Monastrell (Mourvèdre)

The variety's prime name is Monastrell and its country of origin is Spain. It may take its French name, Mourvèdre, from the Spanish city of Murviedro. The Drinks Business, citing Wine Grapes, reports that Monastrell was first mentioned by Francesc Eiximenis in Empordà, Catalunya, in 1381. Mourvèdre was Provence's most planted vine before phylloxera decimated France's vineyards, and it was then largely replaced by varieties that were easier to graft on to the available rootstocks. It has remained Bandol's signature vine. Bandol's vineyard was destroyed by oidium in 1868 and phylloxera in 1870, and the appellation was recognised by decree on 11 November 1941. In Jumilla, the sandy-clay nature of many soils limited the spread of phylloxera, and Jumilla was recognised as a Denominación de Origen by the Ministry of Agriculture in 1961.

• France's total plantings of Mourvèdre increased eightfold in the last three decades of the 20th century
• In California there were similar plots of hundred-year-old Mataro vines, typically in spots such as the sandy soils of Contra Costa County, planted by immigrants
• Jumilla's appellation rules describe the qualitative development of its wines from the 1990s as spectacular
• Monastrell Spain, a non-profit association created in 2019 by the regulatory councils of the Alicante, Almansa, Bullas, Jumilla and Yecla Designations of Origin, works to make Monastrell better known

Mourvèdre needs a hot, dry climate, for it is very late ripening. By far the majority of the world's plantings are in Spain, concentrated in the Levante, and the jancisrobinson.com entry lists Monastrell as the country's fourth most planted red wine variety. The Drinks Business reported in November 2025 that Spain is home to 83.62% of the grape's global hectarage, with 38,000 ha remaining, down from more than 63,000 ha in 2008 and 45,000 ha in 2015. In Jumilla, Monastrell covers more than 70% of the vineyard and, according to WSET, represents around 25% of the world's plantings. The Jumilla DOP spans the municipality of Jumilla in the province of Murcia and six municipalities in the province of Albacete. Its climate is clearly continental and dry, with barely 300 litres of rain per square metre a year on average and about 3,000 hours of sun a year. Jumilla's rules place its vineyards between 320 and 900 metres above sea level, while WSET describes a plateau rising from 350 to 1,000 metres, with most vineyards planted well above 600 metres. The soils are brown to reddish-brown and calcareous, loose and stony, poor in organic matter, with a notable capacity to retain water. Bandol AOC covers eight communes of the Var; the vineyard opens onto the sea and is planted on clay-limestone soil. Further afield, the old plantings of Grenache and Mourvèdre in the dry heat of the Barossa Valley and McLaren Vale were re-evaluated as demand for GSM blends grew.

• Jumilla DOP: Monastrell is the principal variety; the maximum yield for red varieties is 5,000 kg/ha (37 hl) in the extensive planting regime
• Bandol AOC: eight communes of the Var, clay-limestone soil, a planting density of 5,000 vines per hectare and a maximum yield of 40 hl/ha
• Spain: Monastrell bottlings come from regions such as Jumilla, Yecla and Alicante
• Australia and California: old Mourvèdre plantings in the Barossa Valley and McLaren Vale; there were hundred-year-old Mataro plots in Contra Costa County

Mourvèdre is brambly and blackberry-like, with an animal, funky and meaty character. Red Bandol is intense, with black fruit, licorice and spices, evolving with time toward truffle and undergrowth; these are powerful, structured, tannic wines for long keeping. In Bandol's dry, garrigue-scented vineyards, Mourvèdre gives wine that tends to be extremely deep purple in youth, pretty tough and notably potent, with a very strong gamey, almost animal scent in youth that wine enthusiasts tend to love or loathe. Jumilla's red wines are ample and fleshy, with good alcoholic richness, a fruity aromatic character of ripe fruit and very well-integrated astringency. Mourvèdre in general needs time to soften its tannins and develop more interesting flavours, although in the hotter climate of southern Spain Monastrell has the reputation of being relatively soft and early developing. Jumilla's producers are exploring fresher, more vibrant styles alongside structured, age-worthy wines.

• Brambly, blackberry-like fruit with an animal, funky and meaty character
• Red Bandol: black fruit, licorice and spices, evolving toward truffle and undergrowth; powerful, structured, tannic wines for long keeping
• Needs time to soften its tannins; southern Spanish Monastrell has the reputation of being relatively soft and early developing
• Jumilla: fresher, more vibrant styles alongside structured, age-worthy wines

Mourvèdre has a tendency to reduction, a propensity to produce an odour of bad eggs if it is not exposed to enough oxygen during winemaking. It can be remedied by aerating the wine, by copper fining or by simply dropping a copper coin in a glass, and Bandol's winemakers take particular pains when vinifying Mourvèdre. Red Bandol must spend at least 18 months in casks or foudres, most often in foudre, and vines enter production for red wine only from the eighth year after planting. In Jumilla, red wines must contain at least 95% of eight authorised red varieties, Monastrell among them, rosés at least 50%, and wines labelled Jumilla Monastrell at least 85% Monastrell. Blends of Grenache, Shiraz and Mourvèdre have given rise to a wine term of their own, GSM.

• Bandol reds: at least 18 months in casks or foudres; vines enter production for red wine from the eighth year after planting
• Bandol: hand harvesting is mandatory and irrigation is not authorised
• Jumilla: red wines at least 95% from the eight authorised red varieties; rosés at least 50%; Jumilla Monastrell at least 85% Monastrell
• GSM: the term for blends of Grenache, Shiraz and Mourvèdre

The jancisrobinson.com entry's list of distinguished Mourvèdres includes Domaine Tempier's Cabassaou cuvée and Château de Pibarnon, both in Bandol, and Casa Castillo Pie Franco from Jumilla, and the same entry names Juan Gil, Casa de La Ermita, Casa Castillo and El Nido among the producers that have shown that truly fine wines can be made from Monastrell. Pie franco is a Spanish term for wines made from ungrafted vines. Domaine Tempier, in Bandol, already existed under Louis XV, and its bastide was built in 1834. Lucie Tempier and Lucien Peyraud settled at the domain in 1940, and Lucien Peyraud became president of the Syndicat des vins de Bandol in 1945. In the estate's own account, Lucien Peyraud built on Mourvèdre to promote a high idea of Bandol.

• Bandol: Domaine Tempier (Cabassaou); Château de Pibarnon
• Jumilla: Casa Castillo Pie Franco
• Spain: Juan Gil, Casa de La Ermita, Casa Castillo and El Nido

Monastrell is a robust, thick-skinned Mediterranean variety with a tolerance to drought. It is very late ripening and susceptible to both mildews and low winter temperatures. In Jumilla, the very dry climate gives a very low incidence of fungal diseases such as powdery mildew (oidium). Most of Jumilla's vines are trained as bush vines, close to the ground, with yields often under three kilos per vine; dry farming dominates, inputs are minimal and organic certification is widespread. More than 20% of Jumilla's vineyards are over 30 years old, with a notable proportion of ungrafted vines growing on their own roots, and many Monastrell wines are pie franco. Amid prolonged drought and heatwaves, Jumilla's harvest dates have shifted earlier to avoid over-ripeness and dehydration.

• Thick skins and a tolerance to drought; very late ripening
• Susceptible to both mildews and low winter temperatures
• Jumilla: mostly bush vines close to the ground, dry farming, yields often under three kilos per vine
• Jumilla: harvest dates have shifted earlier to avoid over-ripeness and dehydration

Primary sources: https://extranet.inao.gouv.fr/fichier/PNO2024AOPBandol.pdf ; https://www.inao.gouv.fr/node/67 ; https://www.mapa.gob.es/dam/mapa/contenido/alimentacion/temas/calidad-agroalimentaria/2017-calidad-diferenciada/nuevo_denominaciones/htm/pliego_de_condiciones_dop_jumilla_.pdf ; https://www.vivc.de/index.php?r=passport%2Fview&id=7915 ; https://www.domainetempier.com/lhistoire-tempier/ ; https://www.domainetempier.com/les-terroirs/ Reference sources: https://www.jancisrobinson.com/learn/grape-varieties/red/mourvedre ; https://www.wsetglobal.com/knowledge-centre/blog/2026/exploring-the-wines-of-jumilla ; https://www.decanter.com/wine/grape-varieties/mourvedre-red-52443/ ; https://www.thedrinksbusiness.com/2025/11/monastrell-the-ancient-spanish-grape-that-was-built-to-last/ ; https://winefolly.com/grapes/monastrell-mourvedre/ Last verified 2026-11-02