With a name like “Murgatroyd” you might expect this wine to smell and taste like a pink mountain lion. While this wine is as dry and intense as a night in the desert, and its spice and herbal aromas might be the result of a romp in the sagebrush, nothing could be further from the truth. Deep brick red color, bright aromas of plum and blueberry, and full fruit flavors of raspberries, currants and vanilla, are certainly nothing like a pink mountain lion. Then again... why is he pink?
Food Pairings: Murginade! Marinade tri-tip in Murgatroyd, soy sauce, ginger, honey - anything with a big marinara sauce - stinky cheeses or a nice cigar
750 ml $24.00
Geek Sheet Data for 2004 Calaveras County Murgatroyd
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Production Notes
It’s back to Calaveras County with the 2004 version of the Murgatroyd. The season started off with an early budbreak in Calaveras. The weather slowly warmed up resulting in a very protracted bloom period, keeping berries small and assisting with a very low skin/juice ratio. After bloom, the weather turned quite hot...very typical for our region in July and August. We had a late heat spell that kicked the vines into ripeness just before the weather changed up and sent some rains down. Upon reaching the winery, each of these lots fermented with approximately 80% of the berries crushed and 20% destemmed and left as “whole-berries”. After primary fermentation, the wines were pressed and racked to barrels where we induce the secondary, or malolactic, fermentation to soften the mouthfeel. The wine spent 23 months in American, French and Hungarian oak before being bottled.
TECHNICAL NITTY GRITTY
Varietals & Vineyards:29% Cabernet Sauvignon from Vallecito Vineyards26% Cabernet Sauvignon from the Tanner Vineyard25% Petit Verdot from the Tanner Vineyard13% Tempranillo from Silvaspoons Vineyard7% Grenache from the Boeger VineyardHarvest Date:All Over, 2004Oak Program:20% new American oak20% new Hungarian oak60% 2-year old American & French oakFood Pairings: Murginade!marinade tri-tip in Murgatroyd, soy sauce, ginger, honey -anything with a big marinara sauce -stinky cheeses or a nice cigar
