mourvedre
Yet another great value monastrell: Paraje Marín Bruma 2020
A new discovery for me. I tasted many monastrells in recent years, but not a single one from this producer – a big mistake. Compared to the previous two monastrells on this blog, this shows yet another face on the variety. And what a lovely wine it is.Casa Castillo Monastrell 2021
After Castano Hecula, here is another monastrell, one with a completely different style. This is a very contemporary interpretation of the variety
Great value, as usual – Castano Hecula Monastrell Organic 2020
Bodegas Castano’s Hecula is an old favourite of mine, yet this is the first time for me to taste the organic version. It’s a bit different compared to the previous vintages, I wonder if the winemaking has changed, too, not just the grape cultivation method.
Chateau Fontareche “Cuvée 1682” 2017, Corbieres
The Monastrell that received 99 points – Casa Castillo Pie Franco 2017, Jumilla
Jumilla’s top name, Casa Castillo already got some attention in recent years, but receiving 99 points from Wine Advocate speeds up things a little more. As the high rating was published for their top wine, stocks at most online merchants quickly disappeared – but interestingly this new superstar of a wine is still available at Lobenberg’s in Germany. This was the case when I payed 77 Euros for a single bottle (not something I can afford on a regular basis) and felt lucky.
High end Mourvedre: Tempier Cabassaou 2016, Bandol
Domaine Tempier is a legendary estate in Provance, who changed history almost a century ago. It’s a fascinating story and surly the most important one when it comes to the Mourvedre/Monastrell variety, I highly suggest to read it on the Kermit Lynch webpage.
Iconic red from Provance – Chateau Simone Rouge 2012, AOC Palette, Provance
A red that has been on my list for so long. It should be on yours, too. A truly iconic wine of Southern France with a long history and trackrecord (Cellartracker lists 1961 as first vintage).
Rustic Beauty – Rafael Cambra Casabosca 2017, Valencia
What’s your main criterion when browsing through a wine webshop? Mine is variety for sure. I was looking for Mourvedre/Monastrell wines when bumped into this Valencia red. It’s a blend actually (the other players are Arco, Forcayat del arco and Bonicaire), but turned out to be a good choice.
High alcohol red wines II. – Bodega Vinnessens, El Telar 2016, Alicante DOP
Following the Puglia Primitivo, here is an other genre which tends to achieve high alcohol levels: Monastrell from south-eastern Spain. According to the label, this example, the El Telar 2016 from Bodega Vinnessens has the same the alcohol content as the Primitivo (15.5%), but it looks more out of balance in comparison.