Mourvèdre

Mourvèdre is a bold, dry red grape best known in southern France and Spain, where it goes by the name Monastrell. Expect blackberry, black plum and blueberry with black pepper, herbs and earthy, savoury flavours. Full-bodied and powerful, it’s brilliant with steak, lamb, BBQ ribs, burgers, sausages and slow-cooked meat.

Taste:

Dark, spicy and definitely not here to be delicate.

Mourvèdre is typically dry and full-bodied, with firm tannins and plenty of concentrated dark fruit. Expect blackberry, blueberry, black plum and black cherry, backed up by black pepper, herbs, liquorice and earthy flavours.

Richer or more mature bottles can develop notes of leather, tobacco, cocoa and dried fruit, while wines from warmer climates can be particularly ripe and powerful.

If light, fruity reds are your thing, this probably isn’t your bottle. If you want something that can hold its own next to a ribeye, keep reading.

Food Pairings:

Mourvèdre loves big flavours, particularly anything involving a grill, barbecue or several hours of slow cooking.

Try it with steak, ribeye, roast beef, beef short ribs, beef stew, slow-cooked beef, lamb chops, roast lamb, lamb shank or a rich lamb tagine.

It’s also an excellent BBQ wine. Pair it with BBQ ribs, burgers, pulled pork, grilled sausages, smoky brisket, lamb kebabs or barbecued vegetables. Herbs and spices are very welcome too, particularly rosemary, thyme, black pepper and smoky paprika.

For something meat-free, go for mushroom stew, lentil casserole, grilled aubergine, smoky roasted vegetables or a rich tomato and bean stew.

Strong cheeses such as mature Cheddar, Manchego and aged Gouda have enough flavour to stand up to it.

Similar Wines:

If you enjoy Mourvèdre, Monastrell is technically the same grape under its Spanish name, so exploring bottles from Jumilla and Yecla is an obvious next move.

Bandol is a must-try if you want to see Mourvèdre take centre stage in southern France.

You might also enjoy Syrah for its dark fruit and peppery character, or Grenache for something riper, softer and fruitier. Mourvèdre also plays an important role alongside both grapes in many Châteauneuf-du-Pape and Southern Rhône blends.

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More About Mourvèdre:

Mourvèdre is an old red grape variety with Spanish origins, where it is widely known as Monastrell. Today it’s particularly associated with southeastern Spain and southern France, including Provence and the Rhône Valley.

The grape loves warmth and needs plenty of sunshine to ripen properly, which helps explain why it thrives around the Mediterranean.

In France, Mourvèdre is particularly important in Bandol and is also commonly blended with Grenache and Syrah. You may see that combination shortened to GSM – Grenache, Syrah, Mourvèdre.

Three grapes, one acronym, considerably easier than pretending you remembered how to pronounce Mourvèdre on the first try.