FWIW, I’d guess you wouldn’t think that someone who visited Bordeaux and Burgundy for a day really understood all there was to know about wine in France, especially if they said that wineries in France seemed “to be focused on making wines that they know rich people will pay big bucks for, rather than carving out their own style”. Food for thought.
-Al
Sounds cool - please keep me in the loop if you get something together! ![[cheers.gif]](/uploads/db3686/original/2X/0/0ff9bfcdb0964982cd3240b6159868fbdf215b1a.gif "cheers"){kind=small}
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It was a proviso, but I’m not completely ignorant about the Californian wine scene. In France, as I’m sure you realise Al, one cannot just plant and make the currently in vogue variety where one likes. The thing that makes France great to me is that it has wine regions doing their own thing irrespective of the popularity or profitability.
The idea that the same vineyard, or even region, could be suitable for both Mourvedre and Pinot noir would seem crazy to any French vigneron - or to any viticulturalist that I’ve ever met.
Anyway, back to Mourvedre. French tradition says that it needs to see the sea to be successful. Does that apply in the New World at all or do people view it as an old-wives tale?
The Contra Costa towns of Oakley and Antioch are sites of century old vineyards that are own-root planted in sand. Most people speak of the heat, but the cooling effect of the San Francisco Bay Delta, often with strong winds, definitely helps these dry farmed vines.
Down in Santa Barbara County, there are wind tunnels formed by the East-West orientation of ridges (same for Templeton Gap in Paso and part of Mendocino County). I will let the experts fill you in on that.
Evangelho Vineyard winds - MTP:
Another windy day for Oakley Mourvedre:
This is France The Two Invisible Forces Shaping Southern French Terroir – GARGANTUAN WINE.
Jon, I agree that Mourvedre and Pinot Noir do best in different climates. I was reacting to your characterization of California based on a short visit. Some Napa Cab producers may have business plans marketing to “rich people” but that’s no more representative of the California wine industry than First Growth Bordeaux is representative of the French wine industry.
It’s true that France has more rigid rules for wines labeled with an appellation. Personally, I see both advantages and disadvantages. As you know, some producers have carved out their own style by moving outside the restrictions imposed by the appellation. But, in either France or California, ultimately you have to sell your wine to be successful. If the wine is not good you probably won’t.
As far as Mourvedre needing to see the sea, in most of California a vineyard that can see the sea will be quite cool, sometimes challenging even for Pinot Noir let alone Mourvedre. But most of California has coastal mountain ranges that create inland valleys that can be warm during the day yet cool at night. The effects of the ocean and geography of California are such that areas that are not very far apart can have quite different climates.
-Al
I find that Mourvedre does great in sandy soils a la Bandol. I make my Rose from a relatively sandy soiled vineyard out in Happy Canyon, and my other Mourvedre sites are either entirely sand (Larner) or sandy loam.
As has been pointed out, many sites down here that ‘you can see the sea from’ are pretty darned cold - and Mourvedre needs lots of late harvest heat to ripen.
Just my $.02 . . .
Cheers!
The Pacific is not the Med!
I now see that my post was possiblly overly enthusiast
I merely meant to reinforce what Larry was saying about cool climates along the California coast.
A good 2c though. The Pacific is definitely not the Med. From the Med we get warm wet weather but it also means we face south or south-east.
I have my mourvedre on quite deep, sandy-clay soils. The local powers-that-be don’t rate that as “good” terroir but I would challenge anyone to a mourvedre contest.
However, something in me says that there is a terroir for the best rosé and a different one for the best red Mourvedre.
There are some great sites in the Sierra Foothills. Definitely some “big wine” producers there, but also people like La Clarine Farm. There’s a good old vine vineyard in San Benito Country that a couple people are making impressive wine from.
Thread bump for two great wines. I really need to get deeper into mourvedres.
Palate: Pure silk on the palate with firm but svelte tannins. There’s a crunchy darker fruit that grips the side of the tongue with flavors of cherry and pomegranate.
Finish: Wonderfully astringent with a tart, fresh fruitiness. There are strong leathery tannins that continue the earthy goodness from the nose.
Thoughts: I’ve got a decent (maybe an ‘ok’) handle on the “S” of “GSM” but I wanted to expand to the “G” and “M”. Well if they are gonna drink like this; sign me up for more. This has got a great floral, fruit profile with enough stuffing for the long haul, but is delicious right now. It’s got a nice tannic backbone that provides an “oomph” while drinking, but doesn’t strip the enamel from your teeth. There’s enough of an earthiness to give it an older world aspect but it still speaks to its Cali roots. Yep, this is good… very good. (92 pts.)
Posted from CellarTracker
Palate: Smooth, fine-grained integrated tannins and an acidic lift that adds a freshness to the fruit that trends it more to the red spectrum. There is still a funkiness (notes of leather?) on the palate that adds wonderful counterpoint to the brighter fruit.
Finish: Wonderfully fresh with tangy red fruit and prickly tannins.
Thoughts: Hot damn this is good. It’s not overly complex, but it is amazingly easy to drink. I’m actually a little sad I only got two bottles of this. Between this and the Tercero mourvedre I’ve recently had, I really need to do a little more exploration into the M of GSM.
Night 2 saw a rounding out of the fruit and the citrus tang that others referenced (which I couldn’t find on night 1) popped up in a very subtle way. While I agree with the consensus that this is ready to drink now, I wouldn’t be in a hurry as the evolution on night 2 was a positive one and possibly points to several more years of enjoyment. (92 pts.)
Posted from CellarTracker
Those sound like some great wines!
Thanks for the notes!
Shameless Plug Alert
You still there? Great!
I have tried to create a Facebook Group for a “Mourvedre Appreciation Society/Delegation/Social Club”. The first effort was not well-done, as my intention is to allow anyone to post their opinions, tasting notes, pictures, links to research/articles/websites, etc. By accidentally selecting the wrong page format, the first effort was not done correctly. Now, however, I have a second one that is open for everyone!
Please seek out the “Mourvedre Appreciation” Group on Facebook and share your experiences with this awesome grape!
It is brand-new, so it is still being worked on, but I really want to raise consumer awareness of a singular, noble expression of viticulture/enology/grape stuff. Only with the help of other folks can this happen.
If you don’t have any interest, sorry for wasting your time. If you do, please share here and on the FB page your love!
I have ZERO financial interest in the success of the page. I just love something, and want others to know about it too.
QUESTION:
I am unofficially embarking on research into the various commercially available clones, vine and fruit morphology, viticultural, and popular culture aspects of the Mourvedre grape.
At the moment, my primary goal is to determine the differences between the Mataro grapes of old Contra Costa vineyards and the Mourvedre vineyards located around the San Benito region. I particularly wish to understand the perceived value and origins of “small-berried” Mataro grapes found consistently in the Antioch/Oakley region of California (as well as in parts of Spain, apparently, moreso than France), and whether such a trait is inherently favorable to winemaking.
If anyone has any specific knowledge about the “small berried” Mourvedre of CoCo, and its unique presence versus the other (ENTAV, etc) clones, please let me know. I have emailed many specialists on this topic, and want to see if WB folks can contribute to the “research”.
Thanks, everyone!
If skin thickness is the same, then smaller berries have a greater skin-to-juice ratio. Since so much of the flavor and aroma comes from the skins, that translates to intensity. I’d say that’s generally favorable, but not always. More isn’t always better, so you have to figure out where best is.
I’d be interested in why the berries are small. Are there other factors besides clone? Old vines, training, environmental cues? Cultivars of other plants can perform very differently in different sites and media. Clones of a grape can express themselves very differently in different sites. There’s some evidence of grape skin thickness adapting to site. Grape size cam vary significantly by vintage. So, it wouldn’t be surprising if cuttings from an OV Contra Costa site that consistently produced small berries gave more normal sized berries when planted elsewhere.
Also, be aware that grapes are subject to (somatic) mutation, so a clone can change over time as it’s propagated, but still be considered the same clone.
Thanks for your thoughts, Wes. I have given serious thought to your proposed possibilities.
I have read a few things that lead me to believe that the same vineyards in the same area in Oakley and Antioch consistently produce the “small berried” Mourvedre, not resulting from vintage variation alone. Some area vineyards do not yield these coveted grapes, so I cannot say that all CoCo old vineyards that include Mourvedre exhibit this trait. I am leaning towards a genetic link, whether it be a favorable mutation that has occurred in California or prior to importation.
I have been skimming research articles to try and get a better grasp of what I am looking for:
“Berry size variability in Vitis vinifera L.”
L. FERNANDEZ, M. PRADAL, G. LOPEZ, F. BERUD, C. ROMIEU and L. TORREGROSA
UMR BEPC Campus Agro-M/INRA, Montpellier, France
“Ecophysiological, Genetic, and Molecular Causes of Variation in Grape Berry Weight and Composition: A Review”
Zhan Wu Dai,1 Nathalie Ollat,1* Eric Gomès,1 Stéphane Decroocq,1
Jean-Pascal Tandonnet,1 Louis Bordenave,1 Philippe Pieri,1 Ghislaine Hilbert,1
Christian Kappel,1 Cornelius van Leeuwen,1 Philippe Vivin,1 and Serge Delrot1
Am. J. Enol. Vitic. 62:4 (2011)
I have been told more than once that the pre-Prohibition Mourvedre vineyards that are still in use in the areas mentioned in my inquiry fall into two categories: smaller and larger berried. Of the two, some very positive statements were made about the small berries; conversely, the larger berry grapes are best tucked away in Field Blends.
One thing that has struck me is that I have not seen mention of the older Sonoma vineyards where Mourvedre is found. One guess is that, as a respondent commented, the CoCo and San Benito vineyards might have been planted to Spanish cultivars, while other old California vineyards have French derivation. I don’t know.
I have read a few articles on Spanish Monastrell that mention small berries, a detail that is not as common (but by no means absent) in evaluations of French Mourvedre vines.
Yes, good grapevines can be poorly farmed. Yes, bad winemaking can ruin good juice. No single element defines the final product.
My current topic of nerdy wine learning is not a jibe at any other producer, area, variety, clone, or grape characteristics. I just am chasing a very specific topic down the rabbit hole.
Drew, you might think about checking in with Markus Bokisch of Bokisch Vineyards in Lodi about French vs. Spanish clones - I believe he knows quite a bit about that.
I’d guess the old San Benito vines came from Santa Clara Valley nurserymen. That’s certainly where they got the pretend Cabernet Pfeffer. Doubt it would make logistical sense for them to have sourced anywhere else.
Charles Sullivan and his books would be good sources for the history of who brought what where and when.
In theory how you treat different grapes depends on what they have to give. Some stuff can be too much on its own, but would really bring up a blend. Some stuff is incomplete on its own, but its strengths help in a blend, while other components supplement and complement to make a complete wine. So, best use being in a blend doesn’t necessarily make it inferior. If the best use of small berried clones from a vineyard makes a great dense, brooding wine, there’s no reason to assume treating proximate large berried clones the same way would be a good idea. Maybe picking earlier for a lighter, more vibrant red that goes with lighter fare. Maybe blending. Maybe for rose.
I know it’s a tangent, but sometimes the most obvious, “impressive”, highest scoring wines aren’t the most pleasurable. I’ve been digging on some light expression reds recently that are not at all thin. Complexity all over the palate, so nothing seems missing. Luyt, for example. One of my favorite wines at an OL a couple nights ago was a light expression Swiss Pinot. Broad complexity, went really well with the food. Easily more pleasurable than a couple high pedigree Burgs (one had moderate maturity, but showed nothing but ripe fruit, the other a young '08 that had very subtle, dwarfed greatness under simple fruit. Neither evolved in the glass over the course of the evening.) Anyway, it’s clear which would be generally regarded as coming from lesser clones. And, if she had tried to make a bigger, riper wine, that Swiss Pinot wouldn’t have been near as good.
Wes, I must have misspoke. I love blends!
Some of my best friends are blends! 
I also appreciate fresh, lighter style wines. When I first tasted Dirty & Rowdy’s Familiar Mourvedre, I wigged out. I posted on WB a rant about “Will the Real Mourvedre Please Stand Up?”. I had my “varietally correct” preconceptions rocked. I pretty quickly reconciled my views of what a grape should be, mainly because I like yummy wines.
I suppose stating that larger berried Mourvedre being relegated to blends sounds like a negative statement. I take it back.
My primary focus was the identification of this particular manifestation of my favorite wine grape. On reflection, I guess it very well may be that “size doesn’t matter” after all: it’s what you do with it! 