Mourvèdre
A warm-climate grape bringing structure and dark fruit to blends.
Known as Monastrell in Spain, Mourvèdre ripens late. It features in southern Rhône and Languedoc blends and is important in Bandol. Tannins depend on ripeness, extraction and maturation.
Other useful names
Monastrell · Mataro
What to notice
Compare a young blend and a more mature bottle with a slow-cooked dish.
Explore styles and places
Style descriptions are guides, not rules: vintage, vineyard, blending and maturation change the result.
Provence — Grenache and Syrah feature in blends whose colour alone does not predict flavour or sweetness.
Rhône Valley — Syrah leads in the north; Grenache often plays a major role farther south.
Languedoc — Languedoc is both a broad wine region and a regional PDO: the two scopes are not interchangeable.
Roussillon — The key distinction is between dry wine and vin doux naturel, whose fermentation is stopped by adding alcohol.
