Mourvedre/Monastrell

For 20 years Quivira Vineyards has produced a Provencal-style Rosé with Grenache as the lead variety. Additionally there is also 20% Primitivo, and smaller amounts of Counoise, Petite Sirah and Mourvèdre. There is soft fruit and soft acidity here, a wine that doesn’t overshadow any companion foods. Strawberry, stone, fruits, light citrus, black cherry, rhubarb, and subtle lemon lime fill out the palate. This is not a wine that announces itself and takes control, this is a subtle wine that is meant to be part of the meal.

Andremily makes some of the best Rhone varietal wines anywhere.  This on is 92% Mourvèdre, 5% Syrah and 3% Viognier.  Inky purple in color, opaque and bright.  The nose is great with  plums, black cherries, coffee, spice and anise.  Full bodied.  Medium to firm tannins.  On the palate, black cherries, plums and anise.  Some coffee/chocolate add to the finish.  Drinking well now if still a bit young.  This should drink well for another ten to fifteen years (and probably more).  Great on its own, this would go very well with a cassoulet.  

Great showing for this wine.  Purple in color, opaque and bright.  The nose has some funk/brett.  Also, black cherries and slight plums.  Full bodied.  The palate has minerals, plums, and black cherries.  Layered and complex.  This at the young side of peak but it is mature.  Long finish.  Delicious.  This is great on its own and will work well with food.  Roasted duck is a nice choice.  drink over the next eight to twelve years.  

This is 87% Mourvedre, 12% Syrah and 1% Grenache.  Purple in color, opaque and bright.  The nose has plums, black raspberries, slight spice and some roasted herbs.  Full bodied.  On the palate, this has some depth.  Medium tannins.  Seems to be at peak.  Plenty of plums with a bit of black raspberries and slight peppery note.  Long finish.  Drink over the next five years.  A nice match with a stew on a cooler evening.  

This is a blend of 34% Mourvedre, 33% Zinfandel, 13% Petite Sirah, 12% Syrah, and 8% Tempranillo.  Purple with a few garnet swirls. The nose is great with plums, black cherries, gravel, leather, black pepper, char and cedar.  Some alcohol showing on the nose.  Full bodied. Some tannins.  Deep.  On the palate, plums, black cherries, black pepper, spice and char.  No alcohol showing on the palate but it does have 15.9% abv.  Long finish.  This is delicious.  It drinks great on its own after about twenty minutes.

This is a new project of the Maurel brothers of Clos St.

The first bottle we opened of this was corked, but the second was sound.  It is a blend of 70% Monastrell (Mourvedre), and 30% Cabernet Sauvignon.  15.5% abv.  Inky purple in color, opaque and bright.  The nose has blueberries, cassis, some black cherries, toast and baking spices.  Full bodied.  Thick and tannic at the moment.  Loads of fresh black cherries and black raspberries on the palate, with underlying spice and char.  Long finish.  This is delicious now, but needs plenty of time to develop.  Cellar for five to ten years and drink for twenty after that.  Right now it will be a diffic

Tasted side by side with the regular bottling, I slightly preferred this one.  It is also a blend of 44% Mourvedre, 36% Grenache and 20% Counoise.  Purple in color, ruby at the rim, opaque and bright.  The nose is similar with black raspberries, plums, gravel and spice.  Full bodied.  On the palate, this drinks a bit younger and also more expressive.  Lots of black raspberries, plums, some black cherries, black pepper and char.  More vibrancy.  Long finish.  Overall, the distinctions are small, but this did seem a bit younger with more going on.  Now, was that due to the extended ageing or

Tasted this side by side with the extended ageing slightly preferring the extended ageing.  This is a blend of  44% Mourvedre, 36% Grenache and 20% Counoise.  Purple in color with ruby at the rim, opaque and bright.  The nose is nice with black raspberries, slight plums, gravel and spice.  Full bodied.

This is their top of the line wine.  It is a blend of 60% Mourvedre, 20% Grenache, 10% Counoise, and 10% Syrah.