Today I am tasting the 2007 Toscar Monastrell by Salvador Proveda from Alicante, Spain. This wine is primarily, if not 100%, Mourvèdre (Monastrell) varietal and was under $9. For some interesting background on Mourvedre, check out Mourvedre: the next big red? by Dr. Vino.
Day One
Just popped the cork.
Color
Nice dark purple in the glass. No problem with color on this one.
Aroma
Wow! This wine explodes out of the bottle and even more after you pour it in the glass. Dark fruit including black currant and black cherry on the nose. There is also a stinky nose that starts to blow off after a little breathing time. It is along the lines of the “wet dog” aroma. I am also get a hint of clove on the nose. Really fascinating aromatics.
Flavor
Some blackberry on the attack with dark cherry on the mid-palate. The finish is quite long with black currant and fig. There is also a lot of sour cherry lingering. This wine has an interesting mouth feel with tannins that thoroughly coat your palate with a chalkiness to them. This is a wine with lots of flavors, but not a fruit bomb. Nor is it high in sugar. Thus it will pair well with with a lot of food. Just don’t have it with anything too light or too spicy.
Rating
I’m enjoying the originality of this wine quite a bit and recommend you try it as a way to expand your palate. I rate it 90 points.
Day Two
It has now been opened for 24 hours. Just put the cork back in it the previous day.
Aroma
This wine is still showing well on the nose. Dark fruits dominate with blackberry and black currant being prominent. It is very jammy and has some oak too. Really nice.
Flavor
On the attack there is black plum and fig. The mid-palate has a lot of black cherries and it finishes with some black pepper and good dry tannins. Surprisingly the chalk flavors that I got yesterday are now gone. This is a good wine to pair with smoked meats and rich cheese.
Rating
I like this wine. It isn’t as intense as yesterday. It has softened around the edges and has more fruit character to it. But it is still not too sweet. I rate it 89 points.
Summary
This is a good bargain Monastrell and I recommend you look for it. Have you had a Monastrell lately? If so, what flavors and aromas did you discover that surprised you?
