WINE OF THE WEEK - 2017 Tarima Hill Monastrell
Welcome to another addition of Wine Wednesday Picks! To be honest, I should maybe just call these “Wine of the Week” features because I rarely get to posting them on Wednesday. You know how it is - kids, work, the dog, and life in general always gets in the way!
Therefore Wine of the Week seems more apt. Stay tuned, perhaps that change is around the corner…. :)
In the meantime, if you’re new to this blog, or haven’t read about Wine Wednesday picks before, be sure to read this blog post where I outline my approach to my weekly Wine Wednesday picks. The focus of this weekly feature is generally to share delicious and affordable wines that are widely available and generally within the reach of most consumers.
Now I’d be remiss not to point out that because I’m located in Ontario, Canada, I buy my wines for the Wine of the Week feature from the LCBO (Liquor Control Board of Ontario). For the convenience of readers who are located in Ontario, I always provide the LCBO Product Number, and a direct link to the LCBO website, in my reviews.
However, the wines I pick are generally widely available in most major markets and online too. So if you like what you read, you should be able to find the wine wherever you like to shop.
And with that, let’s get into this week’s pick!
2017 Tarima Hill Monastrell
This week’s wine is an intense and full bodied number from the south east part of Spain. It’s name may throw you for a loop and confuse you a bit but don’t worry, I’ve got you covered! Read on to learn more about this wine and find out all that you need to know in order to decide if this is a wine for you.
What does this wine cost?
$23.95/bottle.
What in the world is…..Monastrell?
Monastrell is another name for Mouvedre. This grape is commonly referred to as Monastrell in Spain and as Mouvedre in France. It has many other synonyms around the world.
A small to medium sized thick skinned grape, this variety is known to be a demanding and finicky grape that requires high temperatures to get the most out of it.
Where does this wine come from?
Ok, so assuming that most people don’t know all that much about Spanish wines (which I think is a fair assumption for the average reader, but don’t kill me if you are from Spain and/or disagree!), this wine has even more obscure origins than the average wine from Spain.
It is produced in the Alicante D.O. (Denominacion de Origen), an area very close to the city of Valencia and located in the fabulous sun-drenched Costa Blanca. This region has been producing wines for decades, and received official D.O. status in 1957. But it is only more recently that it has begun to be recognized for high quality wines, and in particular Monastrell.
Why is this wine unique?
Finding a wine that is 100% Mouvedre is not common, since this variety is most often used in blends, for example in Provence and the southern Rhone Valley of France, and in the GSM (Grenache-Syrah-Mouvedre) blends of Australia. One of the few places it is made into a single varietal wine is Spain and within Spain, Alicante is one of its most revered homes. For this reason, I put this wine high on the “wine geek” wine lover’s list of must-try wines.
Who makes this wine?
This wine is produced by Bodegas Volver, a winery established in the La Mancha area of the Valencia province in 2004 by owner-winemaker, Rafael Canizares. The Bodega is focused on rejuvenating premium wines made from lost or under-realized indigenous grapes, in a sustainable and low intervention way.
Click here to explore Bodegas Volver further, if you’re interested.
A few Wine Geek “essential facts” about the wine (feel free to skip this if you don’t care about detailed wine-making information!):
Variety - 100% Monastrell
Soil Type - Limestone rock
Vineyards - Multiple proprietary ungrafted vineyards throughout Alicante D.O.
Vine Age - 40-70 years old
Aging - Aged for 14 months in French oak barrels
ABV - 15%
Residual Sugar - 4 g/L
My tasting notes:
A dark garnet colour in the glass, this wine is intense, full bodied and spicy. It offers a floral and zesty nose, with ample blueberry notes. On the palate, the wine is redolent with blackberry, blueberry, black pepper and cinnamon notes. It finishes long and spicy, with good acidity and weighty tannins to round out the structure and balance of the wine.
Aging potential:
3-5 years.
Recommendations to Wineitupanotch:
Pair this wine with red meat, cured meat or aged cheeses.
Wineitupanotch Wine Score: 89 points
This wine is a very delicious and satisfying wine but I must recognize that it might not be for everyone. In particular, if you are buying it now and drinking it immediately, be sure to decant it for at least an hour before drinking it, to give it time to mellow out and soften around the edges.
If you’re located in Ontario, and wish to purchase this wine, you can find it at the LCBO under Product #310169 .
FINAL VERDICT:
A really lovely wine for someone looking for something intriguing and a little off the beaten (wine) track. This one will pair well with a range of dishes and actually shows much better with food in my opinion. If you like to really learn about wine, or talk about it with other wine enthusiast friends, this wine could be an excellent conversation piece!
If you’ve tried this wine already, or decide to pick it up and try it after reading this post, I’d love to hear from you and hear what you think of it! Please do drop me a line.
Until next time, wishing you love, light and of course - good wine! :)
Cheers!