One of the most interesting things about red wines is appreciating a good winemaker’s knack of skillfully combining the land, fermentation, and blending to make a unique statement. This happens especially when blending creative combinations of grapes like Cabernet Sauvignon, Petit Verdot, and Petit Syrah.
Normally, winemakers avoid using high percentages of Petit Verdot and Petit Syrah in their Cabernet-based blends, but the people at Murrieta’s Well in Livermore Valley found that about 1/3 Cabernet, 1/3 Petit Verdot, and 1/3 Petit Syrah (rounding out with a few others) blend was just the right combo to make their 2011 “Spur” totally palate friendly.
At a recent tasting, The Spur rated very highly with Cabernet and Pinot Noir fans, including young and old (this doesn’t happen very often). Most agreed that its color, bouquet, and body place it firmly the “nicely rounded” category, making it a great selection to have on hand as a crowd pleaser.
It’s inviting deep ruby color is enhanced by a bouquet of dark fruit, spice, toast, violets, and cocoa. A well-rounded taste in the mouth finishes rather quickly and smoothly; probably the reason that the Pinot fans like it. And the alcohol, acidity, and tannins are nicely integrated for a wine this young. All in all, this represents a great value for its reasonable $20-$25 price range.
You can find it at Tops Liquors in Tempe. Tops also carries other Murrieta’s Well selections. These may also be worth exploring and should be prime candidates for an interesting wine tasting party.
It’s also worth noting that this is yet another wine from the Livermore Valley with a certain “spicy toast” character that could be representative of the region’s wines in general. So if you like this, a stop in Livermore may be just the thing for your next visit to the San Francisco Bay area wine country appellations.
Serve after 20-30 minutes in the fridge (60-65 degrees).
