Some things in life are simply reliable. Grandma’s Kenmore refrigerator, your uncle’s 1957 Chevrolet Bel Air, a safety razor from 1950 that with a fresh blade still shaves like a dream. When we discuss the Texas wine industry, Tempranillo is one of the first grape varieties that may come to mind. It is, without a doubt, utterly reliable for the Texas wine industry.
But what about Mourvèdre? Could it be there is a grape even more impactful than Tempranillo on our local wine industry — one that is capable of producing more varied styles of both dry rosés and reds? I confidently raise my glass and shout a resounding “Yes!”
When the Texas wine industry really started coming into its own, people were like, cool, a good amount of these wines we’ve been tasting are of high quality or, dare we say, consistent? It is not because the winemakers stunk at winemaking back in the day, or that the weather suddenly turned for the better for wine growing each year. (That’s definitely not the case.)
No, the attention to detail regarding what to plant in the field and how to best harness those varieties became the norm. And look at us now, the fifth-largest producing state in the nation for wine production and some damn good wines being crafted year after year.
Just like that vintage car, Texas needed a grape variety that can do it all reliably. Let’s welcome Mourvèdre. Monastrell, Mataro…it has many synonyms in the old world. Most Texans use the French word, which, of course, is the most difficult to pronounce. That aside, I would argue that Mourvèdre, not our beloved Tempranillo, is the most versatile, perhaps the most malleable grape we have in our toolbox in Texas.
Why you might ask? Let’s dig in. This grape, which hails originally from Spain, is an absolute beast for our climate. It likes the dirt here. It can handle weather variations from vintage to vintage, like Mike Tyson dodging uppercuts and dealing his own blows in return. Wet vintages, dry vintages, it doesn’t really seem to matter. Mourvèdre can do it all. It’s not to say we don’t suffer the same setbacks in the vineyard we would encounter with other varieties. But this grape seems to be a bit more forgiving than some.
Mourvèdre is unique because it really does have multiple personalities for a winemaker to connect. This can help shape a wine that represents both the vineyard site and showcase the versatility of the grape.
Speaking of personalities, dry rosé — oh, so beautiful! It is an absolute charmer in the glass. Light in color, delicate aromas, flowers with just a nuance of that tell-tale Mourvèdre funkiness. Few grapes even come close to creating such gorgeous, and delicate rosé wines. The locals in Provence, France would likely agree.
But the variants in style of red wine, I believe, is where this grape really sets itself apart from the herd. I don’t know of another variety that can transform itself into such a chameleon when it comes to red wine production: soft and mellow, like a Pinot Noir; medium-bodied and fruit forward, like you’ll find most often in Texas; even over-extracted red wines aged in new oak that toss around aromas that are gamey, funky and reminiscent of Cabernet Franc from the western parts of France. This grape can truly do most everything you ask of it.
It was the grape variety I chose for my first wine I made last vintage, the 2023 Rock Flower Creations dry rosé. We picked the fruit early, even for rosé production. We hand-picked at Adega Vinho’s Estate Vineyard, Bilger Family Vineyards. The fruit was stunning. Low brix (sugar), young on the vine, yet evolved enough to produce beautiful aromas in the glass.
Admittedly, it was my own curiosity that captured what was happening with The Adega Vinho and William Chris wine programs, among others, that really showed me what Mourvèdre is capable of. I am truly surprised by it more and more each vintage.
It wouldn’t be a story about Mourvèdre without educated and experienced thoughts from Michael Bilger of Adega Vinho, and Chris Brundrett of William Chris. Each of them shared some of their feelings on why they think so highly of this particular grape.
“Mourvèdre is a very dynamic and versatile grape for the winemaker,” Bilger said. “It can be picked early to make rosé, or the grape clusters can ripen on the vine longer into the season for a more concentrated red wine style. Tasting from different producers throughout the state is always exciting because every winemaker has a different approach to Mourvèdre. It is a pleasure to grow it in the Hill Country. The wines produced from Hill Country grown Mourvèdre are some of Texas most unique wine offerings, I believe.”
Brundrett agrees. “Mourvèdre is in my opinion, a champion for Texas. In ’13 and ’14 we saw really great performance in the variety. Making world-class wine, but also resilient to the late spring frosts,” he said. “It’s a bit challenging in the winery to extract the soulfulness, but if you can get it ripe you really have a great single vineyard wine potential with grace and elegance, and it also makes a remarkable rosé. Today we’re even using for méthode champenoise sparkling wine. In my opinion, it is the Pinot of Texas, and it really shows terroir well.”
What are your thoughts on Mourvèdre? Whether you love it or not, you can step into almost any Texas winery these days and score some delicious, world-class Mourvèdre that turns heads and makes waves. It seems the future of Texas wine is very bright, and there is no doubt Mourvèdre will continue to be an important part of the story.
Wilson is a Sommelier and brand ambassador for Adega Vinho Winery in Stonewall.