The Story
The Time Waits For No One Monastrell 2017 is 100% Monastrell (Mourvedre in France) produced by Finca Bacara (Finca translates to farm or vineyard) in the Jumilla DO of southeastern Spain. This wine is designated a DOP wine which is Spain’s highest wine category and Monastrell is the #1 Red grape in Jumilla accounting for over 80% of the grapes grown. Jumilla is located on the plains between the mountains to the west and the Mediterranean Ocean to the east. And they have a wine history that goes back to the ancient Greeks, which is enough of the wine travelogue stuff and gets us to why this Monastrell is on this website…it has a skull and crossbones on the label. I can’t decide if the bones are a pirate flag or if they are the universal symbol for poison, which would be an odd choice for something you are about to drink. But, it is October, Halloween is coming and we are on the look-out for appropriate Halloween party wines.
Monastrell is the same as Mourvedre which is the M in the GSM blends of the Rhone Valley in France. It is typically a blending grape, but in Jumilla it is King. In doing a bit of research it seems that Monastrell has been grown in the area for about 1,500 years. The Time Waits For No One was aged in American oak barrels for 6 months. I found this bottle at Costco selling for $9.99 and prices on the web are all over the place, a range of $12 to $19, so grab it at Costco, if you can. The alcohol content is a sturdy 15%.
The Tasting Notes
The color is dark, barely see-thru raspberry jelly red. The nose is earthy and slightly raisiny, there is exotic spice, vanilla, fudge chocolate, blackberry, and prune. This is a wine with a soft, beguiling mouth-feel upfront and gets rougher and more complex as the flavors play out. It tastes of blackberry, raisin, and plum, along with oak spice. The mid-palate shows some dusty tannins, a light sprinkle of Nestles Quik powder, and pomegranate. The acidity is balanced and the finish is full, if not particularly long-lasting.
The Summary
- The Time Waits For No One Monastrell is definitely not the same old, same old. Decanter gave this wine 95 points and Wine Spectator gave an earlier vintage 81 points and I get it, if you like this Monastrell you will really, really love it and if you don’t you will hate it. And I think that is a sign of good wine, it isn’t simple and easy.
- This is a wine that tastes like Jumilla, Spain, not France, not Italy, not California, sometimes with New World wines the influences kind of blend together, but not here.
- Take time to let this Monastrell breathe, as it opens up the flavors become richer and opulent.
