Issue link: http://digital.copcomm.com/i/688647
{ SOMMjournal.com } 73 ADELAIDA 2013 Anna's Vineyard Reserve Mourvèdre, Adelaida District– Paso Robles ($50) Black tea, briar patch and black pepper notes on medium-plus body. —JB Big nose and "Back in Paso" flavors of black raspberry and bramble; tannins really kick in on the finish. —DG Alta Colina 2013 Sun Worshipper, Estate, Paso Robles, Adelaida District ($55) 54% Mourvèdre, 27% Grenache, 19% Syrah Red plum and blackberry nose; mouth- coating tannins with grit, gravel and blackberry. —JB Serious stuff. A complex, ripe, show- stopping GSM (MGS) with a tannin-laden finish. —DG Altos del Cuco 2014 Monastrell/Syrah/ Tempranillo, Jumilla, Spain ($9.99) Barnyard, ripe raspberries, menthol and Earl Grey tea on both nose and palate. —JB Royal-purple robe of color ; forward acid and pucker tannins. —DG OPICI WINES Bodegas El Nido 2013 Clio, Jumilla, Spain ($45) 70% Monastrell, 30% Cabernet Sauvignon Blueberry pie, dried fig and hints of cannabis (!). —JB Gorgeous, extracted flavors with a sumptuous mouthfeel. Stunning and very modern. —DG GIL FAMILY ESTATES Bodegas Juan Gil 2013 Silver Label, Jumilla, Spain ($17) Roses and bright red cherry; cedar finish. —JB Deep sexy and rich with firm acid structure and flavors of blackberry compote. —DG GIL FAMILY ESTATES PHOTO COURTESY OF TABLAS CREEK Some wine grapes have transparent person- alities (hello, Pinot Grigio); others are more mysterious. The black-skinned grape known as Monastrell in Spain (where it has deep historic roots) and elsewhere as Mourvèdre and Mataro is a case in point. Not only are its origins obscure, but it also has multiple other aliases, adding to its allure and intrigue. In her Wine Bible, Somm Journal contributor Karen MacNeil appropriately calls it "the Heathcliff of red grapes." Late-budding, slow-ripening and sun-loving, its tight bunches of thick-skinned berries need dry conditions and plenty of ventilation to avoid rot—hence its success in sunny southeastern Spain, Provence (especially in Bandol), Australia and California. It can thrive in low-vigor soils and extreme climates, as in the gnarled old-vine Monastrell found in Jumilla, where producer Gil Family Estates has become Spain's leading exponent of this variety, with numerous versions released under several labels. Tannins are generally pronounced and the grape's flavors can be somewhat monochromatic, making it useful as a structural component for blending with Syrah and Grenache in GSM blends in Australia and California. Deep, black color is a hallmark of the grape and its wines, which at their best have full-bodied texture and assertive flavors of blackberry fruit and spice, with undercurrents of earth, leather, truffle and game. The grape can also produce wonderful rosé wines with surprising palate weight and loads of character. We rounded up two dozen expressions of Monastrell-Mourvèdre-Mataro from around the globe— varietals and blends, reds and rosés—to examine the range of wines that can result from this sometimes overlooked, but always fascinating variety. The wines are presented in alphabetical order ; prices are suggested retail.