Supporting character
The fate of Mourvèdre is to be both fashionable and obscure. Fashionable because its quality is widely recognized; obscure because it is only planted patchily and is rarely made into a single-variety wine.
Mourvèdre may have originated in Spain, where small plantations still survive, but it is more widely encountered in southern France. About 30 years ago the variety was clearly in decline. Even in its traditional home, among the Provençal vineyards of Bandol, it was in retreat. That retreat was reversed by Lucien Peyraud of Domaine Tempier, who re-established Mourvèdre as the principal grape variety of the appellation. Ever since, it has been making a comeback in many parts of the Midi.
There were sound reasons for its decline a few decades ago, just as there are sound reasons for its revival now. Mourvèdre is, quite simply, hard to ripen. It needs steady heat and is highly sensitive to location, flourishing best on clay soils. The terraces of Bandol are within sight of the Mediterranean and the growers there have no doubt that the proximity of the sea is beneficial. When planted further inland, especially in Languedoc, the variety does not ripen consistently.
For those planting Mourvèdre outside its traditional zones - Bandol in Provence, and Collioure in Roussillon, close to the Spanish border - it has been regarded, like Syrah, as a "cépage améliorateur", a variety that adds a dash of quality. Its juice is resistant to oxidation, in strong contrast to many other varieties commonly planted in southern France. Consequently, a proportion of Mourvèdre in a blend that also contains, say, Grenache and Carignan, can give the wine some backbone and capacity to age.
Indeed, Mourvèdre needs age to show at its best. Anyone who has tasted a young Mourvèdre, at least in its French manifestations, knows that the wine can be a tough little number, with formidable tannin and considerable austerity.
It is not particularly aromatic in its youth, but with five or, better still, 10 years of age, it develops a panoply of aromas. This may not be apparent in blends where its role is that of a cépage améliorateur, but in Bandol, where since Peyraud's reforms Mourvèdre must constitute at least half the blend, it is a defining character of the wine.
On paper, the aromatic cocktail suggestive of tobacco, red meat, bacon, cloves and smoke may not sound appealing, but in the glass it can be a miracle of complexity, a wilder cousin of that equally complex compound we recognize in old Bordeaux, when Cabernet fruit and the influence of oak and oxygen combine to give that seductive cigar-box aroma so prized by claret lovers. These scents of old Mourvèdre, often defined in France as animal or sauvage, are what makes Bandol so revered by its admirers.
There is no doubt that Mourvèdre is at its best in Bandol. Elsewhere in France it plays a supporting role. Even in Collioure there is no obligation to include it in the blend. You will also find it scattered throughout Languedoc and Roussillon. It is common in some of the better wines of Roussillon and Côtes du Roussillon, yet it rarely exceeds 30% of the blend. In Languedoc, it makes occasional appearances as a vin de pays, and is favoured in some better appellations of the region such as Faugères and St-Chinian - but again, only as a component in the blend.
Mourvèdre is also one of the 13 red grapes permitted in the production of Châteauneuf-du-Pape. Because it is difficult to ripen the variety in this part of the Rhône valley, it is not widely encountered, but one of the region's top estates, Beaucastel, is enthusiastic about Mourvèdre and uses about 30% in its wine.
One of the owners of Beaucastel, Franáois Perrin, observes: "It gives the wine backbone and helps explain why in some vintages Beaucastel can age for 20 years or more. Mourvèdre has thick skins, which help it to survive unimpaired if there's rain at harvest time. It doesn't oxidise nor does it give too much alcohol.
"There are years when it doesn't ripen here, it's true. That's why we have a palette of other varieties in the vineyard. But certain grapes always give off their best in climatic extremes. The most intense Rieslings come from the coolest regions of Germany where the grape doesn't always ripen. Similarly, Beaucastel is the northernmost location of Mourvèdre and in hot years it gives us marvellous fruit."
The revival of interest in Mourvèdre within France has been echoed in the New World. In California and Australia, Mourvèdre was merely one of many traditional grape varieties brought over and planted by immigrants. Largely ignored ever since, these vineyards have been rediscovered by enterprising winemakers such as Randall Grahm at Bonny Doon. Moreover, many of these vineyards still retain vines that are between 50 and 100 years old; plants that give low yields and great concentration of flavour.
In the New World, Mourvèdre is often vinified on its own, not always with satisfactory results. Young, inexpensive Australian Mourvèdre can be raw and astringent, but the finest examples, from producers such as Bonny Doon, Jade Mountain and Ridge, are magnificent. So are some of the blended wines in which Mourvèdre plays a role not always easily defined. Penfolds Bin 2, a sumptuous wine at a bargain price, is dominated by lush Syrah, but the Mourvèdre adds complexity and a capacity for improvement in the bottle.
With few exceptions, there is no such thing as cheap Mourvèdre. Given the difficulties of cultivation and its low yields, it requires vigilance and care both in the vineyard and winery, which can be costly. Bandol does require ageing, but some of the New World Mourvèdres are accessible when young, though they, too, have the capacity to age and improve in bottle.
It is still possible to find older Bandols for sale in the UK, possibly because unfamiliarity with the wine has meant sluggish sales, and it is worth looking out for older vintages. They are wonderful cold-weather wines, and the gamey character of aged Mourvèdre complements dishes such as pheasant, partridge and hare. Mourvèdre also makes outstanding dry rosé, especially in Bandol, but its high price makes it virtually unsaleable, especially in restaurants.
Difficulty in production means Mourvèdre, whether French or Australian, will always be expensive, though it often costs no more than many an indifferent minor claret. But it delivers wines of powerful character that will not deteriorate with age and show most impressively with robust cuisine.
