Winemaker Notes
After some bottle age d'Arenberg's The Twenty Eight Road Mourvèdre should soften in color to more cedary, brick red hues and the nose develop more tobacco, coffee and spicy black olive smells whilst retaining underlying cranberry and floral scents as well as hints of pine needle and tar which can also be found in the mouth. The palate should also develop and integrate with soft prune, cranberry, velvety earthly chocolate flavors and a vibrant fresh acid and fine grained tannin finish for quite some considerable time.
Alcohol: 13.1% by volume
Full of ripe fruit, and robust, earthy goodness, Mourvèdre is actually of Spanish provenance, where it still goes by the name Monastrell or Mataro. It is better associated however, with the Red Blends of the Rhône, namely Chateauneuf-du-Pape. Mourvèdre shines on its own in Bandol and is popular both as a single varietal wine in blends in the New World regions of Australia, California and Washington. Somm Secret—While Mourvèdre has been in California for many years, it didn’t gain momentum until the 1980s when a group of California winemakers inspired by the wines of the Rhône Valley finally began to renew a focus on it.
Known for opulent red wines with intense power and concentration, McLaren Vale is home to perhaps the most “classic” style of Australian Shiraz. Vinified on its own or in Rhône Blends, these hot-climate wines are deeply colored and high in extract with signature hints of dark chocolate and licorice. Cabernet Sauvignon is also produced in a similar style.
Whites, often made from Chardonnay or Sauvignon Blanc tend to be opulent and full of tropical, stone and citrus fruit.