2013 Forgeron Red Mountain Mourvedre

Happy Memorial Day!  So yesterday I was reading an article on Twitter, maybe it was in Food and Wine, or maybe Bon Appetit, but in the article it had all sorts of wine pairing suggestions for the summer cookout season, and the one that I found fascinating was Mourvedre with barbecued ribs!  Well, it just so happens that I was planning to make some baby back ribs today, and I also happen to have a bottle of 2013 Forgeron Red Mountain Mourvedre on hand!  So here we go!

The wine is a lovely deep ruby color in the glass, classis for the varietal.  The nose is a lovely combination of leather, violets, white pepper and red fruit.  The taste is remarkable, as the aromas set your expectation for a rush of fruit, but instead you have more subdued notes of fig and tart cherry at the outset that transition to some wonderful notes of black pepper spice and caramel midpalate.  The tannins are well thought out and very supportive of the velvety and very dry finish.  Yes, this wine would be perfect for barbecued ribs, as the tart acidity and spice make a perfect foil for sweet smoky ribs!

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 8.5, as it's a really lovely example of the varietal and my new go to wine for pairing with barbecue!  Tonight I am enjoying this wine with a classic start to the summer barbecue season, with some slow cooked baby back ribs, grilled corn on the cob, potato salad and beet and red cabbage slaw.  Cheers!