Interest in Barossa Valley Mourvedre or Mataro has steadily grown since the 1980s and with many winemakers having handled 30 consecutive vintages the wine quality has soared. When we commenced Glug in 2004, we wished to work with the old heritage varieties, Grenache and Mataro, and have made dozens over the years.
The Village Belle wines focus on these heritage varieties and other less familiar varieties, with the wines showing the flavour of the grape making them fruit first. Thus wine making processes such as pre- and post- fermentation, special yeasts, fermenting on stems and oak aging are not used.
Mataro builds flavour from a slow long ripening period thus is best when grown in warm climate regions with a long summer and little adverse weather. Of all the Australian regions the Barossa Valley is the best suited for this variety with the Clare Valley being the next best.