Grape · Spain / Southern France
Mourvèdre / Monastrell
moor-VED
Game, tar, and late heat
A late-ripening Mediterranean red: Bandol's backbone, a GSM blender, Jumilla's dark horse. Animal, floral, and stubborn.
- black fruit
- leather
- game
- violet
- thyme
Profile
Bodyhigh
Acidmedium
Tanninhigh
Sugardry
Mourvèdre needs heat to ripen and wind to stay healthy. In Bandol it is often the majority of a blend with Grenache and Cinsault, aged in large oak, and built to last. In Jumilla and Yecla, as Monastrell, it can be a value monument.
Underripe it is bitter and medicinal. Ripe it smells of blood, flowers, and dark fruit — a combination that sounds wrong and drinks grand with lamb.
Decant young bottles. Pair with grilled meats, olives, and anything with thyme.
At the table
Service
61–64 °F (16–18 °C). Young Bandol wants an hour of air.
