Murrieta’s Well Petit Verdot 2017, Livermore Valley, USA

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Dark purple in the glass.  On the nose there’s sweet lingonberry, French oak notes and charcoal.  On the palate this wine is delicious- black fruits galore. Lilac, delicious oak without the flab and gorgeous tannins all caress my palate.  The finish is super duper….long, a touch dry with that dark fruit jam that is delicious.  92 points $56 makes this a 4 star effort that was the wine of the day for me.  Drink till 2028 with all sorts of meats and stews.  Salut….

Murrieta’s Well Merlot 2016, Livermore Valley, USA

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Dark purple, semi opaque in the glass. On the nose there’s a  very concentrated plum core with a touch of oak and espresso.  On the palate it introduces blackberries and tannin right off the bat.  There is a black fruit component that carries through the slightly hollow midpalate into the finish of violet, black olive and plum.  It lasts a while.  I would cellar this baby till 2021 and then drink till 2026 with venison, roast squab or a hearty pasta dish…. steaks are an obvious pairing btw.  90 points  and 3 stars for this $46 bottle.  Salut….

Murrieta’s Well Cabernet Sauvignon 2016, Livermore Valley, USA

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Dark purple in the glass with long legs.  93% cab, 5% Malbec and 2% Petit Verdot.  On the nose I get rich plum, blackberry, cocoa and cedar.  On the palate I am surprised yet delighted by the rich cherry flavor that hits initially.  The wine offers up the more traditional plums and black fruit later, alongside very lithe tannins that sneak up.   Balance is great in this wine, just a touch of acidity to keep the dryness in check and allow the fruit to shine.  There’s a certain warmth that closes out the midlength finish that I’m enjoying.  This wine is drinking nicely now and will improve with age.  Drink till 2026 with steaks!  92 points and 4 stars for this $62 wine.  Salut….

Murrieta’s Well Tempranillo 2017, Livermore Valley, USA

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Very dark purple.  On the nose it is showing off sweet blackberries with a spicy component.  Plum reduction also comes to mind.  On the palate sour plum combines beautifully with blackberry and coffee bean.  The midpalate introduces the tannins which ramp up nicely to caress the gums on the finish without being too dry and obtrusive.  Drink now till 2024 with game dishes, charcuterie or all by itself.  91 points makes this $50 charmer a 4 star wine.  I was impressed BTW.  Salut….

 

Murrieta’s Well Dry Rose 2018, Livermore Valley, USA

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I’m not a frequent Rose drinker so I had to approach this one with caution…Beautiful shade of pink in the glass.  On the nose there is citrus and orange peel.  On the palate it is refreshing with a tartness from the citrus.  Strawberries hit me alongside stone fruits.  89 points $32 (but I found it online for $18 make it a 3 star effort.  Sip in the shade on a hot day with salmi and hard cheeses.  Salut….

Murrieta’s Well Dry Orange Muscat 2018, Livermore Valley, USA

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Very pale yellow.  Blood oranges, gardenia, rose water all hit my nose- from a foot away.  This is very aromatic.  On the palate it tastes just it smells- plus lychee.  Delicious and tight. 90 points and 4 stars even though it’s a bit pricey at $38, it’s a treat.  Salut….

Murrieta’s Well Chardonnay 2016, Livermore Valley, USA

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Golden yellow in the glass.  The nose is chock full of citrus and pineapple.  On the palate I get a tinge of butter alongside the citrus notes and elderberry.  90 points, $48 makes this a 3 star wine.  Sip with grilled prawns.  Salut….

Murrieta’s Well Sauvignon Blanc 2018, Livermore Valley, USA

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Very light gold in the glass. A sweet nectar nose with honeysuckle, peach stone and cut grass.  On the palate it is a touch biting with some nice acidity to go along with the grapefruit.  89 points and 2 stars for this $38 white.  Salut….

Murrieta’s Well The Whip White 2017, Livermore Valley, USA

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This is the first of several notes I made when I visited Murietta’s Well Winery in Livermore, California.  I was greeted at the entrance by the hostess who offered me a glass of this. Medium yellow in the glass with a great, fresh nose of melon, lemon curd and pineapple.  On the palate it’s a little thinner than expected but still very fresh.  Lithe acidity.  88 points and 2 stars for this $26 blend of Sauvignon Blanc, Semillon, Orange Muscat, Chardonnay, Viognier and Muscat Canelli.  Salut….

Pork Belly on the Big Green Egg


I know this is a wine blog, but I also love cooking on the Big Green Egg and when I do a new recipe, I feel obliged to share it with you all.  In fact, my most visited pages are for Lamb on the Big Green Egg, you should see the stats around Easter!

Anyway, I saw this Pork Belly at the local supermarket, and knowing my 16 year old son loves belly I decided to try something new.  I slit the fat cap every 1/4 inch, rubbed it with a dry rub and placed the meat on a bed of carrots and onion.  The whole ensemble was bathed in a can of beer to keep it moist and give flavor.  I started the charcoal and let ‘er rip up to 500F with just two small chunks of wood amongst the lump.  I was not going for a smoky slab, preferring the taste of the rub and some crispy bark instead.

Once the meat was placed over the heat diffuser, I let it cook at 500F for an hour.  The vents were closed and the temp steadied at 350F for another hour before the meat registered 195F internally.  That was my target so I had to remove it, before the skin was the right consistency that I was looking for.  In order to finish it the way I wanted, I then broiled it in the oven very briefly to get the skin just right.  I sliced the meat in thin strips and had a winner on the table!  I would serve a dry white or even rose’ with it to help cut the fat somewhat.  Red would overpower I think.  Try it and let me know what you think.  Salut….