2005 Holly's Hill Mourvedre

2009 December Wine Club Reserve Selection

I always wonder why I don't hear wine lovers, particularly those who are die-hard Cab fanatics, talk about Mourvedre more. True, it doesn't have the same widespread recognition and caché as Cali Cab. But when it's time to curl up next to a fire with a dark, earthy, spicy yet smooth red wine, I just can't think of anything better than a Mourvedre.  Often Mourvedre is paired with Grenache and Syrah to produce a weightier wine.  But when grown in the right climate, it can have great structure, complexity and finishing spice all on its own.

Taking a lesson from one of the most seasoned producers of Mourvedre, Chateau de Beaucastel in the Rhone Valley of France, a few fans of the grape decided to bring some cuttings over from Beaucastel to California.  They had to be quarantined for three years for testing before they were released to and propagated by enologists at UC Davis, but at long last, some of the cuttings were used at the small winery Holly's Hill in the Sierra foothills. The result: classic Mourvedre, earthy and spicy as ever.