Coates McLaren Vale The Mourvedre 2015

June 2, 2016

I’m liking the clever style of these Coates wines (Shiraz has already impressed). Every egg is a chicken, or such. This Mourvedre (aside – if you were making Vale Mourvedre would you consider calling it Mataro? Discuss) uses handpicked fruit, wild fermentation with the wine spending 12 months in French oak. Also unfined and unfiltered.

Deep ruby maroon, this packs in that limitless blackness of Mataro/Mourvedre/Monastrell/whatever you want to call it. Long, dark and black. Chocolate powder oak, licorice and dark berry fruit, its unsweetened and savoury with just a hint of bitterness and a little warmth on the back end. Lovely deep and gravelly tannic style, the only question is whether it could be even better with a little Grenache and/or Shiraz. Nice wine regardless. Best drinking: 2018-2030. 17.7/20, 92/100. 14.5%, $25. Would I buy it? I’d go several glasses.

2015, McLaren Vale, Mourvedre

Andrew Graham was once voted the 23rd most trusted wine critic on the planet. A WCA Journalism Young Gun now old hack with 25yrs as a buyer, judge, journalist, marketer and too much more.

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3 responses to “Coates McLaren Vale The Mourvedre 2015”

Chris

June 3, 2016 at 10:06 am

Andrew, you’re one tough scorer, and even tougher with your wallet. Love your reviews and honesty but reading the great praise of the Coates M, I can’t understand why you wouldn;t buy it. Then it dawned on me mate, because you get them for free. Only joking droog, but I thought at the coin asked, this one sounded like dosh well spent. Cheers, and thank God for good antibiotics hey.

Reply
1. Andrew Graham
  
  June 3, 2016 at 10:15 am
  
  Ha!
  
  In all honesty there are so few wines where I think ‘I have to have this’ and I’m totally ok with that – I’ll always settle for the best.
  
  Important to mark out the wines that I think are ‘quality’ and those that I would actually want to own, however. An important separation.
  
  Oh and thanks science for inventing antibiotics. If it was 100 yrs ago they would of just chopped my leg off…
  
  Reply
2. Andrew Graham
  
  June 3, 2016 at 10:19 am
  
  This is a well-priced beast as well. Prefer the Shiraz, but this is good.
  
  Reply