Murphy-Goode Wild Card Claret 2002
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Winemaker Notes
In the beginning, only the Murphy family's ranch and the Murphy-Goode Vineyard provided the grapes. Over the years, Murphy-Goode Winery steadily increased production, expanding the winery capacity and augmenting the harvest with fruit from the winery's "grower partners," local farmers and neighbors who shared the Murphy-Goode vision.
Initially the partners custom-crushed their grapes at a neighboring winery; consultant Merry Edwards guided the winemaking. After constructing a modest production facility on Tim Murphy's Alexander Valley ranch in 1987, they hired Winemaker Christina Benz. Chris made fifteen vintages of Murphy-Goode wine before turning the winemaking over to David Ready Jr. in 2001.
In recent years, the winery's focus has shifted from primarily white wine to distinctive red wines, particularly Bordeaux blends. Today, Murphy's three sons oversee the vineyards. Dave Ready's two sons make the wine. With exceptional grapes, inspired winemaking and the guiding values of the founding partners, the Murphy-Goode team is entering a fresh, new era of excellence.
One of the world’s most classic and popular styles of red wine, Bordeaux-inspired blends have spread from their homeland in France to nearly every corner of the New World. Typically based on either Cabernet Sauvignon or Merlot and supported by Cabernet Franc, Malbec and Petit Verdot, the best of these are densely hued, fragrant, full of fruit and boast a structure that begs for cellar time. Somm Secret—Blends from Bordeaux are generally earthier compared to those from the New World, which tend to be fruit-dominant.
Home to a diverse array of smaller AVAs with varied microclimates and soil types, Sonoma County has something for every wine lover. Physically twice as large as Napa Valley, the region only produces about half the amount of wine but boasts both tremendous quality and variety. With its laid-back atmosphere and down-to-earth attitude, the wineries of Sonoma are appreciated by wine tourists for their friendliness and approachability. The entire county intends to become a 100% sustainable winegrowing region by 2019.
Sonoma County wines are produced with carefully selected grape varieties to reflect the best attributes of their sites—Dry Creek Valley’s consistent sunshine is ideal for Zinfandel, while the warm Alexander Valley is responsible for rich, voluptuous red wines like Cabernet Sauvignon. Chardonnay and Pinot Noir are important throughout the county, most notably in the cooler AVAs of Russian River, Sonoma Coast and Carneros. Sauvignon Blanc, Merlot and Syrah have also found a firm footing here.