The very fact that Mourvèdre goes by two other names (Monastrell and Mataro) says a great deal about this migrant and misunderstood variety. No matter where in Europe or the New World you may happen upon Mourvèdre, it will seem resolutely Old World. Early confusions over synonyms and vine provenances (let alone erratic performance) have not helped further understanding or interest in planting Mourvèdre.

This article explores climate, vineyard location, plant material and viticulture in some of the regions where Mourvèdre excels. A comparison of techniques, philosophy and styles across southern France, Spain, Australia, South Africa and California thus aims to offer a broader perspective on the potential for high-quality American Mourvèdre varietals or blends, as well as imported wines.

Characteristics

It's worth emphasizing certain characteristics of the variety. The old saying "Mourvèdre needs its feet in water, head up to the sun and to see the sea" should be interpreted cautiously. However, the right balance of sunshine and rainfall/humidity is a critical factor as it favors particular conditions in terms of microclimate, proximity to water or high ground, and soil composition. It's firmly in the late budding and ripening camp.

Other features include strong growth that dictates the need for natural or imposed limitations in the vineyard, and tannin properties that demand precise phenolic ripeness and extraction. Mourvèdre is often described as "reductive" and "animal," which may derive from the variety itself and/or traditional vinification and maturation methods.

In Europe, Mourvèdre flourishes only in specific regions of Mediterranean Spain and France (even if it's called a Rhône variety elsewhere). The spiritual home of Mourvèdre is eastern Spain in the regions of Murcia and Valencia where it's the dominant grape in Alicante and Jumilla. Looking at the latter Denominación de Origen (DO), Mourvèdre makes up 85 percent of the vineyard area at over 74,000 acres. It's planted in sandy loam and limestone soils at altitudes of 1,220 to 2,440 feet about 50 miles from the coast, an environment that alleviates the hot, dry climate. An average year delivers 12 inches of rainfall, and the annual mean temperature is relatively high at 61°F, often with summer and winter extremes. Replanting in the 1990s, following the belated arrival of phylloxera and fueled by a shift in thinking, is resulting in a number of impressive, good-value reds.

"Traditionally this was a bulk wine region; that's changed completely, and we're now developing premium labels," said Patrick Rabion, managing director of up-and-coming Jumilla winery Finca Omblancas. Torres winery, near Barcelona, bought vineyards two years ago in Tobarra (Albacete), which says a lot about the quality outlook. One-hundred acres are ungrafted, old bush vine Monastrell, producing low yields of one-and-one-third tons per acre, plus 50 acres of new co-plantings.

The more moderate climate in Bandol and the preeminence of Mourvèdre go hand in hand. Appellation (AOC) regulations stipulate a minimum of 50 percent Mourvèdre for red wines while the longest-lived cuvées are sometimes pure Mourvèdre. The Bandol coastal region located between Marseille and Toulon totals 3,540 acres around the eponymous town. On the Winkler scale (a method used for classifying wine climate regions) it registers 3,680 degree days, and rainfall is quoted as 22-26 inches, with frequent Mistral wind lending a drying effect.

"Latitude and the number of sunshine days are the key to ripening," said Walter Gilpin of Domaine de la Vivonne in Le Castellet, Bandol. It's significant that the French regions mentioned are found slightly further north than latitude 40°N, whereas elsewhere plantings are slightly closer to the equator than 40°N or 40°S.

"The big paradox with Mourvèdre is that it needs a lot of sun to ripen but struggles when it's very dry and hot," said Reynald Delille of Domaine de Terrebrune in Ollioules, Bandol. Gilpin added, "The time between flowering and maturity has to be precise, neither too short nor too long, which is where the maritime influence comes in."

Mourvèdre is estimated at 1 to 2 percent of Côtes du Rhône plantings and 6 percent of Châteauneuf-du-Pape, which probably means below 3,700 acres. The more continental, desert-like climate and terrain perhaps explains the muted enthusiasm. Pierre Perrin, technical director of Château de Beaucastel in Châteauneuf-du-Pape and long-time champion of the variety, agreed. "Mourvèdre is very southern and climate-sensitive. Châteauneuf-du-Pape is the northern limit for ripening," he said.

Other important factors are the strong mistrals that blast down the Rhône (which concentrate the berries) and global warming (optimum ripeness is reached more regularly). "We're continuing to plant, but you have to choose sites carefully," Perrin said. In Bandol, model soils for regulating drainage, vigor and ripening show a balance of limestone, sand and/or gravel with some clay. Estates where chalk dominates, such as Château Pibarnon, Domaine Laidière and Domaine Tour du Bon, get marked finesse in their wines. Those from Domaines Lafran-Veyrolles, Gros' Noré and Tempier, with more clay in certain plots, can be more powerful and structured, yet still poised.

California

The search for an ideal microclimate and location for Mourvèdre in California isn't a recent phenomenon although there are only 829 acres in total (2004). Randall Grahm has been working with Mourvèdre at Bonny Doon Vineyard (Santa Cruz) since 1984, sourcing from the Sacramento Delta around Oakley (Contra Costa), old vineyards in San Martin (Santa Clara) and young vineyards in Paso Robles. "Quality of fruit is down to age of vines grown in limiting soils yet not too poor to minimize dehydration," said Grahm. "Proximity to water may offer relief from punishingly warm days in the Delta."

Ridge Vineyards in Cupertino also has experience in the Sacramento River area. "The microclimate of Bridgehead Vineyard, where Ridge sourced Mourvèdre from 1993-1997, is hot, with 3,500 degree days on the Winkler scale and rainfall of 15 inches," said vineyard director David Gates. In contrast, Steve Edmunds of Edmunds St. John in Berkeley, California, didn't think "Contra Costa is such a great place because the season starts so early there-too warm."

Edmunds described the history of Mourvèdre in California as "ignorant of what the variety needs to produce the best wine, with a misapprehension of what kind of wine it produces." One problem is that many first-rate sites are now planted to more popular varieties. Edmunds cited fruit from Brandlin Ranch on Mt. Veeder in Napa "that was probably the finest Mourvèdre in the Western Hemisphere." Echoing European winemakers, he also said, "The variety is best when grown in a site that's cool enough to ripen fairly late and just barely. It likes the clay-limestone soils in Paso Robles."

The Central Coast could prove this winning match. Bob Lindquist at Qupé in Los Olivos, who's been growing Mourvèdre at the Ibarra-Young Vineyard in Santa Ynez since 1987, called the site "very good but not great; the climate's probably a bit cool for a stand-alone Mourvèdre varietal." Dave Corey, owner of Core Wine Company in Santa Maria, sources from Cuyama Valley (Santa Barbara) at 3,200 feet. "It's cooler than other areas, so I prefer the warmest part of a particular vineyard."

Australia, South Africa and France

The majority of plantings in Australia, although small, are found in Barossa. In McLaren Vale, d'Arenberg Winery is one of the few pioneers of varietal Mourvèdre as well as GSM blends. There are three old vineyards remaining planted with 80-year-old, dry-farmed Mourvèdre. "It's very site-specific," said d'Arenberg winemaker, Chester Osborn. "Sand on clay with ironstone and limestone work best, allowing the roots to find just enough moisture to avoid over-vigor and obtain smaller berry size."

These plots are five to nine miles from the sea, with Mourvèdre found mostly on hilltops. In South Africa, Charles Back, owner of Fairview Wine Estate, located in the Paarl wine district of the Cape winelands, looked at southern Rhône varieties because of the climate and ripening period of Mourvèdre (which is late-season), so "reaching phenolic ripeness should be easier here," he noted. The first parcel produced interesting results, and Back now has 62 acres, the oldest being eight years old, mostly in Malmesbury (Swartland). "It's quite close to the sea at 1,220 feet; fluctuations in temperature help," he said.

Massale selection (en masse) is traditionally favored in the Bandol coastal region where the best assortment of material, hence clones, is picked, based on field observation. The latest Mourvèdre clone 1069, selected from Jumilla, was registered in 2003. "I've worked a little with clones; the one I preferred was 369," said Daniel Ravier, general manager at Domaine Tempier, located in Le Plan du Castellet, France. "Its only fault is a rapid drop in production with age, but berries were relatively small and bunches were not too tight. A few colleagues had 247 and 249, which gave satisfactory results."

As for pruning, the consensus is preference, or historical practice, for "gobelets" (bush vines), but some are attaining better results using a training system or even double cordon. Chateau de Pibarnon uses a classic and "trellised gobelet," with up to three wires as owner Eric de Saint-Victor explained. "Mourvèdre stands upright, demanding gobelet, but this gives poor photosynthesis. At altitude, we need better leaf area by allowing a fine canopy up to 3'8". This brings maturity forward by 10 to 15 days." Yields range from about one ton per acre up to the AOC limit of just below three tons.

Plant Material and Viticulture

Bob Lindquist focused on the importance of vine age. "The vineyard was planted in 1973 and grafted to a Mataro UC Davis clone in 1986, now overriding any shortcomings of the clone." Historically Mourvèdre was dry-farmed in California, which Grahm still backs. "Irrigation should be restricted to control vigor [with yield restrictions] lower than expectations of our unreconstructed growers. Mourvèdre on trellis tends to be over-cropped and doesn't ripen; head-trained gobelet is the way to go. We've not found interesting flavors at lower sugars," said Grahm.

Ridge Vineyards is on the same wavelength, selecting pre-1900, own-rooted vines, which are head-trained and spur-pruned with yields from one to three tons per acre. Dave Corey was more ambivalent about age. "Old vines have a certain smoothness and depth but lack some edges that make the wine interesting. I have a couple of clones, and they're definitely different. I'm doing more clonal work."

Steve Edmunds is also enthused about plant material. "The Tablas Creek imported clones seem very good, much superior to most of the older material available through Davis," he said. Tablas Creek (Paso Robles) propagated new material from Chateau de Beaucastel (joint owner, located in Coudoulet, France) in 1990, which is actually a "massale" selection rather than one specific clone. "Stylistically it ends up driven by clones instead of by winemaking," said Benjamin Silver of Benjamin Silver Wines in Santa Barbara. "When I worked with the older California clone, it had beautiful blackberry fruit; the Tablas Creek Mourvèdre Noir is earthier, more savage and spice-driven. The Davis clone didn't have the longevity and structure that Mourvèdre Noir has; it was perfect in blends but by itself didn't have structure to stay charming." Charles Back uses original French clones, "producing smaller berries: no bloated fruit." He crops less than two tons per acre from bush vines, which don't show heat stress; "Mourvèdre bounces back quickly after a hot day," he said.

Blended or Pure?

Blending in Bandol becomes more philosophical than technical and puts in context Mourvèdre's role in top reds. Winemakers create their assemblage according to vintage, varietal characteristics, parcel and house style, as anywhere else; yet the priority is Mourvèdre. Even if varietals were formally sanctioned (AOC says not), it doesn't necessarily make the most interesting wine (although in certain years or sites it can, e.g., Bastide Blanche). Daniel Ravier remarked, "In the south, tradition has always been to blend. You should be suspicious of 100 percent Mourvèdre cuvées, which can be simplistic."

Alain Pascal, ownerof Gros'Noré, aims for "as much Mourvèdre as possible," usually at least 75 percent. "I'm not convinced about 100 percent: you have Mourvèdre for extract and richness, but old Grenache brings fruit, and Cinsault can add finesse." Beaucastel's Hommage cuvée has around 60 percent, the latest being 2003 following a run of good vintages from 1998 to 2001. Even their Côtes du Rhône Coudoulet contains 25-35 percent above the norm.

In the New World, it too depends on site and personal viewpoint. "Occasionally we've added 5 percent of a complementary variety to give more structure; however, most of the time this vineyard expresses itself nicely with 100 percent Mataro," said Paul Draper, owner of Ridge Vineyards.

Mourvèdre makes up all of Bonny Doon's Old Telegram and is an important blending component of Cigare Volant (one-third). "We're a long way off from getting the level of elegance I'd wish for," Grahm said. Corey, on the other hand, is fully in the blending camp with Rhône varieties. "Mourvèdre and Grenache complement each other better than any other grapes." Similarly Edmunds stated, "It almost always needs some Grenache, and/or Syrah, maybe Counoise."

The 2004 d'Arenberg Twenty Eight Road is actually a 60/40 McLaren Vale/Langhorne Creek blend. "Reaction is strong," commented brand ambassador Mark Bolton. "Mourvèdre is selling but from a very small consumer base in Australia and other markets."

Charles Back releases two Mourvèdre labels: Spice Route (100 percent) and Fairview (90 percent Mourvèdre, 10 percent Shiraz). "It has Old and New World style not as primary as Shiraz, with sophisticated tannin structure and no greenness," he said. "I'll continue to plant as I really think it's right for South Africa."

As for any vine variety, the challenge is finding and optimizing the perfect terroir. For Mourvèdre, in the search for optimum quality, you have to be even more demanding like this difficult grape itself. In Spain and France, the frontiers are perhaps established, but growers aren't complacent. In the New World, sites are being (re)discovered and exciting wine styles developed. In California-more specifically, the Central Coast-young vineyards with fresh plant material may take time to reach their potential.

As the most suitable sites are recognized, hopefully growers will have the courage and incentive to plant Mediterranean or Rhône varieties rather than staples. California can produce world-renowned wines from these although the jury's still out on whether varietal or blended Mourvèdre offers the ultimate expression. wbm

For more information on the Bandol region, visit www.vinsdebandol.com.