At first, Jim Fore considered mourvedre only for a supporting role.
After all, the varietal merits only about 1,000 acres of vineyard land across the U.S. And rare is the steakhouse patron who asks for the sommelier’s finest mourvedre.
“We originally did it to blend,” Fore said, explaining that he planted the vines for his popular GSM, a traditional Rhone combination of grenache, syrah and mourvedre. “But I thought it deserved to stand alone.”
His instinct rewarded the rest of us with a bucolic beauty. On the nose the 2015 Fore Family mourvedre sways with enthusiasm, tempting first with tubs of fresh, ripe berries and then woven baskets of red plums.
The wanton exuberance suggests a fruit forward wine, yet there is a note of caution wavering over the glass. The bright fruit aromas cannot obscure the varietal’s tendency toward wistful reverie. Hints of black pepper grumble in the background, along with a raspy note of dried thyme.
A discursive floral note drifts between, making the first impression all the more inviting.
On the palate a swarthy, plain-spoken character emerges. The blush of fruit withers into a deeper, bolder savor — blueberries and blackberries cooked down over a stone hearth. The earthy bite of pepper snaps through the dense fruit, allowing rustic notes of air cured meat, singed wood, chisel stone and dark chocolate to sneak in.
After only two years, the wine appears keen to rival the finest cabernet sauvignons, yet with a more provencial comfort. The ruminating fruits and restive cracked pepper are in sublime balance.
Fore rested the wine in well weathered French oak, exposing the mourvedre to only 10 percent new wood.
“It doesn’t need a lot of oak,” he explained. “I’m trying to keep the fruit forward.”
One wonders what would happen if he slammed the wine with fresh staves. By reining in the wood, he managed to achieve a balance, with appealing aromas and a contemplative palate.
Apart from the barrels, Fore claims to have had little influence over the grapes.
“I don’t do anything,” he said. “I just have some good ground.”
The vineyard clings to a patch of red hills AVA at high elevation. It receives plenty of sun, but a spine of forest laps over the land, shading the vines at critical points.
It’s not something the winemaker planned.
“I though I was clever putting it there,” Fore said, pointing out that he wanted full exposure to sun. “It’s the rockiest part of the vineyard, but not the hottest.”
This time his instinct tricked him, again to our benefit. The Fore Family 2015 mourvedre requires a moment to open, but it is a wonderful experience.
“I’ve become a mourvedre fan,” Fore said.
Dave Faries can be reached at 900-2016
