My next stop in Murhpys might be a little hard to pronounce, I certainly flubbed it the first time I tried. The second “t” is silent! Stevenot began in 1975 and produced their first vintage in 1978. The vineyard has 81 acres planted with 18 different grapes, ranging from the traditional (Chardonnay, Merlot, etc.) to more off the beaten path (Torrontes, Verdelho, etc.).
Stevenot turned out to be a bit tough for me to find. The tasting room is entirely hidden behind huge leafy trees and I drove right past it. I ended up down in the crush facility! However, once I found the tasting room, I got to try some great wines.
2007 Torrontes: $18. Honey, flowers, melons, pear, light, slightly sweet, but quite crisp. I took one home.
2006 Chardonnay: $14. Spends 6 months in neutral oak. Apple, flowers, peach, pear, light, but good round mouthfeel.
2006 Rserve Chardonnay: $20. Toasty oak, butter, green apple, pear, rounder and smoother than the regular Charonnay.
2007 Verdelho: $16. Tropical, peach, pineapple, starfruit, citrus, crisp, light, yum!
2007 Rosado: $16. Tempranillo and Albariño blend. Lime, strawberry, cherry, dry, crisp.
2005 Merlot: $16. Plum, cherries, berries, vanilla, strawberries, chocolate.
2006 Zinfandel: $22. Cinnamon, berries, anise, vanilla, spicy, red fruit, berries. I bought one.
Tempranillo: Smoke, spice, dark fruit, plums, raspberries, tannic, dark fruit, spice, cherries.
2006 Muscat Canelli: $18. Honey, tangerine, peach, crisp finish. I bought one for Matt.
2005 Red Rover Cabernet Sauvignon: $8. Fruit forward, tobacco, chocolate, red fruit, cherry, berries.
2005 Red Rover Merlot: $8. Big red fruit, cherries, berries, plum, fruit forward, chocolate, vanilla, tannic.
2005 Orange Muscat: $18. Lime, orange, tangerines, apples, sweet.
Overall, I thought the wines were really well priced and the quality really showed through. The tasting room is well laid out and spacious, it could easily accommodate a crowd, though when I tasted only two other people were at the tasting bar.
Filed under: California, Stevenot, Wineries | 3 Comments »
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