Mourvèdre

Increasingly popular as the world wakes up to its qualities, this robust, thick-skinned Mediterranean variety with its funky, animal-like character is most widely planted in Spain where it’s known as Monastrell.

It’s at its intense, blackberryish best where it gets lots of sunshine, often close to the sea, hence its ascendancy in Bandol on Provence’s Mediterranean shoreline. On the back of the Rhône revival in California and Australia, it performs well in blends with other Mediterranean varieties, especially Grenache and Syrah.

What does it taste like?

Mourvèdre is a darker, thicker-skinned variety than its Mediterranean counterpart, Grenache, producing a firm-structured, often tannic, brambly, blackberryish red with notable funky, meaty and animal-like characters.More often than not it’s blended with other southern French varieties. It can be spicy and as it ages, develop the aged meat character of game or even wet fur.

Food matching with Mourvèdre: Tarte a la tomate – Tomato tart recipe

Updated by Jeanne Thexton on the 12th of January 2016