Rob Murray Vineyards rounds out our top six from the Family Winemakers Tasting August 17. Despite bottling under four labels, production is fairly small, usually under 500 cases per wine variety per label. If you’re looking for a specific wine, Rob Murray won’t be easy to find. Far better to order directly from the winery website.
Rob wins the award for the most decorative labels.
[portfolio_slideshow include=”3869,3868,3867,3866″ size=large autoplay=true]We tasted the 2011 Stasis pinot noir ($42, about 450 cases). The nose shows good fruit with an earthy-leathery backbone. There is more fruit in the flavor with smooth tannins and a long finish.
[portfolio_slideshow include=”3878,3877″ size=large autoplay=true]Rob Murray’s roots are in San Joaquin Valley agriculture where he began working on his parents’ farm at the tender age of five. He has a degree in Agricultural Management from Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo. He has also run a Hawai’i plantation growing bananas and other fruit. And he currently manages about 1,000 acres of Central Coast vineyards. Luckily, he has enough spare time to partner with winemaker Robert Henson whose pedigree includes a degree in Enology from Fresno State University (the “hands-on” enology program) and a stint with Michaud Vineyard.
As befits a winemaker from the vineyards, Rob’s descriptions of the terroir are incredibly detailed. (Click the image for a closer look.)
Rob Murray Vineyard Details
