This is a sponsored post written by me in conjunction with a virtual wine tasting event hosted by
Snooth for Murrieta's Well Winery. Wine samples were provided for this post and this page may contain affiliate links.
Snooth for Murrieta's Well Winery. Wine samples were provided for this post and this page may contain affiliate links.
When I received an email from a contact at Snooth about taking part in a virtual wine tasting, I was intrigued. First, because I was completely unfamiliar with the winery - Murrieta's Well - itself and, second, because I can't think of any other wines that I've tried from Livermore. I always love learning more about a new-to-me area. Besides, I love an excuse to have friends over for dinner.
We had a few technological difficulties logging into the virtual tasting from cell phones, but eventually I connected from my kid's laptop and set it up on a stool next to us as we poured, tasted, and ate. I'll admit: it was challenging to pay attention to the online discussion, type in my comments, and enjoy the dinner all at the same time. I'll have to figure out how to manage that better next time.
In any case, the tasting consisted of five Murrieta's Well wines...
Sauvignon Blanc 2017, suggested retail price $35
The Whip 2016, suggested retail price $26
Dry Rosé 2017, suggested retail price $30
The Spur 2015, suggested retail price $35
Cabernet Sauvignon 2015, suggested retail price $58
Sauvignon Blanc 2017
Grown from descendants of
the original Chateau d’Yquem cuttings that were planted in the late 19th century, this Louis Mel vineyard is part of the original parcel that was purchased when Mel moved to the Livermore Valley. Featuring gravelly soils, the vineyard is ideal for growing Sauvignon Blanc. And being fermented in neutral French oak barrels, the wine to didn't have any oak qualities to it. It was fresh with layered, balanced acidity.
David at Cooking Chat paired it with pesto while I opted to pair the Sauvignon Blanc with marinated chevre cheese with thyme and green peppercorns. Also on the plate were green olives, sliced bread, and a golden beet spread. When we moved on to the next wine, Jake asked if he could just stay with that one. That's high praise coming from someone who normally steers clear of white wines.
The Whip 2016
Next I opened The Whip. Comprised of 33% Sauvignon Blanc, 24% Semillon, 21% Chardonnay, 12% Orange Muscat, and 10% Viognier, The Whip is a lavishly textured wine with huge aromatic appeal. Our Snooth host used the word "perkiness" to describe this wine. I concur. It was surprisingly perky.
Vino-Sphere shared a pairing of North Carolina lump crab cake with snow pea pods. Tales of the Cork shared, "Love the combo of SauvBlanc, Semillon, Chardonnay, Orange Muscat & Viognier. Fabulous floral aromatics, crisp finish—amazing depth." This was delightful and a great match for my Boquerones Asparagus Salad.
Dry Rosé 2017
After The Whip, we moved on to their Dry Rosé, a blend of 42% Grenache, 39% Counoise, 19% Mourvedre. This one was so lovely - to the eye, the nose, and the tongue. Each varietal was cold-fermented separately to preserve the flavors of the grapes, then blended.
Wine Compass described this one as "luscious, creamy strawberries, depth, mint, dry healthy
acids." Texas Wineaux posted "Dry, crisp & refreshing palate. Strawberry, White Peach,
minerals. Highly Recommend!" And I was excited to see that winemaker Robbie Meyer recommended it with salmon. Whatdya know?!? I did pair it with salmon. Well...Tomato Salad with Parsley and Shallots and Olive Oil-Poached Salmon Bellies with Summery Peach-Tomato Salsa.
A quick note: we were so enjoying our three chilled wines and eager to pour the Cabernet Sauvignon with the grilled filet mignon that we accidentally skipped The Spur. So, you'll see another post with a pairing later. Whoops.
Cabernet Sauvignon 2015
All the varieties in this wine - 87% Cabernet Sauvignon, 11% Petit Verdot, and 2% Malbec - were grown in
the Sachau Vineyard located behind the historic tasting room. Winemaker Robbie Meyer described it as fruit forward with woodsy aromas. There was so much going on in this wine from chocolate to olives and, yet, I would still call it supple and subtle. 'Impressive' is a word that comes to mind. At the end of the dinner, we had polished off this bottle and the Dry Rosé.
I served the Cabernet Sauvignon with some grilled filet mignon and a roasted fennel spread from farmer Jamie at Serendipity Farms.
Multiple wines, multiple pairings. So much fun. Jenn, Mike, Jake, and I chatted about the small-batch blends, the terroir-driven wines...and how soon we could get sitters and make a day-trip out of a visit to the tasting room. Soon, we hope!
Find the Sponsors...
*Disclosure: I received sample wines for recipe development, pairing, and generating social media traction. My opinions do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the organizer and sponsors of this event.
Well done! And fast! Impressive! I agree, it is challenging. I'm used to having help from Sue and spouse and that just didn't work out this time! Plus I had problems logging in also. A friend did drop by and helped with some tasting notes, and our pairings were successful so I'm hoping to get post up.
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