Welcome to the second in our Wine 301 series, where we’re going to dig into some of the more unusual varietals you might see on the store shelf. Hot on the heels of Rkatsiteli is Monastrell.
Monastrell
Spanish in origin, you may be more familiar with Monastrell by it’s given French name, Mourvèdre. Amongst red grapes, Monastrell is one of the darkest, most brooding, and powerful. It is never juicy, lively, and light, but rather, carries a hard-edge of dark fruit, massive tannin, and full body. Due to the lower name recognition, they also tend to command a rather reasonable price, and are good for value seekers. Monastrell works particularly well with meat.
Quick Facts on Monastrell
Color: Red
Style: Dry
Body: Heavy
General Characteristics: Espresso, Muscular, Black Pepper, Cocoa, Roasted Meat
Notable Regions: Spain (Castilla-La Mancha especially Jumilla), France (Rhône [Blending], Provence [Bandol])
Also Known As: Mourvèdre, Mataro
Honoro Vera Monastrell 2014
Honoro Vera has been simply killing it. Their Grenache is unbelievably good for only $10, coming loaded to bear with bombastic flavors of cherries, raspberries, cigar box, and leather and earned a score of 89. Does Honoro Vera Monastrell do as well?
Sight: A deep consistent ruby red color from edge to edge.
Smell: Preserved cherries, blackberries, plum skins, and olives all start things off. Background notes of graphite, minerals, touches of spice, and smoke all join together to add a complexity in the background. A slight dustiness kicks up with a blueberry concentrate to spoil it.
Sip: Spices and black cherries are immediately evident, creating an almost spice drop like flavor. Touches of plum, blackberry, and tobacco all add in, and give it an almost fruity cigar and spiced fruit drop thing. The body is full, and the weight is bolstered by tannins that hide around the edges.
Savor: The ending pulls in more of the tannins, giving them full force with a deeply spiced blackberry compote ending. There are hints of smoke, violets, and tobacco to add complexity.
Honoro Vera Monastrell is beautifully crafted, deeply complex, and unbelievably priced. The mix of spice, fruit, and oak is a rollercoaster of delightful flavor after delightful flavor. It’s hard to find anything not to love here. If you haven’t had anything from Honoro Vera or a Monastell, then Honoro Vera Monastrell is an awesome place to start.
Verdict: Spicy Blackberries, Preserved Cherries, Toasted Tobacco, Spiced Gum Drops
Rating: 93
Price: $10
Jumilla, Spain
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