ARTICLES
Mataro/Monastrell/Mourvedre
Spitbucket | 28 May 2012
Styles
"Mataro is a bit like a third wheel. Rarely seen as a straight varietal and when blended, usually contributes just a minor component."
Mataro is a bit like a third wheel. Rarely seen as a straight varietal and when blended, usually contributes just a minor component, playing a supporting role. There are exceptions.
It was called mataro in Australia for many years, till it became trendy to name it mourvedre, and even more trendy, with an Iberian influence, to dub it monastrell. There are examples of it also being called esparte in Australia but that is very rare (if not, non-existent) these days.
It seems that it almost certainly came from Spain originally – there is a town called Murviedro near Valencia and also one called Mataro near Barcelona. Recent figures had it in the top four most planted red varieties in that country, though it seems that local support there for it is a bit hum-ho. It has enjoyed increasing popularity in France where it does very well in the south and the southern Rhone. Bandol is a key location and it is known for good rose. Prior to phylloxera, it was much more widely planted. Locally, it is usually seen as a table wine (as mentioned, straight or more often in a supporting role in a blend) but does find its way into rose, fortifieds and, I suspect, even a red sparkler or two.
An extremely late ripener, warm climates are key, so the Barossa Valley and McLaren Vale are leading the revival here, especially the former. For a good McLaren Vale effort, try Cascabel. Several excellent Barossa
mataro's, and a blend, are detailed below. It was one of the varieties that suffered from the ill-advised (in the minds of many, although it did get rid of a great amount of rubbish with the lost gems) vine-pull scheme that
took place in the 80's. While it is not grown in large quantities, it does make an appearance in many regions. It has also made a mark in California and there are suggestions that it may even be grown in Azerbaijan.
There are some straight examples but it is more often part of what have become known as the Rhone Rangers – blends based on red Rhone varieties such as shiraz and grenache. In the past, it was even matched with cabernet. If the winemaker is not careful, it can appear just a bit too rustic – some might say feral.
Not a top tier grape but there are some really excellent examples of what it can achieve that are most definitely worth pursuing.
Article by Ken Gargett
It was called mataro in Australia for many years, till it became trendy to name it mourvedre, and even more trendy, with an Iberian influence, to dub it monastrell. There are examples of it also being called esparte in Australia but that is very rare (if not, non-existent) these days.
It seems that it almost certainly came from Spain originally – there is a town called Murviedro near Valencia and also one called Mataro near Barcelona. Recent figures had it in the top four most planted red varieties in that country, though it seems that local support there for it is a bit hum-ho. It has enjoyed increasing popularity in France where it does very well in the south and the southern Rhone. Bandol is a key location and it is known for good rose. Prior to phylloxera, it was much more widely planted. Locally, it is usually seen as a table wine (as mentioned, straight or more often in a supporting role in a blend) but does find its way into rose, fortifieds and, I suspect, even a red sparkler or two.
An extremely late ripener, warm climates are key, so the Barossa Valley and McLaren Vale are leading the revival here, especially the former. For a good McLaren Vale effort, try Cascabel. Several excellent Barossa
mataro's, and a blend, are detailed below. It was one of the varieties that suffered from the ill-advised (in the minds of many, although it did get rid of a great amount of rubbish with the lost gems) vine-pull scheme that
took place in the 80's. While it is not grown in large quantities, it does make an appearance in many regions. It has also made a mark in California and there are suggestions that it may even be grown in Azerbaijan.
There are some straight examples but it is more often part of what have become known as the Rhone Rangers – blends based on red Rhone varieties such as shiraz and grenache. In the past, it was even matched with cabernet. If the winemaker is not careful, it can appear just a bit too rustic – some might say feral.
Not a top tier grape but there are some really excellent examples of what it can achieve that are most definitely worth pursuing.
Article by Ken Gargett
© 2013 Spitbucket
Comments (0)
Post your comment
Become a Member
About Us
Video Reviews
Wine Reviews
Articles
Refer A Friend
Submit a Wine
Contact Us
or your Spitbucket account 
.
