I used to think that there wasn't much hope for Washington Mourvedre (which is widely grown in southern France, and in Spain, where it is known as Monastrell), except for blending with Syrah and Grenache for "Rhone style" blends. Many varietal Mourvedres seemed two dimensional, fruity and peppery, but without much depth. That's what I thought, until March of 2010 when I got a pre-release taste of Pinto and Billo Naravanne's 2008 Rasa Vineyards "Vox Populi" Mourvedre from the Minick Vineyard near Prosser. It was richly aromatic - wild berries and exotic perfumes with whiffs of white pepper. The extension continued on the palate, with dried fruits - cherries, berries, orange peel - and a chewy, yet velvety texture. It received 19/20 points, the highest score ever awarded to a wine of that variety to date. I ran across few other Mourvedres since then, but in March of this year, at the newly reopened Trio Vintners, I tasted a 2007 Reserve Mourvedre (since sold out) from the Den Hoed vineyard that had an uncanny resemblance to a Bandol from France's Provence coast.

My take on Washington Mourvedre is that the best ones show some of the traits of those of Bandol (situated near the coast between Marseilles and Toulon) where Mourvedre is the principal grape. The hallmarks are roasted fruits (berries, cherries and orange peel), toasted nuts, scorched earth (like graphite) and white pepper (both on the nose and the finish). To illustrate this, here are some noteworthy recent examples from Washington State.

2008 :Nota Bene Cellars Mourvedre, Columbia Valley, Stillwater Creek Vineyard ($30)

From a cool site, this wine displays a purplish color and aromas of wild blackberry, black cherry and black currant, Provencal lavender, incense, pepper and spice. The dark fruit flavors are deep and penetrating, infused with black licorice, minerally earth and mocha. The back reveals sensations of roasted cherries, graphite, coffee grounds, dried orange peel and toasted almonds, followed by bright fruit acids on a lingering sweet-dry tannin finish that is dusted with pepper and spice. Only 25 cases produced. 18.5+/20 points.

2009 Syncline Mourvedre, Red Mountain, Heart of the Hill Vineyard ($30) - April 2011 issue

The Heart of the Hill Vineyard is located midway up Red Mountain. This wine shows a deep ruby color and an enticing nose of wild berries, cherries, spice, incense and rose hips. The flavors have the right ripeness and saturation to make for an exceptional Mourvedre, and are underlain with Red Mountain scorched earth, licorice and bittersweet chocolate. The back reveals semi-macerated berries and roasted nuts that are intermixed with spices on a lingering, ripe, sweetish tannin finish. 18.5+/20 points.

2009 Rasa Vineyards “Vox Populi” Mourvedre, Columbia Valley ($45) - July 2011

This 100% Mourvedre shows a deep purplish color and a rich, spicy blackberry and cherry nose, with scents of wildflowers and lavender. On the palate, it is rich and chewy, like macerated berries mixed with licorice and chocolate. The back picks up a touch of creamy mocha along with squeezed berries and a twist of orange peel, followed by a long ripe tannin finish. 19/20 points.

2008 Robert Ramsay Cellars Mourvèdre, Horse Heaven Hills, McKinley Springs Vineyard ($42) - October 2011

This wine recalls the Mourvèdres of Bandol, on the Provencal coast. It exhibits a ruby color and an exotic nose of wild raspberries, black currants, and mulberry, with scents of oriental perfumes, smoldering spiced incense, and whiffs of white pepper. The palate is redolent of sweet-dry fruits laced with black licorice and bittersweet chocolate, and silty Horse Heaven minerals convey a sense of terroir. On the back, notes of roasted berries and nuts, mocha and orange peel emerge, along with a squeeze of pomegranate juice and a grinding of pepper, followed a lingering moderate tannin finish. Overall, the wine has the characteristic directness of Mourvèdre, combined with a bevy of intriguing aromas and flavors, so it gets 19/20 points.

For those of you looking for a bargain-priced Mourvedre, there is the following, which could have been labeled as a varietal.

2008 Trio Vintners “Riot Red,” Columbia Valley ($18) - June 2011

This blend, the backbone of which is Mourvedre (85%) with a bit of Sangiovese and Grenache, offers ripe, spicy aromas of blackberry, cherry and plum. The red and blue flavors are thick and chewy, with notes of roasted berries, licorice and cola. On the back, bright fruit acids, intermixed with spices, give the wine character, making it a fine choice for pizza or the barbecue. 17.5/20 points.

Trio Vintners, by the way, has a 2009 Mourvedre on the way. I am looking forward to it, along with any other versions that come along, for I believe Washington Mourvedre is coming of age as a wine that merits serious interest.