Name the top Mourvedre wines in the World! Either you include blends, which have it as a dominant player or count only pure varietal wines (well, ones that are claimed to be), the list probably won’t be a long one. Produced by highly regarded Languedoc estate La Peira en Damaisela – and having a hefty price tag -, Matissat is a contender to be on that list.

I brought it to a blind tasting with friends, and it did not really impress them. Personally, I found the promise of greatness in it, but I was neither fully convinced.

Forget Bandol and Mourvedre-heavy Chateauneuf-du-Papes, this is more akin to Bodegas El Nido’s Clio or to a Mollydooker Shiraz in style. Modern, over-ripe and lush, hedonistic rather than structured. What’s remarkable here is the polished texture. It’s incredibly smooth, even finessed on the palate, at least for the first part – from the finish, the alcohol takes charge, diminishing the sense of balance, unfortunately. No wonder when seeing that 16% on the label. And while the aromatics show the varietal character, it favors concentration over complexity, and it seems so over-ripe that it already has an oxidized or pre-mature edge to it.