Cocktail,South of France

I wasn’t sure what to expect after being referred to this varietal, which can also be found as a blending grape with varietals such as Grenache and Shiraz. As I’m always learning from others, this too was another one of those “Ah-ha” moments. The Monastrell grape is the same as Mourvedre, which is commonly grown in the South of France.
With aromas of black pepper spice, blackberry, toasted cedar and a hint of being somewhat gamey, this was appearing to be a well-rounded, new red for me. A medium bodied mouth feel supported subtle flavors of dark cherries and plums. Where I was most impressed was how easy drinking this was especially with soft tannins and a finish of cocoa and traces of licorice.
I'm told this wine goes quite well with smoked gouda cheese although my choice was a marinated and grilled skirt steak. Overall I was impressed with this new selection for me, but now I’ve seen other wineries, primarily from Spain, making 100% Monastrell. I definitely credit my local wine store staff in guiding me to new wines…and this one was a “keeper.”
I tried this wine with some good friends last week at a pleasant water front restaurant called Café Del Rey in Marina Del Rey, CA. The wine list had a nice variety of selections and I was in the mood for something new and different. Well, new and different turned into a great wine I couldn’t help but talk about.
As some of you know from my past write ups, I really like red blends. So naturally, I migrated to the “Meritage” section on the wine list. I was intrigued with the varietals shown on this wine (Cab. Sauv., Syrah & Merlot)… I think they left out Malbec. Our server also recommended it over another selection I was considering so this helped sway my decision.
With the blend being 40% Cabernet Sauvignon, 33% Syrah, 17% Merlot and 10% Malbec, the wine showed off a dense purple color. On the aromas blackberries, plums, black pepper spice and something that reminded me of an oven-roasted beef tenderloin came together nicely. It was a pleasing, warm scent highlighted by subtle oak as well. This might explain the barrel aging for 21 months on French oak.
My first taste was somewhat dry and spicy which led me to believe we should let our glasses open up a bit. We probably should have asked to decant it but it didn’t need much time to open in the glass. On the following tastes plums and dark berries came out with a hint of soft vanilla. I’d say this was a full-bodied wine with medium-dry tannins. On the finish that meaty aroma led to what could have been hints of leather and tobacco but nothing too overwhelming.
My dinner selection of Palomillo lamb went very tasty with this wine and I could see it going great with other grilled meats. It was a great new find for my friends, Michael & Shelly and myself. I hope you find it out there for sale or at your favorite restaurant. I commend the Buoncristiani brothers for making a very nice red blend to add to my favorites list. It’s a fairly small production wine with 2,025 cases for 2007 yet I’ve seen a few online retailers still selling it.