Issue link: http://digital.copcomm.com/i/376390
18 / the tasting panel / september 2014 Murrieta's Well: A Blend of Wine and History M urrieta's Well, a boutique wine brand in the Livermore Valley, has a deeply rooted history, unsurpassed terroir and a rich winemaking heritage, mak- ing it one of California's original gems. Although Joaquin Murrieta—the Gold Rush era bandit who favored the water at the property's artesian well—was an early visitor, it was French native Louis Mel who recognized the land's potential for amazing wine quality. Mel originally propagated the estate's vines in the 1880s, using vineyard cuttings provided by Charles Wetmore, who sourced some of his vines from Château d'Yquem and Château Margaux. During the same era, Mel built a gravity-flow winery into the nearby hillside. When he retired in the early 1930s, he sold the winery to his friend, Ernest Wente, and it became part of the Wente family's celebrated wine estate. Ernest's grandson, Fourth Generation Winegrower Philip Wente, teamed up with winemaker Sergio Traverso in 1990 to revive the property and realize a lifelong dream. The Whip, Murrieta's Well's flagship white wine, offers flavors of white peach, baked apple, honey and butterscotch, while the flagship red blend, The Spur, displays aromas of blackberry and blueberry with hints of graham crackers and toasted oak. THE VOICE OF FIVE GENERATIONS Jeffrey Morgenthaler Book Signing in Los Angeles S mack in the middle of Sunset Junction in the Silver Lake neighborhood of Los Angeles is Bar Keeper—a boutique liquor emporium and bartending accouterments paradise. The setting provided a decidedly apropos backdrop for award-winning bartender Jeffrey Morgenthaler to autograph copies of his new book, The Bar Book: Elements of Cocktail Technique (Chronicle Books, $30), co-authored with Martha Holmberg. Morgenthaler is a burly, energetic and sharp-witted pro, credited with reinvent- ing and proliferating the barrel-aged cocktail. Seated at a stool, and signing copy after copy on this leg of the book tour, sponsored by Tanquery No. TEN Gin, he radiated excitement. Why, I asked him, would he author a book that gives up so many refined tricks of his trade? "I am giving this stuff away because it's what I've always done. I learned by reading the greats—Dale DeGroff, Gary Regan and several others, and I feel I owe a little debt," he said. The book is a culmination of techniques that Morgenthaler has observed over a 20-year career, spending time in bars all over the world. It's organized the way he likes to build his own cocktails, starting with citrus, juices, sodas and mixers and ending with mixing methods and garnishes. For the aspiring bartender, this is the book to pick up and not only read cover-to-cover but to refer to along the journey. —Jonathan Cristaldi When he retired in the early 1930s, he sold the winery to his friend, Ernest Wente, PHOTO COURTESY OF WENTE FAMILY ESTATES Ballard Canyon Syrah B allard Canyon is home to just 600 acres of vines, but this one-year old Santa Barbara County AVA definitively shows that Syrah is suited to this languid five-mile stretch of land. Michael Larner of Larner Vineyards has championed the region, but he wasn't the first to plant Syrah here—that variety dates to the 1970s. "By 1994, Ballard Canyon became the beacon for planting Syrah," Larner tells THE TASTING PANEL. There was a flurry of plantings including Stolpman, Rusack, Jonata and Beckman, who defined this area for Syrah, Grenache and Mourvèdre. A group of sommeliers questioned why Ballard Canyon had no official designation, thereby providing the impetus for AVA status. "The somms were asking for it as opposed to us pushing it," Larner says. "Though Syrah is planted throughout Santa Barbara County, Ballard Canyon soils speak louder and we have to be true to the land," Larner admits. Ballard Syrah has the pepper spice you get from cooler Santa Rita Hills, and the abundant fruit you get from hotter Happy Canyon along with solid tannins, acidity and structure. "If you want to make Syrah, you come to Ballard." —M. C. Michael Larner of Larner Vineyards has championed the Syrah grape in Santa Barbara County's Ballard Canyon AVA. Michael Larner of Larner Vineyards PHOTOS: MICHAEL CERVIN THE MESSAGE At Bar Keeper in Los Angeles, Jeffrey Morgenthaler (right) presents a signed copy of his book to Carlos Ruben Romero, Master Distiller for Campo de Encanto Pisco. At Bar Keeper in Los Angeles, Jeffrey PHOTO: MARTHA HOLMBERG