The Winery ~ Murietta’s Well
Murrieta’s
Well has been producing grapes since the late 1800’s and their original
vine cuttings hail from the renown French wineries, Chateau d’Yquem and
Chateau Margeaux. The winery changed hands in 1940 when it was sold to
the Wente family that still remains today. The grapes are grown on 100
estate acres among a few different soils and terrain. The wines
produced are made in small batches that are expressive of the plots of
land from which they are grown.
The Wine District ~ Livermore Valley
The
Livermore wine appellation of California is located about an hour drive
from San Francisco. The area’s history in the wine industry was
commercially developed in the 1840’s by Robert Livermore. With about
4,000 acres of land dedicated to vines the area boasts over 50 wineries
with reputable long-standing producers like Wente, Concannon and
Wetmore. With gravel soils being the key component to many of the acres
it “reduces
the vines’ vigor and increases flavor concentration in the grapes.”
The climate of the Livermore Valley is influenced by the Pacific Ocean
with cooling breezes on summer days along with the morning fog rolling
through the hills.
The Wines
 |
| Photo courtesy of Livermore Valley Wine Country |
2018 Murietta’s Well Dry Orange Muscat
– My favorite of the tasting. Crafted in a dry style to be versatile
with a number of foods before it reaches too much sweetness on the
palette. The color of this wine is so inviting in the glass. A
beautiful display of aromatics displaying enticing floral notes, orange
blossom with some spice. Medium-bodied, refreshing acidity, citrus,
orange, white flowers with a touch of spice. Robbie recommends pairing
it with seafood. ABV 14.5% SRP $38
2018 Murietta’s well Dry Rose – A newer wine to Murrieta’s Well this dry rose’ is made from a blend of 25% grenache, 42% counoise and 33% mourvedre.
As Robbie describes this wine and I couldn’t agree more that as a rose’
“it’s clean, lively and refreshing with substance”. This wine shows
wild strawberries, stone fruit with some herbal nuances. Recommended by
Robbie to pair with butternut squash risotto, grilled salmon. ABV
13.5% SRP $32
2017 Murietta’s Well The Spur – A blend of 64% cabernet sauvignon, 13% merlot, 14% syrah and 9% petite verdot.
Robbie’s goal with this is to show sophistication. Drawn in by the
luscious black fruits including blackberries and plums. Layer upon
layer with licorice and spice combined with good acidity. ABV 14.5% SRP
$35
2016 Murietta’s Well Merlot –
Made of 95% merlot with 5% cabernet sauvignon. Full-bodied with nice
structure. Lush flavors of black cherry, vanilla with hints of
chocolate. Recommendation of turkey piadina, pork or steak. ABV 14% SRP $48
Have you visited the Livermore Valley wine area? If so, I’d love to hear about your journey through wine country.
*Information sourced from Livermore Valley Wine Country & Murrieta's Well. These wines were provided as samples, but opinions are always my own.
