only in the southern regions of the country, for example, in Provence.
- Australia.
- USA.
Mourvedre “New World”, that is, from the last two countries, less tannic and sharp than its European counterparts.
Variety description
The bouquet of wine Mourvedre felt notes of blueberries, blackberries, plums, black pepper, violets, roses, haze, gravel, meat. This wine is usually aged in oak barrels for at least 3-5 years. However, unlike Merlot or Cabernet, the variety is not very susceptible to the influence of oak, so winemakers age it in large new barrels, preferring to use better containers for other wines.
The finished drink has a rich burgundy color, high tannins and medium acidity, and the strength can reach 12-15%.
How to drink Mourvedre wine
Full-bodied red wines require a fatty and hearty snack, so pork ribs, chops, grilled meat, barbecue, sausages and other meat dishes go well with Mourvèdre wine.
An ideal gastronomic pair will be spicy dishes, especially flavored with Provence herbs. Vegetarian snacks include lentils, brown rice, mushrooms and soy sauce.
Interesting Facts
- Mourvèdre is part of Saxum Vineyards’ famous red James Berry Vineyard, which scored 100 points in a blind tasting in 2007. The other two components of the blend are Syrah and Grenache.
- Mourvèdre berries have a very dense skin, they ripen late and require a lot of sun, so this variety is ideal for areas with a hot but not dry climate.
- After the phylloxera epidemic in Spain in 1989, the production of Mourvèdre fell into decline and has only recently been revived. Since this wine has not yet established itself on the international market, it can be purchased for $10 a bottle or even less.
- Mourvedre is added to Spanish Cava – an alternative to French Champagne – to give the drink a rich pink color.