If you love lush, ripe, full-bodied reds, this wine is your summer go-to. The Monastrell grape (known as Mataro in the US and Mourvedre in France), delivers gamy, dark-fruited intensity and spice, without the vice-like, powerful tannins of other big grapes like Cabernet. To me, this is important in a summer wine because even the big reds should lie atop the ice in the cooler so they don’t take on the ambient warmth. Since really intense tannins start to feel gritty in a wine that’s even slightly chilled down, a wine with texture like this Monastrell really hits the spot. It’s got the spicy-intense taste profile to stand up to saucy barbeque, the richness for prime steaks on the grill.

ABV % = 15