Mourvèdre
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Mourvèdre, also known as Monastrell in Spain and Mataro in Australia, is a key component in Southern Rhône blends and produces distinctive single-varietal wines, especially on the south coast in appellations such as Bandol and Collioure. It has a reputation for longevity and, certainly, most examples need at least seven years to show their full potential. They are richly meaty with black fruit characters, herbs, black pepper, and wild garrigue, and can be very tannic in youth. With age, the tannins soften and the wine develops a pleasing leather character. As with many top southern French wines, they can be enjoyed with grilled meats, especially game, and aged cheeses. They are rarely cheap (at least the good ones). |
