Mourvedre outside France and Spain

Cline makes Mouvedre. Ancient Vines and Small Berry ( I *think* but cannot swear those are seperate bottlings). Dale

Dale Williams Drop "damnspam" to reply

I just checked - the Ancient Vine Mourvedre is about $12, the Small Berry about twice that. Dale

Dale Williams Drop "damnspam" to reply

Mike Tommasi wrote in news: snipped-for-privacy@4ax.com:

D'Arenberg?

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d:D

Mike,

Cline makes an Old Vines mourvedre, and Ridge makes a Mataro (both California). I've had the Cline and liked it - it was a while ago, but I recall it being dark and dense, with rich forward fruit and sweaty, earthy notes. I've not had the Ridge, but others on the newsgroup may.

Regards, Dean

Well, you can guess. It won't be a secret for long...

thanks for the recommendations

Mike

Mike Tommasi, Six Fours, France email link

Mike, Ridge made a Mataro for many years, but the last bottling they list on their website is from 1996. Cline makes several different Mourvedres, of which their "small berry" bottling is the truest to varietal I've had from CA. Many of the so-called "Rhone Rangers" in CA will make at least small quantities of a Mourvedre. Domaine de la Terre Rouge in Amador County does, I know.

Mark Lipton

Mike Tommasi wrote: : Hi

: can you name some interesting wines made from at least 80% mourvedre : grapes ? I am aware of Bonny Doon and Qupe', any others? Australia, : South Africa, California, other? The may, of course, be called Mataro' : or Monastrell.

: Thanks

: Mike

Hmmm, what to make of a Provencalaine asking for wines made from the 'motherland' grape?? (You don't have any secret 'project' going on in the backyard, do you Mr Tommasi?:) A couple that come to mind: Ridge's Mataro, Callaghan's(from AZ),I think Horton of VA makes one, a couple of Sierra foothills producers have one... that's all I can up with right at the moment. Oh, Cline has a Lodi one as well. Don't forget Edmunds St. John too.

Mark S

Fleur de Lys winery in Fairplay CA released a Mourvedre recently, unfortunately it (and a Syrah) were highly over extracted- massive astringent tannins and no fruit. Too bad.

] I just checked - the Ancient Vine Mourvedre is about $12, the Small Berry about ] twice that. ] Dale, do you know what these names "mean?" I've had the former and was not impressed, although I know some like it. Any idea how old is "ancient?"

And is the "small berry" a different variety? One would assume "ancient vines" would produce "smaller berries," right? :)

-E

Jade Mountain, part of the Chalone Wine Group (recently in the news because Rothschild wants to buy the 54% they don't already own) makes a varietal mourvedre from 100 year old vines in Contra Costa County (east SF Bay Area), California. They're usually good and close to

100% mourvedre - the current release, a 2002, is 97% with a touch of syrah and grenache thrown in. You can read details at then click through to Jade Mountain and then the wine you want.

- Mark W.

I tasted a very interesting one a couple of years ago from Foxen (CA, Santa Ynez region). I wasn't familiar with the varietal before. This one had distinct "barnyard" character, which _might_ have been a touch of Brett - but it was pleasant anyway.

Tom S

The best pure Mourvedre I've had recently is the 2001 Rosenblum Mourvedre. It's like a big powerful Zin but with Mourvedre flavors. I can find it locally for about $13.

Thanks for the suggestion.

You mean it's like a big powerful Mourvedre with Zin flavors ;-))))

What area is this from? What country, for that matter?

Mike

Mike Tommasi, Six Fours, France email link

Mike, Rosenblum Cellars is in No. Cal. (in the SF Bay Area, originally). They don't list a Mourvedre on their website right now, though. Kent Rosenblum is a long-time Zinfandel specialist and one of the founders of ZAP (Zinfandel Advocates and Producers).

Mark Lipton

Thanks Mark.

Thought about you and Jean yesterday. We washed down our annual bouillabaisse with a lightly oaked rose from 100% Tibouren grapes (Provence), and a lightly oaked Cassis, both from La Badiane.

Nils and Christina brought some cloudberry jam from remote Scania (we had visited the mulberry collection on Porquerolles the previous weekend...), and we finished the day around a Chateau de Fesles 94 Bonnezeaux that really surprised me for its quality, served with simple pasta dish, tagliatelle with roasted zucchini and lemon.

Ciao

Mike

Mike Tommasi, Six Fours, France email link