Who makes your favorite domestic Mourvedre?

[larry_schaffer]

Greg,

This is why I dig the Mourvedre that comes out of Camp 4 - it does get riper than Los Alamos, especially late in harvest, allowing the grapes to accumulate decent sugar levels while still maintaining some acid.

The variety simply has no panache - very few consumers have ever heard of it; most wineries use it for blending at best; it can be ‘very funky’ which scares off some winemakers; it’s not high on the list of varieties for winemakers to ask for and therefore growers aren’t planting much . . .

Cheers!

[M_Dildine]

@G. D y e r

Unfortunately, it has a weird French name (moo-vahd or more-ved-ruh depending on degree of anglisization), so it is less suitable for producing than something with a name like Syrah.

Pinot Noir and Cabernet Sauvignon seem to limp along OK!

[TomHill]

@G. D y e r

This is precisely why I’m in love with the idea of Mourvedre. But the reality isn’t there yet. With the Jaffurs 2007 Mourvedre there was actually fairly low alcohol (13.5%) but the grapes were harvested very late and the fruit actually wasn’t all that fresh. I’m imagining they were waiting for sugars to accumulate as much as anything else by waiting so long. Put Mourvedre in a hotter area than Los Alamos and perhaps it will reach its balance nicely.

I don’t regard LosAlamos as all that particularly cool-climate. More as mid-range cool. To get much warmer than that, I think you’d have to go
out towards Camp4 or further East in the HappyCanyon area.
Tom

[Brian_Zamkotowicz]

Does rose’ count? i really dig the Bedrock Ode to Lulu.

[G_D_y_e_r]

@larry schaffer

Greg,

This is why I dig the Mourvedre that comes out of Camp 4 - it does get riper than Los Alamos, especially late in harvest, allowing the grapes to accumulate decent sugar levels while still maintaining some acid.

The variety simply has no panache - very few consumers have ever heard of it; most wineries use it for blending at best; it can be ‘very funky’ which scares off some winemakers; it’s not high on the list of varieties for winemakers to ask for and therefore growers aren’t planting much . . .

Cheers!

Ah, yes, the funk, that’s the best part! It often smells like a buffalo fell into the fermenter. I generally like thin-skinned, acidic grapes, but Mourvedre is the one chunky wine I really enjoy because it has a feral character. I guess Syrah gets its share of bacon/cured meat, but somehow Mourvedre brings something even deliciously stinkier.

[larry_schaffer]

@Brian Zamkotowicz

Does rose’ count? i really dig the Bedrock Ode to Lulu.

NOW we’re talking!!! I was going to do a 100% mourvedre rose this year, but it was TOOOOO funky for most folks . . . ended up doing a 60% grenache / 40% mourvedre rose and it still has plenty of that good funk in there . . .

I really dig that funk!

Cheers!

[G_D_y_e_r]

@TomHill

@G. D y e r

This is precisely why I’m in love with the idea of Mourvedre. But the reality isn’t there yet. With the Jaffurs 2007 Mourvedre there was actually fairly low alcohol (13.5%) but the grapes were harvested very late and the fruit actually wasn’t all that fresh. I’m imagining they were waiting for sugars to accumulate as much as anything else by waiting so long. Put Mourvedre in a hotter area than Los Alamos and perhaps it will reach its balance nicely.

I don’t regard LosAlamos as all that particularly cool-climate. More as mid-range cool. To get much warmer than that, I think you’d have to go
out towards Camp4 or further East in the HappyCanyon area.
Tom

I guess I had thought of it as something between SRH and Santa Ynez in terms of heat. Would that be correct? Some of the Syrahs I’ve tasting coming from Thompson and Alisos Vineyards are pretty massive, definitely bigger and jammier than anything truly cool, but not roasted, either.

[Paul_Romero]

@Brian G r a f s t r o m

It got me thinking it might be time for some new recs…

It took me a little to put your name together with your WS screen name, but I get most of my recommendations from you . K&L seems to have a good selection when I go in. I can usually find things you’ve posted notes on and 1-2 other wines. My normal routine is to buy everything under $30 they have.

[TomHill]

@G. D y e r

I guess I had thought of it as something between SRH and Santa Ynez in terms of heat. Would that be correct? Some of the Syrahs I’ve tasting coming from Thompson and Alisos Vineyards are pretty massive, definitely bigger and jammier than anything truly cool, but not roasted, either.

Based on the wines I’ve tasted, I would put LosAlamos as warmer than SRH and Santa Maria but more akin to mid-SYV, but not as warm as
HappyCanyon. Maybe a bit cooler than Camp4 or Stolpman/PurisimaMtn.
Just sort of guessin’ though. Larry would know more precisely.
Tom

[larry_schaffer]

Tom,

I’d be fibbing if I said I knew for sure . . . . but it sounds as if you know what you’re talking about

Cheers!

[Paul_Romero]

@larry schaffer

Tom,

I’d be fibbing if I said I knew for sure . . . . but it sounds as if you know what you’re talking about

Cheers!

I’m 99% certain that the best places to plant Mourvedre in the state are in the Santa Clara Valley west of hwy 85 in the old frost free inversion zone and the northern Napa Valley around Saint Helena. Neither one of those things is likely to happen unless the world does in fact crumble in 2012.

[BLittle]

I love the blends from Villa Creek

Anywhere from 50-80% Mourvedre, Cris seems to have the Midas touch with the grape

[M_Dildine]

@BLittle

I love the blends from Villa Creek

Anywhere from 50-80% Mourvedre, Cris seems to have the Midas touch with the grape

I absolutely agree!

[G_D_y_e_r]

@Paul Romero

@larry schaffer

Tom,

I’d be fibbing if I said I knew for sure . . . . but it sounds as if you know what you’re talking about

Cheers!

I’m 99% certain that the best places to plant Mourvedre in the state are in the Santa Clara Valley west of hwy 85 in the old frost free inversion zone and the northern Napa Valley around Saint Helena. Neither one of those things is likely to happen unless the world does in fact crumble in 2012.

I had kind of wondered about planting S. Rhone varietals in Napa, especially the hotter areas. The heat summation should be similar to the S. Rhone and Languedoc, though perhaps the diurnal flux is much greater. Unless they can get the sugar levels down in the Cabs, they should look into planting grapes that need, not just tolerate, heat. Of course, turbo-Cab is a feature, not a flaw, so this will never happen unless a creative rich person decides to buy into Napa to make the best Napa Mourvedre instead of yet another cult-style Cab.

[TomHill]

@G. D y e r

I had kind of wondered about planting S. Rhone varietals in Napa, especially the hotter areas. The heat summation should be similar to the S. Rhone and Languedoc, though perhaps the diurnal flux is much greater. Unless they can get the sugar levels down in the Cabs, they should look into planting grapes that need, not just tolerate, heat. Of course, turbo-Cab is a feature, not a flaw, so this will never happen unless a creative rich person decides to buy into Napa to make the best Napa Mourvedre instead of yet another cult-style Cab.

Well…they are creative…but know the rich side of the equation is rather lagging. That would be SteveLagier/CaroleMeredith w/ Syrah and Mondeuse…
sorta SRhone/Languedoc.
But I think you’re dead on, Greg…upper Napa should be good for those varieties. Doubt it’ll happen, though, unless the bottom falls totally out of the Cabernet market. One can dream, I suppose.
Tom

[Paul_Romero]

@G. D y e r

I had kind of wondered about planting S. Rhone varietals in Napa, especially the hotter areas. The heat summation should be similar to the S. Rhone and Languedoc, though perhaps the diurnal flux is much greater. b.

That’s the basis of my S.C.V. quip as well. The original Wagner readings at St Helena and west San Jose were exactly the same. The growing season is one of the longest in the state and the soils are a serious of complex strata with thick clay playing an important part. It would allow mourvedre to “have it’s feet in the water and head in the sun” as they say in Bandol with bud break in mid February and harvest in mid/late October.

[Joe_Hauck]

Relic produces a really nice blend ( 60% iirc) from Juliana’s vineyard in Napa.

[Sean_Devaney]

A couple not mentioned yet that I have enjoyed are Holly’s Hill and Domaine de la Terra Rouge.

[G_D_y_e_r]

@Paul Romero

@G. D y e r

I had kind of wondered about planting S. Rhone varietals in Napa, especially the hotter areas. The heat summation should be similar to the S. Rhone and Languedoc, though perhaps the diurnal flux is much greater. b.

That’s the basis of my S.C.V. quip as well. The original Wagner readings at St Helena and west San Jose were exactly the same. The growing season is one of the longest in the state and the soils are a serious of complex strata with thick clay playing an important part. It would allow mourvedre to “have it’s feet in the water and head in the sun” as they say in Bandol with bud break in mid February and harvest in mid/late October.

So–are there any vineyards left in Santa Clara Valley, or is it all subdivisions and office space at this point?

[G_Greenbaum]

Another vote for: