Project Mataro

Project Mataro

Mourvédre, Mataro, potato, potato. What's in a name? Why in Australia do we see the same grape variety called variously Mataro, Monastrell or Mourvédre?  Why do we rarely see it shine in the spotlight on its own? Rather, we see it reduced to the letter 'M' in one of the many GSM (or variations thereof) blends that Australia does so well. 

It is some of these points, and hopefully more, that I am going to explore. Hopefully I'll prove a good researcher, one of the things I'm keen to establish is a list of 

producers who are, or have, produced a single varietal Mataro. 

Mataro is not a new variety, nor - and a I borrow from Nick Stock here:

"a case of the next big thing, rather it's an ancient beast of a vine that has survived in Australian soil for longer than just about any other grape variety" {Gourmet Traveller Wine June/ July 2011 p95}.

History

Known as Mourvédre in France, Mataro in Australia (although increasingly labelled Mourvédre) and Monastrell in Spain. This is seen as strange {Oz Clarke - Grapes & Wines} as the variety originated in Spain, possibly near either of Murviedro (near Valencia) or Mataro (Cataluña). 

In Spain it gives reds of high alcohol - Mataro is a late ripening varietal and loves the sun - plentiful tannin and somewhat lacking in finesse.  The varietal is better known by its 'French' name of Mourvédre.  It is one of the key varieties in the Southern Rhone, particularly Chateauneuf-du-Pape, and indeed doesn't ripen North of this appellation, struggling sometimes to even do so there.  However 160KMs South-East in Bandol, on the Mediterranean coast where it is some 5*c warmer, the wines from this appellation are dark, with a perfumed core and quite vivid.  Bandol's Rosés - Salmon pink, the best in Provence.  Decanter wine writer Andrew Jefford calls Bandol: "Provence's one true grand cru" and it is considered that Bandol is to Mourvédre what Burgundy is to Pinot Noir {Gourmet Traveller Wine June/ July 2009 pp82-85}.

It is rather a precious grape, it is said to "like it's face in the hot sun and it's feet in the water".  So site selection is key: warm, South facing sites, and preferably limestone and clay soils.  As said, it is also late-ripening so also needs to be in the right hands, needing a confident winemaker who is able to trust to leave the fruit on the vine with sufficient body, but not too long to risk the elements or before it becomes too pruney: "like many talented performers, it shines best in the hands of experienced producers".

In Australia, with the good fortune of having access to some good old vine material, much of it clonal from Spain, the resultant wines are often spicy, earthy, rustic yet rich and very tannic.  Hence it's role as a supporting backbone to the flesh and fruit of Shiraz and Grenache in blends.

My Love for Mataro

I've always had a soft spot for the underdog.  If Riesling is the Wine that everyone loves, but nobody buys then Mataro - and if you haven't guessed by now, this is my preferred name for the grape variety - is the grape that few seem to grow and fewer want to make.

I started looking for Australian producers of the varietal toward the end of 2010 and at that point had only come across d'Arenberg's 28 Road Mourvédre, Diesen's Mataro and Teusner's Dog Strangler (Estrangle-Chien being another of Mataro's synonyms on account of its tannins). 

So this, Project Mataro, is my way of exploring varietal Mataro, of supporting those who share that love, are confident enough to make wine from it and to bring those wines to a buying public. If it brings a few more producers to some other interested parties, all the better. 

History in Australia

Some of the best old-vine material got pulled in the 80's, along with Grenache and Shiraz. In Len Evans' Complete Book of Australian Wine published in 1984, approximately 1300 hectares of Mataro was planted across Australia. Roll forward 20 or so years and that figure had dropped to approximately 1,000ha, it's nadir 2009 when this figure was 642 hectares. Let's put this in perspective, it's not a piddling amount, but it is when compared to Shiraz - 44,000 hectares - and is for a variety with links to the origins of Australia's grape growing history.

The Future

Plantings of Mataro increased 13% from 2009-2010. Whilst this statistic arrests a decline, it is also potentially worrying - for me - in that it may now be seen as a "fashionable grape". The other worry is that for a vine to truly hit its straps takes a good ten years, I'd hate to start seeing thin and weedy Mataro hit the shelves. 

That said it is great to see it getting it's time in the sun. I leave with yet another quote from Nick Stock:

"it's not a variety that makes obvious wine; it's more cryptic, elusive, soulful and moody. It's survival tactic has basically been to keep its head down and stay out of trouble". 

And that is why I love it.  But now sunshine, it is time to stand up and be counted.

Mataro - Some examples to seek out*

Producer	Region	Wine(s)	Review(s)
Alex Retief	Hilltops, NSW	The Alias Mataro	2010
bakkheia	GeographeValley, WA	United & Undaunted Mourvédre	2010
Ballycroft	Barossa Valley, SA	Mataro Small Berries, VP Mataro	2010 2008
Boireann	Granite Belt, QLD	Mourvédre	2015
Bremerton	Langhorne Creek, SA	Mourvédre	2007 2008 2013
Caillard	Barossa Valley, SA	Mataro	2009
Cascabel	McLaren Vale, SA	Monastrell	2009
Chapel Hill	McLaren Vale, SA	Mourvédre	2009 2010 2011 2012
Clarendon Hills	McLaren Vale, SA	"Liandra" Mourvédre	n/a
d'Arenberg	McLaren Vale, SA	The Twenty-Eight Road Mourvédre	2004
Deisen	Barossa Valley, SA	Mataro	2005
Dodgy Bros	McLaren Vale, SA	Mataro	2013
Ducks in a Row	McLaren Vale, SA	Erect Habit Mataro Straight Up Mataro	2010
Faux Pas Wines	McLaren Vale, SA	Mourvédre	2014
Flaxman Wines	Barossa Valley, SA	Mataro	2009 2010
Geddes	Mclaren Vale, SA	Experimental Mataro	2010
Gotham	Barossa Valley, SA	Old Vine Reserve Mataro	n/a
Greenstone	Heathcote, VIC	Monastrell	2008
Golden Grove	Granite Belt, QLD	Mourvédre	2009
Head in the Clouds	Mclaren Vale, SA	Silver Lining Mourvédre	n/a
Henschke	Eden Valley, SA	Hill of Faith Mataro	n/a
Hewitson	Barossa Valley, SA	"Baby Bush" Mourvédre "Old Garden" Mourvédre	2002
Izway	Barossa Valley, SA	Mates Mataro
Kaesler	Barossa Valley, SA	Alte Reben Mataro	2008
Kay Brothers	McLaren Vale, SA	Basket Press Mataro	n/a
Langmeil	Barossa Valley, SA	Resurrection Mataro	2010
Massena	Barossa Valley, SA	Mataro	2010
Murray Street Vineyards	Barossa Valley, SA	Mataro Black Label Mataro	2004 2010
Muster Wine Co	Barossa Valley, SA	"M"	2007
Magpie Estate	Barossa Valley, SA	"The Black Sock" Mourvédre	n/a
Marius	McLaren Vale, SA	"Matarius" Mataro	n/a
Old Faithful Estate	McLaren Vale, SA	"Almond Grove" Mourvédre	n/a
Pyramids Road	Granite Belt, QLD	Mourvédre	2010 2011 2012
RBJ	Barossa Valley, SA	Theologicum Mataro	n/a
Rosemount Estate	McLaren Vale, SA	Nursery Project Mataro	n/a
Rudderless	McLaren Vale, SA	Mataro	n/a
Rusden	Barossa Valley, SA	Full Circle Mataro	2009 2012
Samuel's Gorge	McLaren Vale, SA	Capisce Mourvédre Samuel's Gorge Mourvédre	n/a
Sarsfield Estate	Gippsland, VIC	Mourvédre	n/a
Shobbrook	Barossa Valley, SA	Nouveau Ebenezer Mourvédre	2011 n/a
Sieber Road	Barossa Valley, SA	Mataro	n/a
Some Young Punks	Barossa Valley, SA	Lust Collides Mataro	n/a
Sons of Eden	Barossa Valley, SA	Stauros Mourvédre	n/a
Soul Growers	Barossa Valley	Defiant Mataro	n/a
Springs Hill	McLaren Vale, SA	Blewitt Springs Mourvédre	n/a
Syrahmi	Heathcote, VIC	Mourvédre	2010
Tellurian Wines	Heathcote, VIC	Mourvédre	n/a
Terra Felix	Goulburn Valley, VIC	Mourvédre	2006 2008
Tim Smith	Barossa Valley, SA	Mataro	2009
Turkey Flat	Barossa Valley, SA	Mourvédre	2010
Torbreck	Barossa Valley, SA	The Pict	n/a
Teusner	Barossa Valley, SA	Astral Series Moppa Mataro Righteous Mataro Dog Strangler	2011 2010 2010 2011 2013
Tscharke	Barossa Valley, SA	Barossa Grounds Marananga Mataro	2010
Whistler	Barossa Valley, SA	Estate Grown Mourvédre	n/a
Wirra Wirra	McLaren Vale, SA	Sparrow's Lodge Mourvédre Esperanza Monastrell	2010 2013
Woods Crampton	Barossa Valley, SA	Mataro	2010 2012
Yangarra	McLaren Vale, SA	Mourvédre	2009 2010
Yelland & Papps	Barossa Valley, SA	Divine Mataro Second Take Mataro	2009 2015

* and if anyone reading this knows of others, please feel free to contact me and bring them to my attention.