| Mourvèdre | |
|---|---|
| Grape (Vitis) | |
 Mourvèdre grapes | |
| Species | Vitis vinifera |
| Also called | Mataro, Monastrell, (more) |
| Origin | Mediterranean coast of Spain |
| Notable regions | France, Spain, Australia, United States |
| VIVC number | 7915 |
Mourvèdre (French pronunciation:[muʁvɛdʁ]ⓘ; also known asMataro orMonastrell) is a redwine grape variety grown in many regions around the world. It is found in theRhône andProvence regions ofFrance, theValencia andJumilla, Bullas and Yecladenominaciones de origen (DOs) ofSpain, as well as theBalearic Islands,California andWashington and theAustralian regions ofSouth Australia andNew South Wales, plusSouth Africa.[1] In addition to making redvarietal wines, Mourvèdre is a prominent component in "GSM" (Grenache,Syrah, and Mourvèdre) blends. The variety is also used to makerosé andport-stylefortified wines.[2]
Mourvèdre tends to producetannic wines that can be high in alcohol. The style of wine produced from the grapes varies greatly according to where it is produced, but according to wine expertJancis Robinson Mourvèdre wines often have wild game, or earthy notes to them, with soft red fruit flavors.[3] According to wine expertOz Clarke, young Mourvèdre can come across asfaulted due to the reductive, sulfur notes and "farmyard-y" flavors that some wines can exhibit before those flavors mellow withage.[4]
The variety can be a difficult grape to grow, preferring "its face in the hot sun and its feet in the water" meaning that it needs very warm weather, a low leaf-to-fruit ratio but adequate water orirrigation to produce intensely flavored fruit that is not overly jammy or herbaceous.[4] The vines' susceptibility to manyviticultural hazards such aspowdery anddowny mildew as well as overly vigorous foliage can present additional problems for vine growers.[2]
Most wine historians agree that Mourvèdre is likely to be Spanish in origin, though its exact history is difficult to pinpoint.[2] The variety was probably introduced toValencia by thePhoenicians around 500 BC. TheFrench-adapted nameMourvèdre probably came fromMurviedro (Morvedre inValencian, nowadaysSagunt) nearValencia while the name Mataro is thought to have come fromMataró,Catalonia near the modern-day city ofBarcelona.[5]
Despite this close association with Murviedro and Mataró, the grape became known in Spain as Monastrell for reasons that are still unknown thoughOz Clarke speculates that a "neutral" name may have been chosen so as not to offend the local pride of both regions.[4]
Mourvèdre had a well-established presence inRoussillon region of France by at least the 16th century when still part of Spain (until 1659) where it spread eastwards towardsProvence and theRhone.[5] There it had a well established foothold until thephylloxera epidemic of the mid to late 19th century decimated plantings.[2] As the French and other European wine regions recovered from the phylloxera scourge bygraftingVitis vinifera varieties to Americanrootstock, it was discovered that Mourvèdre vines did not take well to the grafting and many vineyards were replanted with other varieties.[6]
Mourvèdre arrived in California in the 1860s as part of thePellier collection.[5] The variety, known as Mataro, was used primarily for bulk producedjug wines. In the 1980s and 90s, interest in Mourvèdre as a premium grape variety picked up as theRhone Rangers began seeking out old-vine plantings of the variety in the eastern part ofContra Costa County. In the 1990s, critically acclaimed bottlings fromBonny Doon Vineyard andCline Cellars Winery promoted demand in the variety and by the mid-2000s, plantings of Mourvèdre in California had risen to 260 ha (650 acres).[2]
In Australia, the variety (known there as Mataro) has had a long history in the country with plantings dating back to the mid-19th century. In the 1980s, many of these old vine plantings were uprooted in a government sponsoredvine pulling scheme but some still survive and are producing today. While historically the variety was used mainly as an anonymous blending grape in fortified wines, the variety saw a rise in interest in the 1990s as producers started receiving acclaim forGSM (Grenache, Syrah, and Mourvèdre)[7] blends (many from the surviving, lowyield old vine plantings). With a slight increase in planting there were more than 1000 ha of Mataro in Australia by the mid-2000s.[2]
It has been put forward by Ampelographists that Mourvèdre may be the parent to the esteemed grape Mavrud, or that at least Mavrud is a clone of Mourvèdre, imported intoBulgaria by the Romans.
According toampelographerPierre Galet Mourvèdre thrives in warm climates as the variety has a tendency to bothbud andripen very late. While the variety can recover well from late spring frost due to the late budding, it can be very temperature sensitive throughout itsgrowing season with even low winter temperatures affecting itsdormancy.[2] Though the grape can adapt to a variety ofvineyard soil types, the most ideal sites are very warm, south facing (Northern hemisphere) slopes with shallow,clay soils that can retain the necessary moisture to keep the vines "feet" wet without letting it grow its foliage too vigorously.[4] In addition to a warm climate, Mourvèdre also does best in a dry climate with sufficient wind to protect it from the viticultural hazards of powdery mildew and downy mildew.[2]
The grape clusters of Mourvèdre are relatively compact, enhancing its susceptibility to mildew, with small thick-skinned berries that are high in bothcolor and flavor phenolics, particularlytannins. Even though the variety ripens late, it has the potential to ripen to highBrixsugar levels which can translate into a high alcohol level duringfermentation. The vine can also be very vigorous, producing abundant foliage that can shade the grape clusters, affectingcanopy management decisions for growers.[2] In Australia and California, many of the oldest plantings of Mourvèdre are bush trained as the vines grows well vertically but the variety can be grown under many different kinds ofvine training systems.[4]
Theharvest window for the grape tends to be very short once it reachespeak ripeness, withacidity rapidly falling and the grapes soondesiccating and developing "prune-y" flavors.[4] One advantage of the thick skins is that Mourvèdre can withstand late harvest rains without the berries swelling and bursting like thinner skin varieties such as Grenache. In regions such as thePaso Robles AVA of California, it is often one of the last varieties to be harvested sometimes hanging onto the vine until early November.[6]
Mourvèdre produces medium-size, compact bunches that are usually conical in shape with a small wing cluster that may be discarded duringgreen harvesting. The leaves often have truncate cuneiform "wedge" shape. SinceWorld War II, newerclones and better rootstock have been developed that have allowed Mourvèdre vines to be grafted more easily. Today many plantings of Mourvèdre are to 110R and 41B rootstocks.[8]
In Spain, Mourvèdre is called Monastrell and was the fourth most widely planted red wine grape variety with 43,049 hectares (106,380 acres) in 2015. Like many other Spanish varieties, its numbers have been declining in recent years (in 1996 there was over 100,000 ha/250,000 of the vine planted in Spain[9]) as growers pull up older plantings and replant them with popularinternational varieties such asCabernet Sauvignon andChardonnay. However, the variety still has a strong hold in eastern Spain where it is widely planted in severalSpanish wine regions aroundMurcia and theValencian Community. Under Spanishwine law, Monastrell is one of the primary red wine grape varieties in the DOPs ofJumilla,Yecla,Valencia,Almansa, andAlicante.[2]
Other Spanish DOPs where Monastrell is a permitted variety includeBinissalem-Mallorca andPlà i Llevant in theBalearic Islands,Bullas,Catalunya,Cariñena,Costers del Segre,Manchuela,Penedès andRibera del Guadiana. Monastrell is also permitted in thesparkling wineCava though it is rarely used.[10]
In France, Mourvèdre doesn't grow much farther north than theChâteauneuf-du-Pape AOC in the southern Rhône; and even there it has some trouble ripening in coolervintages. It tends to ripen most consistently in the warmer Provençal region ofBandol AOC along theMediterranean coast where the growing season is often 5 °C warmer.[4] While plantings have been declining in Spain, they have been increasing in France, particularly in theLanguedoc-Roussillon region where the grape variety has seen growing popularity as both a varietal wine and as a blending component.
After thephylloxeraepidemic of the late 19th century and with declining interest in the variety for most of the 20th century, there were less than 900 ha in 1968, mostly in the southern Rhône and the Bandol AOC of Provence. But the spark of interest and international investment in the Languedoc saw planting sharply increase and by 2000 there were over 7,600 ha of Mourvèdre planted throughout Southern France.[2]
While Bandol is the AOC region that most prominently features Mourvèdre (by law all red Bandols must contain at least 50% Mourvèdre), otherAppellation d'origine contrôlée (AOC)s that have Mourvèdre as a permitted variety includeCassis,Collioure,Corbières,Costières de Nîmes,Coteaux d'Aix-en-Provence,Coteaux du Languedoc,Coteaux de Pierrevert,Coteaux Varois,Côtes du Luberon,Coteaux du Tricastin,Côtes de Provence,Côtes du Rhône,Côtes du Rhône Villages,Côtes du Roussillon,Côtes du Roussillon Villages,Côtes du Ventoux,Faugères,Fitou,Palette,Saint-Chinian,Gigondas,Lirac,Minervois andVacqueyras.[11]
In Châteauneuf-du-Pape it is one of the 18 permitted varieties in the red wine but is often a secondary component behind Grenache and Syrah. The exceptions are notable blends from producers such asChâteau de Beaucastel which often has Mourvèdre account for more than a third of the blend.[6] As of 2009, Mourvèdre accounted for 6.6% (213 ha) of all Châteauneuf-du-Pape plantings.[8]
In the United States, Mourvèdre is found primarily in California and Washington State with some limited plantings in Arizona, Missouri,New Mexico,Oregon, Texas andVirginia. In the US, the style of Mourvèdre tends to be lesstannic thanOld World examples such as Bandols.[4] In Washington State, the grape was first planted atRed Willow Vineyard in theYakima Valley AVA in 1983. The 1990s and 2000s saw an increase of plantings of the variety, most notably atAlder Ridge Vineyard andDestiny Ridge Vineyard in theHorse Heaven Hills AVA andCiel du Cheval Vineyard in theRed Mountain AVA. In Washington, the grape is used in both varietal and Rhone-style blends where it provides a mediumbody structure with cherry fruit flavors as well smokey, spicy and gamy notes.[12]
In California, Mourvèdre reached the United States in the 1860s as part of the Pellier collection[5] and was likely first planted inSanta Clara County.[6] The variety, known as Mataro, was widely planted in anonymousfield blends that was used primarily for bulk produced jug wines. From the middle of the 20th century, it saw its plantings rapidly decline from more than 2700 acres in 1968 to less than a third of that by the 2000s.[13] Its numbers would have declined more drastically had the variety not captured the interest ofRhone Rangers in the 1980s and 90s, who began seeking out old-vine plantings of the variety in vineyards Contra Costa County. On the heels of some critically acclaimed varietal and Rhone-style blends (as well as the introduction of better qualityclones) featuring Mourvèdre, plantings in California rose slightly from 260 ha (650 acres) at the turn of the 21st century to 900 acres in 2010.[2][13]
There are around 12 square kilometres of Mourvèdre in Australia, where it is also known as Mataro, though more producers have begun adopting the French name Mourvèdre. While the grape has a long history of being used for generic cask wines and fortified wine, it has recently become more popular in highly acclaimedGSM blends with Grenache and Syrah.[14] Like many grape varieties, Mourvèdre was first introduced to Australia as part ofJames Busby's collection ofcuttings from his European travels in the 1830s. There it was quickly established in theSouth Australia wine region of theBarossa Valley byLutheran immigrants from theSilesia Province inPrussia. From there it was spread by English immigrants to theMcLaren Vale region south ofAdelaide. Some of the oldest continually producing vines of Mourvèdre are in theNew South Wales wine region ofRiverina orSouth Australian wine region ofRiverland.[15]Turkey Flat Vineyards in the Barossa Valley was one of the forerunners of producing Mourvèdre as a single varietal wine with its first vintage in 2005.
According to Pierre Galet, there are some plantings of Mourvèdre inAzerbaijan under a variety ofsynonyms that have not all been fully identified.[2] InSouth Africa, Rhone-style producers have also begun working with the variety.[4]
The small, thick-skin berries of Mourvèdre are high inphenolic compounds that have the potential to produce a deeply colored, very tannic wine with significant alcohol levels if harvested at high sugar levels. However, the variety is rarely harvested at sugar levels below 13% alcohol (approx 23 Brix) because the flavors at those lower levels are often very weak and herbaceous.[4]
In winemaking, wines made from Mourvèdre are prone to bothoxidation andreductive flavors (such ashydrogen sulfide) if care is not taken at the winery.[2] While in Bandol, it is common to ferment Mourvèdre with the stems, the grapes usually go through a crusher/destemmer in New World regions such as a California due to the harsher, green tannins that are more typical of the stems in those regions. While the wine can be stored inoak barrels, it often does not absorb oak flavors as well as other varieties (such asMerlot and Cabernet Sauvignon) so it is often stored in neutral oak or large format barrels.[6]
In many regions of the world, Mourvèdre is often blended with other varieties such as Grenache and Syrah in the "GSM" blends of Rhône, Australia and the United States. In these blends, Mourvèdre often provides color, fruit and some tannic structure to complement the fruity Grenache and elegant Syrah. In Provence and Rhône it also sometimes blended withCinsault andCarignan as part of both red table wines androsé. In Australia, the variety is sometimes used in fortified port-style wines.[2]
According to wine expert Jancis Robinson, in favorablevintages Mourvèdre can produce highlyperfumed wines with intense fruit flavors and notes ofblackberries and gamey or meaty flavors.[2] Oz Clarke notes that some examples of Mourvèdre may come across as faulted in their youth with "farmyard-y" and strong herbal flavors. As the wine ages, more earthy tertiary aromas may develop before becoming more leather andgingerbread aroma notes.[4]
In both Old andNew World wine regions, Mourvèdre is a popular grape to be used inrosé winemaking. These wines can be made as a dedicatedrosé where the skins are allowed only a brief period ofskin contact (a few hours or a single day) before they arepressed or assaignée where some of the juice destined for a red Mourvèdre is "bled off" duringfermentation creating two separate wines—a darker, more concentrated red wine and the lighterrosé.[16]
Mourvèdre is the name used inFrance. Worldwide, there are 95 other names, including Mataro, which is used inPortugal and parts of theNew World; and Monastrell, which is used inSpain.[17] In English-speaking wine producing areas, Mourvèdre is most commonly used; it is the official name used by the U.S.Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau.[5] Despite the similarities of its synonyms, Mourvèdre has no relation to the Spanish wine grapeGraciano which is also known as Morrastel in France.[9]
At one point, theCognac grapeBalzac blanc was thought to be acolor mutation of Mourvèdre due to the similarities in synonyms with Mourvèdre also being known as Balzac noir. However, DNA analysis at the turn of the 21st century showed that the two varieties had no relation.[18] Despite having the synonymRossola nera, Mourvèdre has no known relationship to theLombardy wine grape ofthe same name with the latter being an offspring of thePiedmontese wine grapeNebbiolo.[19]
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