Mataro proved as versatile in port production during the early 20th century as it was in the transition and development of the modern Australian wine industry. During the 1950s and 1960s, winemakers relied heavily on mataro. It was rarely used on its own, although there were a few experimental or one-off wines produced during the 1950s. A revival of sorts began in the late 1980s with the popularity of GSM blends. In theory the late-ripening mataro gave the wines an underlying torque. Marketers adopted the synonym Mourvèdre on labels because it sounded more sophisticated, but unwittingly they relegated mataro to the bottom drawer. Despite this, most producers in the Barossa Valley nowadays describe the variety as mataro, reflecting their own journey of discovery and sense of history. It has resulted in a renewed interest in the variety and more plantings. Mataro is ideally suited to the Barossa because it can withstand heat extremely well. Its loose-knit clusters and thick skins make it resilient to extreme weather. In France it was purportedly called estrangle-chien (dog strangler), because the astringent skins could choke a dog, an anecdote that may be apocryphal. Even so, mataro is a highly versatile variety. It brings complexity and structure to blends, but can also produce striking wines of wonderful colour, density, buoyancy and stature. Our mataro tasting included 34 wines that were largely single varietals, with only a small number of blends. Interestingly, the single varietals were far more successful, seemingly, as these were attracting the best fruit. Overall, Barossa mataro varies because of the different approaches to vinification and maturation, but the tannins never seem to be overly bitter or sinewy. Some winemakers are aiming to make medium-bodied, almost Burgundian styles, where others are focused on making traditional or modern laissez-faire reds, and all could be highly successful if well managed. Many of the best wines were at the richer and chewier end of the spectrum. Hayes Family Wines Estate Block 3 Mataro 2021 showed superb complexity, volume, concentration and length, with clear potential for a long-drinking future. More modern but impressive examples were the Barossa Boy Young Wisdom Mataro 2019, Teusner Wines Righteous Mataro 2018, and the Soul Growers 106 Vines Mourvedre 2019, with their sweet, inky fruit plumes and supple tannin frames. Some more reserved and savoury styles also scored highly. Hewitson’s Old Garden Vineyard Mourvèdre 2018 is a reference style that immediately thrills, with highly complex fruits supported by lacy tannins. Turkey Flat Vineyards Mataro 2020 and the John Duval Wines Annexus Mataro 2018 were more in the red fruit spectrum, but also delivered with plenty of vigour. The quality of the tasting overall was very impressive and confirmed our impressions that mataro is a fascinating grape variety that can produce exceptional quality wines and the Barossa is certainly one of the best places in the world to grow it!
58 The Wine Journal – 2023
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