March 2006
Mourvedre is Moving Up Vine Times

SAN FRANCISCO, CA – Bubbling up from the increased popularity of Rhone wines in California and abroad, one Rhone grape is poised to have its day in the sun: Mourvedre (pronounced Mō-ved-ra, or sometimes simply called Mō-ved). Virtually unknown next to its spicy sister Syrah, Mourvedre is enjoying slow but sure recognition by wine lovers who may have been unknowingly drinking it in French blends and who are tempted to try California-grown bottlings.

The majority of wines made with Mourvedre are from France and Spain, and are labeled by the appellation (where the grapes were grown) rather than by the grape used. So fans of Bandol, Cotes du Provence or Alicante may not know that the rich texture and meaty aromas in their favorite wines come from the Mourvedre varietal.

"A lot of people just buy Bandol because they love it," says Brian Cronin, Manager of Ferry Plaza Wine Merchants in San Francisco, "and a majority of the smaller appellations in Southeast Spain which are hot right now have some percent if not 100 percent Mourvedre in them."

Curious wine lovers enjoy learning more about the wines, says Cronin, leading them to try varietally labeled Mourvedre from California, or so-called GSM (Grenache, Syrah, Mourvedre) blends from Australia. "It's an underused grape," says Cronin, who explains to customers that they'll find structure, body and earthy complexity in Mourvedre wines.

One of the few sources for Mourvedre grapevines in California is Tablas Creek Vineyard, a Paso Robles winery and grapevine nursery established by the French owners of the famed Chateau de Beaucastel and their American importer, Robert Haas.

Cuttings of Mourvedre, Syrah, Counoise, Grenache Noir and Roussane grape varieties from the Beaucastel vineyard were brought to New York and quarantined for three years of testing. Once the material was cleared and on the ground in California, a team headed by Richard Hoenisch, now Vineyard Manager for the University of California Davis Viticulture and Enology Department, propagated enough vines to plant the first nursery vineyard. "Out of fifty-two original plants, we made about 15,000 vines from two-bud green propagation," said Hoenisch in a recent interview. "They've gone all over California, even Oregon and Washington," he said of the scions, "All the Rhone varieties are around now. The Perrins of Beaucastel and Haas were ahead of their time."

One notable grower and vintner of the Beaucastel clone of Mourvedre is Holly's Hill Vineyards, whose varietal bottling of Mourvedre won a Double Gold medal at the 2006 San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition in January.

 "We are a small operation, and there wasn't much market for Mourvedre when we planted," said Holly Cooper, who owns and runs the winery with her winemaker daughter, Carrie Bendick. "But we've always loved Rhone wines with a Mourvedre component. It's deeper and darker than Syrah, and it takes on a fascinating complexity at these elevations."

Holly's Hill is likely the most committed to the grape even among boutique peers in the Sierra Foothills who have found success with Rhone grapes. In addition to the 100% Mourvedre bottling that won the Double Gold, the winery makes a flagship Grenache, Syrah and Mourvedre cuvee called the "Patriarche," and a Rhone blend, called "Tranquille," that is usually made with around 40% Mourvedre, according to Bendick. While the varietal Mourvedre bottling is made solely from the estate plantings, Holly's Hill sources Mourvedre grapes from five other El Dorado vineyards, making the small winery the most important buyer of the grape in the area.

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