Color: Red
Grown in: Provence, southern Rhône, Languedoc-Rousillon (France); Spain; California and Washington (U.S.); Australia
A.K.A.: Monastrell (Spain), Mataro (Spain, Australia, U.S.)
Profile: Mourvèdre loves hot weather. It’s thick-skinned and takes a while to ripen, so the more sunshine and warm days, the better for it. Once ripe, it has a full body, bold tannins and black and blue notes — blackberries and blueberries, sure, but also tea, tobacco, peppercorns and cocoa. Plus, there’s often a distinctly salty-meaty tone.
Mourvèdre is a natural match with Syrah and Grenache, two grapes it’s traditionally blended with in the southern Rhône; producers in Australia and the U.S. have followed that lead with good results, too.
Two to Try: Domaine Tempier is a classy classic from Bandol (Provence, France), while La Tremenda is a friendly, modern-styled version from Alicante in Spain.
