Winemaker Notes
"Esperance" translates into "Hope" from French to English. With this wine, we hope to not only recreate the great red wines of southern France, but we further hope to craft a wine that will inspire your senses the way we were inspired over a decade ago.
65% Grenache, 20% Mourvedre, 15% Syrah
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Starting out this terrific lineup is the 2014 Esperance, which is 60% Grenache, 25% Syrah and 15% Mourvèdre that comes all from the sandy, gravely clay soils of the Curtis Vineyard in the Santa Ynez Valley. Giving up lots of ripe blackberry, black raspberry, plum, ground herbs and a touch of flowers, it’s medium to full-bodied, polished and elegant, with a seamless style. It will drink beautifully for at least 4-5 years.
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Wilfred Wong of Wine.com
A truly delicious G-S-M—Grenache, Syrah, and Mourvedre, the 2014 Andrew Murray Vineyards Esperance does an excellent job in combining the flavors of this trio of grape varieties. This wine shows an attractive wild streak of leaves and dried fruits as it stays substantive and generous on the palate and in the finish. The lively red and black fruit pairs it well with grilled steak. (Tasted: May 9, 2017, San Francisco, CA)
With bold fruit flavors and accents of sweet spice, Grenache, Syrah and Mourvèdre form the base of the classic Rhône Red Blend, while Carignan, Cinsault and Counoise often come in to play. Though they originated from France’s southern Rhône Valley, with some creative interpretation, Rhône blends have also become popular in other countries. Somm Secret—Putting their own local spin on the Rhône Red Blend, those from Priorat often include Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon. In California, it is not uncommon to see Petite Sirah make an appearance.
The largest and perhaps most varied of California’s wine-growing regions, the Central Coast produces a good majority of the state's wine. This vast California wine district stretches from San Francisco all the way to Santa Barbara along the coast, and reaches inland nearly all the way to the Central Valley.
Encompassing an extremely diverse array of climates, soil types and wine styles, it contains many smaller sub-AVAs, including San Francisco Bay, Monterey, the Santa Cruz Mountains, Paso Robles, Edna Valley, Santa Ynez Valley and Santa Maria Valley.
While the Central Coast California wine region could probably support almost any major grape varietiy, it is famous for a few Central Coast reds and whites. Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon and Zinfandel are among the major ones. The Central Coast is home to many of the state's small, artisanal wineries crafting unique, high-quality wines, as well as larger producers also making exceptional wines.