It probably comes as a surprise that nowadays Spain boasts many rich, authentic yet exceptionally great-value wines from rather hot and arid regions that at their best are also vibrant, bright, and easy to drink. In the dry and warm areas in the southeast of Spain, in Murcia, especially Jumilla, Yecla, Bullas as well as the slightly cooler Alicante of Valencia, monastrell is at its prime in delivering rich and flavorful bottles that show a Mediterranean freshness with value and quality underscored, hitting a sweet spot for the savvy consumers who wish to get the most out of everyday wines.

The dark-skinned, late-ripening, and densely packed clusters of monastrell – otherwise known as mourvedre in its French stronghold Bandol where it produces deliciously bold and deeply colored wines with spicy, tarry, and gamey characters – usually takes a rounder and more approachable style in its homeland Spain. The best can be intense but elegant, fruity but solidly framed, often with a floral whiff and peppery spices that evolve with time into a meaty savoriness. These engaging examples are what I would describe as “vinous yet heartfelt,” given their generosity in color, ripe tannin and honest fruit richness, but not alcoholic, chunky, nor jammy, which could be a problem for the lesser examples.

When blended with some Rhone varieties, most commonly grenache or syrah (usually less than 20%), monastrell can take a GSM sensibility featuring more Mediterranean spices and peppery fruit but in a richer, often more concentrated set than its Cotes du Rhone counterparts, another great-value zone to explore for $15 price tags. There are also successful examples of monastrell blended with cabernet sauvignon, merlot, or tempranillo. In some cases, monastrell is added with garnacha tintorera, otherwise known as alicante bouschet, a teinturier variety that has pigment in its flesh, rendering even more color, wild boysenberry and dark cherry fruit to the final blend.

Below we have selected ten wonderfully great-value monastrells that retail around $15, and most of them pure monastrell, at least stated as a varietal wine. Enjoy these now and pair them with equally rich, authentic dishes best drenched in Mediterranean sauces and spices!

– Zekun Shuai, associate editor in Beijing