Marvelous Mouvedre

\

The French Riviera's village of Bandol is one of the epicenters for Mouvedre wine 

The red Mouvedre grape loves heat.  That’s why you’ll find it growing in places like Spain, the South of France, California and the warmer parts of Australia.  Thought to be native to Spain, Mouvedre is perhaps most famous for the French wine it produces in the southern Rhone Valley.  The Rhone’s celebrated “GSM” blend, is composed of Grenache, Syrah and Mouvedre.

                         Domaine Tempier produces rock-star Mouvedre in the Rhone

Mouvedre is a deeply pigmented, thick skinned grape which translates to a very dark colored wine (only Syrah is darker).  As tannins are also in grape skins, this  means a more tannic wine.   Because of these two attributes, Mouvedre is often blended with other varietals to provide more color and structure.   Mouvedre is also used for the same reasons in making Rosé wines in southern France.   Spain even uses this grape in making Rosé Cava.

                                        In Spain, the Mouvedre grape is called Monastrell

In addition to making big, full-bodied wines, the Mouvedre grape produces flavors of dark red fruits, a floral component (think violets), and herbaceous notes such as black pepper and thyme.    This is not a sissy's wine.   For food pairing, think big and bold such as BBQ meats that have been marinated in flavors that complement the wine such as lavender, rosemary and thyme.   For veggie lovers, try grilled portobello mushrooms with garlic, olive oil and fresh complementary herbs.

Those coming on this September's Week with Julia Child in Provence will have the opportunity to sample many wines made from 100% Mouvedre,  GSM blends,  and even Rosés.   For more information on this trip, check it out:

http://www.wineknowstravel.com/julia-2022-1-itinerary-2/  

Chateauneuf du Papes ROCKS!

         Rocks carried down by ancient glaciers & the Rhone River define Chateauneuf du Pape's wine

The wines of Chateauneuf du Pape are among the most coveted in the wine world.  These are powerful, complex red wines that are made from GSM (Grenache, Syrah and Mouvedre---the area’s “Holy Trinity” of grapes).  Chateauneuf du Pape is located in the southern part of France's Rhone Valley, and the Rhone River plays an instrumental role in this wine region.  Rocks, washed downstream by the Rhone and deposited in Chateauneuf’s riverside vineyards, are critical to making these world-class wines.

In fact, the rocks of Chateauneuf du Pape are so important to its wine that the stones actually have their own name, galets.   These galets are remnants of Alpine glaciers that have been carried down over millennia by the Rhone River.  The constant churning by the Rhone is responsible for the galets’ smooth exterior. Often overflowing its banks, the Rhone has left in its wake vineyards that are often yards deep in these galet stones.  But, how can rocks be so important in making an outstanding wine?  Let me explain.

Rocks provide heat for ripening, drainage & erosion protection

Galets are a distinguishing feature of Chateauneuf du Pape’s wines and translate into the glass in several ways.  First, they are integral to the  to the ripening of the grapes, as well as promoting growth of vines.  By absorbing heat from the day’s sunshine, these rocks release this heat back to the vine during the cold nights---they are a kind of built-in heating system.  Second, galets provide excellent drainage thus are important for the vine's growth.  Chateauneuf’s subsoils consist of layers of smaller broken down pebble-like galets.  This stratum of earth affords a perfect drainage system for the vines. Furthermore, the galets protect the soil from erosion by the violent Mistral winds of southern France.

Underneath this top layer are several feet of tumbled stone

My favorite Chateauneuf du Pape wine?  That’s like naming a favorite child, but there are two that always float to the top of my list.  (By the way, this small wine district also makes some killer whites…and one of them is on my list!)

Chateau Beaucastel Red:  GSM (75%) with ten other Rhone grapes making up the remaining 25%.  $100-$500 depending on the vintage.

Chateau La Nerthe White:  Also a blend, this ethereal wine is made from four white Rhone grapes:  Grenache blanc, Roussane, Clairette and Bourboulenc.    $55-$75 and worth every cent.

Hope your weekend rocks.

Rhone Rangers, Part II

                                 Large rocks provide warmth to vines during cold nights

This is a second article in a two part series on France’s world-class Rhone Valley wine district.  Today we travel to the southern sub-zone of the Rhone.  Many readers may know this southern area because of its famous wines from the town of Chateauneuf-du-Pape.

The southern Rhone terroir is different from the cold, harsh north.   The Mediterranean Sea exerts a tremendous influence by moderating the south’s temperatures.  Winters in the south are far less dramatic, and southern summers are hot but cooled by the effects of the Mediterranean.   Large rocks washed down over the millenniums from the Alps and other mountains by the Rhone River, also help with the climate:  retaining heat, they provide warmth to vines on cold nights.  Their smaller pebbles create excellent drainage.  

While Syrah is supreme in the northern Rhone, the big kahuna red grape of the southern Rhone is Grenache.  While Grenaches comprises nearly 70% of the south’s vineyards, there are several other red varietals allowed by law.  All southern Rhone wines are blended.    While wines are mainly Grenache, a little Syrah is added to for its color and spice, as is Mouvedre which adds structure and elegance.  The southern Rhone blend of Grenache, Syrah and Mouvedre is so popular that it is frequently called simply GSM.  This famous blend has been replicated around the world.

The southern Rhone’s Holy Grail appellation is Chateauneuf-du-Pape (“the Pope’s new house,” named so after the papacy was move from Rome to this area in 1309).  These wines are some of the most seductive I know.  Like all southern Rhones, they are Grenache-centric, however, similar to the northern Rhone, laws allow for combining both red and white grapes.  GSM is strongly represented in the mix, but there are also some white grapes added in small amounts.   

While red wines are the majority produced in the southern Rhone, opulent whites are also made.   They are scare but, oh, but they can be divine.  Made from unknown varietals like Ugni Blanc, Clairette, Grenache Blanc, and Picpoul (along with Roussane and Marsanne), a white southern Rhone from Chateauneuf-du-Pape can be a religious experience.

Pop a Rhone wine to celebrate the weekend!

Seeing Red

                       

There are approximately 50 major grapes used to make red wines.  The particular variety utilized has a tremendous influence on the wine’s color, especially when the wine is young.  (As wine ages it changes color, however, for the purpose of this article, to keep a level play field all comments will be related to young wines.  Additionally, the climate in which the grape is grown also impacts the wine’s color.  For the sake of this article, neither of these variables will not be addressed).

The color of a red wine is directly related to the amount of plant pigmentation in the grape’s skin.    In general, thicker skin grapes such as Cabernet Sauvignon have much more pigment than the delicate thin-skinned grapes of Pinot Noir.  This is why a Cab is much darker in color than a Pinot.  But, thickness of skin does not always determine the color of a wine.  The amount of color pigment is the determinant.

Syrah is the darkest colored red wine.  In fact its deep purple-black is so intense that it’s opaque (unlike the lighter Pinot Noir that is transparent).  In the case of Syrah, yes the grape’s skin is thick, however, it’s not the thickest of all grape skins.  Syrah simply has an enormous amount of plant pigmentation in its skins, thus its inky nearly black color.

Mouvedre (a Rhone varietal), Malbec (from Argentina) and Petite Syrah (no relation, by the way, to Syrah), fall just shy of Syrah’s super deep pigmented color. All of these wines, like Syrah, are so dark that they’re opaque.   The grapes from which these wines are made are all loaded with dark plant pigments.

Next in line moving down the color spectrum is Cabernet Sauvignon.  Cab makes fairly deeply colored wine, but not as intense in color as the above varietals.  Not far behind Cab in almost in the dead center of the red color range is Merlot.   Just a little lighter than Merlot, Zinfandel falls next.   Zin’s color is a surprise.  Compared to its tannins and high acidity which creates a bold wine, Zin’s color is less intense than one would expect from the strength of its taste.   Also sharing this middle spot of the red color wheel is Spain’s flagship grape, Tempranillo, along with Sangiovese from Italy.

At the bottom of the red range are the lightest colored wines.  Pinot Noir is generally the lightest, however, Grenache is also a grape with significantly fewer plant pigments.  Grenache, a Rhone varietal, is typically mixed in France with the extremely dark Syrah.   Pinot, however, is often vinified alone and appreciated for its light strawberry-colored hue.

There are at least 50 shades of red.  Enjoy.

The Rhone’s Holy Trinity

 

Grenache, Syrah and Mouvedre (aka GSM) are the Rhone’s sacred trio of grapes.  In the northern Rhone, Syrah dominates the blend in famous wines such as Hermitage and Cote-Rotie, however, in the southern Rhone Grenache leads the pack in the superstar wines from Chateauneuf du Pape where typically over 75% of the composition is Grenache. 

I love Grenache.  One of the most versatile red grapes in the world, Grenache thrives in hot, dry climates such as the Rhone, Spain (named Garnacha), California (sometimes referred to as Alicante) and Australia.  The varietal can produce wines that range from light to full-bodied; from simple, inexpensive wines that offer immediate satisfaction to complex ones that are cellar worthy and do not come cheaply.  Grenache is all about fruit…strawberries, blackberries, raspberries.  But, there can also be an interesting layering of spices such as allspice, cinnamon or pepper, as well as subtle nuances of floral notes. 

Syrah (also called Shiraz in Australia) was thought to have been brought by the Phoenicians, but  DNA testing now shows it to be indigenous to southern France.  Unlike Grenache, Syrah contributes firm tannins that make for powerfully flavored and full bodied wines.  However, similar to Grenache, it offers rich fruit flavors, but this time it’s black cherry, blackberry and plum.  Syrah also provides a beguiling spice profile of cloves, licorice, white or black pepper and even chocolate.  

Mourvedre (also known as Mataro in Spain and the US) tends to produce deeply-colored and tannic wines that can be high in alcohol.   Thought to be of Spanish origin, the varietal is mainly used in the Rhone for blending and is rarely vinified as a varietal except in the appellation of Bandol (just a few miles from the Mediterranean) where the cooling maritime influence can change it into a rockstar.  Mouvedre offers earth flavors such as leather, as well as dark fruit flavors.  There is often a patina of chocolate.

If you’re joining the Wine-Knows harvest tour this September you’ll have several opportunities to sample GSM in the famous southern Rhone appellations of Chateauneuf du Pape and Gigondas.  In 2015, Wine-Knows will be hosting its first-ever tour exclusively to the entire Rhone Valley.  Visits will include Hermitage, Cote Rotie and Condrieu in the north along with the southern part’s Chateauneuf du Pape and Gigondas.

A Crush on Gigondas

 

Say Gigondas (jhee - gohn - dahs) and I become giddy.  This small sleepy wine village in the heart of the southern Rhone makes wines by the same name that have me often times falling head-over-heels.   A red only district, its wines are infatuating, charming, and dare I say…sexy !

So what about Gigondas makes it so appealing?   The wines are a blend of Grenache, Syrah and Mouvedre, the “Holy Trinity” of the Rhone’s south.  (This special trio is also used in Chateauneuf du Pape).  Gigondas wines typically have a higher concentration of Grenache.  The best Gigondas are the red fruit-drenched ones tempered with layering complexities of mineral and herbs.  Think big, brawny, meaty meets savory. 

It’s not just the taste profile, however, of Gigondas that is beguiling.  The best crafted examples boast a voluptuous texture.  Silky, rich, creamy.  Like I said, “You had me at Gigondas.”

On this fall’s harvest tour we will visit the village of Gigondas where all of its 700 inhabitants are seemingly involved in something to do with the business of wine.   Located on a hill overlooking Provence’s breathtaking landscapes, Gigondas is a charmer filled with cobble-stone streets, elderly men playing boules on the central square, and numerous shops selling guess what?  Gigondas.

Leave it to my husband, Toby, to introduce me to Gigondas.  Toby has been a long-time admirer of these wines.  I still remember the first bottle he ordered years ago at a restaurant in France ---a seductive Chateau Crayon.   Many years later, both Toby and Crayon are still my favorite crushes.

The Rhone’s Illustrious Grape Varieties

Northern Rhone  

While I love wines from Bordeaux and Burgundy, a Rhone just might be my first choice to accompany a special occasion meal.  One of my all time favorite wines to ever pass these lips was a La Turque by Guigal (I had it 12 years ago but can still recall that the earth moved under my feet.).   For the last few days, my husband and I have been in the Rhone finalizing details for the 2013 harvest tour for Wine-Knows Travel.

The Rhone Valley is France’s 3^rd largest wine district (only the Languedoc-Rousillon and Bordeaux produce more wine).  The district is so large and diverse that it is divided into two separate regions.  The Northern Rhone is home to the world-class Hermitage and Côte-Rôtie wines (of which La Turque is one).  The Southern part includes the equally renown Chateauneuf-du-Pape vineyards. 

There are many grape varietals allowed by law in the Rhone, but three stand-out as the “holy trinity” of the Rhone’s reds:  Syrah, Greanache & Mouvedre.  Syrah is the grape with the greatest potential for quality in the Northern Rhone…most of its pinnacle wines (are crafted from Syrah as a single varietal wine, or from a blend in which a considerable percentage is Syrah (La Turque is >90% Syrah).  Grenache, more popular in the Southern Rhone due to its need for warm weather, is often blended with other grapes.  Mouvedre (frequently referred to as Mataro in the US), likewise, is often used for blending.  The grape, however, becomes perfection as a single varietal in the wines of Bandol (located in the southern-most Rhone on the Mediterranean Sea).  Other important reds grown in the Rhone include Cinsault and Carignan.  Both of these grapes are typically used in blends rather than single varietals

The Rhone isn’t just about reds…one of my favorite white varietals is Viognier.  This wine is luscious with seductive aromatics of white flowers, stone fruits and honey.  Roussane, an indigenous grape, is another personal fave.  In the Northern Rhone, Roussane reaches rock-star status.  Marsanne, which also originated in the Rhone, is often combined with Roussane for more complexity.  Clairette, a sun loving grape that is grown in the southern part, is also made into sparkling wine.  Muscat, which is similarly added to sparkling blends, is additionally vinified into a well known dessert wine, Beaume de Venise.

Provence, our home base on this trip as well as next year’s harvest tour, is located in the Southern Rhone.   This area of the wine district is a jewel-box filled with colorful outdoor markets and some of France’s best olive oil, hence, Provence is an added bonus for the gourmet traveler.   On the other hand, the region’s wines are so spectacular that one doesn’t hardly needs any additional reasons to visit the Rhone.