This is what United Airlines is serving up on domestic First Class, but that’s not saying much….  Anyway, I mistook it for a Syrah.  I’m not sure what I was thinking, but I could taste telltale Syrah notes and a deft use of oak.  Bluish in the fruit department, it had a mid palate hollowness that bothered me at first but I got used to it.  The acid and tannins are ok, but not in balance (Much more tannic than acidic).  I then took a look at the bottle to reveal the true varietal.  Monastrell, or Mouvedre as it is known, is grown widely in the south of France and used mainly as a blend (think GSM).  Anyway, I looked up pricing and found it to be very reasonable.  Would I recommend it for a party, sure….  Would I serve it?  Not a chance.  It’s just not very good technically and I would give it 84 points tops and therefore a 2 star rating.  Cheap it might be, but not up to spec for me.   Salut….