How to Remain Anonymous (you could write a wine blog)

Mourvedre. Mataro. Monastrell. Balzac. And, about 50 other aliases worldwide refer to just one grape, a thick-skinned red variety that is late budding out and late ripening--a late bloomer, if you will. And, as with other late bloomers, it may be poised to capture the fancy of those who've been around the block with the more precocious.

Then, again, maybe not. Imagine finding out your new girlfriend or boyfriend went by another name in another town. And, worse no one you know can pronounce his/her name. Whoa. That silky Merlot is a lot easier to explain to your friends than More-what, M'Tar-oh (the rapper?) or Monster-oil. A rose by any other name. . . Call her what you want.

But everyone knew her as Nancy.

Now Malbec, that's a different story. The skyrocketing popularity of Malbec, especially from Argentina, is not something I would have predicted a decade ago. In 1999, Americans consumed about 11 bottles of Australian wine for every one bottle of Argentinian. That figure has dropped to about 3 bottles of Australian for every one from Argentina. And, most of that is $10 Malbec.

But, success breeds excess and now many of the large companies have decided they need to jump on that bandwagon, so we're already seeing loads of Argentinian Malbec virtual wines (wines without a winery) hitting the store shelves near you. Many of them are bland, pale imitations of the spicy, peppery, blackberryish Malbecs that spawned the trend.

So now what? Good Malbec is still obtainable at a surprisingly reasonable price. You've got to dig a little and trust your local wine merchant. But, the quest for good value in wine is about the journey not the destination. Next stop. . . the 3-M Company: Mourvedre, Mataro, or Monastrell.

This grape grows well in warmer climates, such as Spain, where it is believed to have originated. But it is probably best known as one of the primary grapes blended to make Chateauneuf du Pape in France's Southern Rhone Valley, where at some estates, such as Chateau de Beaucastel, it can comprise 70% of the blend. Australia has significant old-vine acreage of Mourvedre where it is often blended as in Chateauneuf with Grenache and Syrah. d'Arenberg is one of the few there that produces a 100% Mourvedre, "The 28 Road." California and Washington produce some notable ones, too, including Jade Mountain, Cline Ancient Vine Mourvedre, and McCrea Cellars Mourvedre.

But for the same kind of value that launched Malbec, here's a suggestion: I bought a beauty the other night at one of my favorite Seattle shops, McCarthy & Schiering. For less than $10, the Castano Monastrell (pictured above) from Spain's Yecla region, was an absolute stunner. This wine delivered tones of body with rich, juicy blackberry-like fruit with freshness and enough acidity to match some pretty rich meats. The winery's been discovered, though. Jay Miller writing in Robert Parker's The Wine Advocate rated this 90 points and called the price "unreal." So, don't wait to search for this one. But write the name down before you leave home. Or just say you're looking for Monster Oil.

Castano Monastrell is imported to the U.S. by Eric Solomon's European Cellars.