A while back I participated in an online tasting from Wente that included some of the Murrieta's Well line, again named after the inspiration for Zorro. One bottle was missing from many bloggers' tasting kits, and I didn't think too much about it. But last week, I received the missing bottle with a kind letter, and was excited to give it a try. 2010 Murrieta's Well "The Whip"
Livermore Valley
$20, 13% abv.
31% Sauvignon Blanc, 27% Viognier, 15% Semillon, 11% Pinot Blanc, 8% Orange Muscat, 8% Muscat Canelli
Nose of nectarines and lemon zest with a slightly musky undertone from the Muscat. Bright lemony acidity, with a nice tart mouthfeel and just a bit of sweetness. It's a very approachable and casual white wine, and the obvious comparison is with Conundrum, which I happened to taste just yesterday.
Comparing the two, I prefer The Whip to Conundrum. Part of it is the sweetness factor, but while both wines are perfectly serviceable, The Whip fits my palate better. I'm enjoying it with some cheese and marinated olives on a quiet Sunday afternoon. And just as a random note, when I saw Devo's video for Whip It back in 1981, it was not that strange. Oh sure, it didn't make any sense, but there was no standard format back in those days. You might have puppets, or animation, or moody black and white, or long stories, or all sorts of crazy stuff. Mark Mothersbaugh wearing an energy dome and whipping the clothes off a woman in a western setting? After 1980's Fish Heads we were ready for anything.
Note: This wine was received as a sample.
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