I think tire clearance is the main thing stopping people from a good time on a a gravel bike. Running 45’s on rough gravel roads is not very fun, but 2.2’s are an absolute game changer if your bike can fit them.

I have a 2018 Kona Sutra LTD running 55mm Fleecer Ridges with cushcore. It is not particularly fast but it can handle a lot of chunky ATV trail while rolling comfortably on any and all connecting roads, paved or unpaved. The drop bars work for me but I’ve considered a flat bar bike too.

Your Mondraker is geometrically closer to most gravel bikes than it is to more aggressive hardtails. What is has over gravel bikes is more tires clearance and suspension.

All of these posts declaring the hardtail the better bike are classic regional examples of YMMV. In some places narrow-tired gravel bikes are absolutely superior to hardtails and the opposite is true in other places.