Three modest reds from Spain that are delightful and easy to drink.
For a long time now, my preferred nightcap has been a glass of red wine. I am always migrating among different varietals, and for a while now I’ve been drinking a lot of monastrells from Spain.
Monastrell, called Mourvèdre in France and Mataro in Australia, is one of the world’s ancient varietals—Wikipedia says it most likely was brought to Spain around 500 BC by the Phoenicians. The same grape grows in France, in the US and in Australia, sometimes being bottled on its own and sometimes making its way into blends. In Spain, the hot, dry climate suits it admirably, and it is widely planted in eastern regions like Yecla, Alicante and Jumilla.
If you like cabernet sauvignon, you’ll like monastrells. Good ones are high in tannins, with a lot of berry action and a subtle spiciness and at times even hints of leather or smoke. And they are often pleasing for the wallet too.
Here are a few of the modestly priced monastrells we particularly like. You get a lot of bang for your buck with each of these delicious bottles.
As in any jurisdiction, we’ve found that, here in Chicago, the prices for these bottles may vary as much as $5 or $6, which is a big price swing for a modest bottle. Shop with care.
Castaño. Fruity, leafy, bright, with a medium intensity, and a lovely color, and it has a screw cap. This bottle from the Yecla region is our go-to train wine. It’s just the thing for overnight long-haul rides with a great sandwich, some quiet conversation and a movie for the laptop. Or for a picnic or a relaxing evening at home. Around $8.
Tarima Hill. Dense and purpley, distinctive, juicy—it develops beautifully in the glass. Very nice with grilled lamb or beef, and also a wine to hold for three or four years. This is the highest end and most stately wine of these three, and it is only about $15.
Wrongo Dongo. This label from Jumilla always delivers. In fact, in three different shops here in Chicago, when we walked in asking for monastrells, this was the first bottle we would be offered, and the salesperson would always suggest it with a giddy smile. This tastes plump and exuberant and radiant and it is really easy to drink. Around $9.
We drink wine often, and have some friends who are extremely knowledgeable. But we aren’t alas. We really do need to learn more than the basics! So I appreciate this hint. Every Spanish wine we’ve had has been wonderful! But we’re lucky in that our regular wine merchant has a nice selection with really good people who always steer us right. I’ll have to check on their stock of monastrells! Thanks for this.
John, you are always welcome. In the past couple of years, monastrells have become much more widely available – here they are edging out malbecs for shelf space, which is fine with me.
I too know very little about wine. I’m the shame of my family.
Unfortunately most red wines don’t sit well with me but love the taste. So I just stick to whites. These Spanish wines sound wonderful!
Any reds that are gifted to us are use for stews (mmmmm!) and roast beef gravy (yum!). Don’t tell anyone….
Randi, pretty soon we will talk about some whites we’ve been exploring, things that are nice in the summertime – you know, that season that may eventually arrive. As I write this, I am in upstate NY, wrapped in a blanket.
Thanks for this wonderful information. How I missed Monastrell is beyond me. I spent many winters in Spain! My favorites were Roijas. A French-Spanish company – Burdon especially. The Wonderful wines of Valencia were also on my list. One of the best wines I ever drank was purchased at the Valencia Market. It was unlabeled and very inexpensive. The menus at various small town bistros always included a half liter of wine in their reasonable prices.
Helmut, I love your comment. It really evokes the pleasurable simplicity of my favorite kind of travel. Apparently for a while monastrells were kind of under the radar – used to blend with other things or just not in the spotlight. Possibly some of the unlabeled wines you enjoyed were monastrells.