murrieta`s well: historical timeline

MURRIETA’S WELL: HISTORICAL TIMELINE
1850s
Joaquin Murrieta, a legendary bandito, roams California during the Gold Rush era.
Murrieta earns a reputation and a livelihood rounding up cattle and horses that then ran
wild in the California open range, driving them down to Mexico to sell to the Mexican
Army, a very lucrative business. Larger than life for these escapades and for taking
revenge against American miners who assaulted his wife and killed his brother, Murrieta’s
reputation spreads as far south as Chile. During his crusades he set up base camps up
and down the coast range. Murrieta and his men often stopped to water their horses at
an artesian well bubbling up from the floor of the Livermore Valley at the base of the
Arroyo Mocho, today the site of Murrieta’s Well Winery.
1870s
Louis Mel, pioneering businessman, emigrates from France to the United States, setting
up insurance agencies all over the west from Canada to Mexico. During his travels, Mel
falls in love with the Livermore Valley in California. There, Mel buys a charming
property with a flowing stream and an artesian well the locals call “Murrieta’s Well.”
Mel’s discovery of this natural source of water and the unusually gravelly soil capture his
attention due to its likeness to some of greatest vineyard sites in France. Mel buys the
surrounding land and builds a gravity-flow winery into the hillside adjacent to the well,
where the century old walls of river rock and cement still stand.
1880s
In 1884, Louis Mel’s wife writes a letter to her childhood friend, the wife of the Marquis
de Lur-Saluces at the famous Chateau d’Yquem in Bordeaux, introducing fellow
Livermore Valley pioneer Charles Wetmore. Wetmore travels to Bordeaux where he
obtains cuttings of Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon from the Chateau. He also acquires
cuttings of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, likely from Margaux, In 1889 Wetmore wins
the grand prix at Paris with wines made from these cuttings. He shares these cuttings
with Louis Mel, who plants them to his estate in Livermore Valley.
1930s
Ernest Wente buys the property from his friend and neighbor, Louis Mel, keeping the
winery and vineyards in production during Prohibition by producing sacramental wines.
1990
Philip Wente, who grew up a stone’s throw from the winery in the Victorian-era house
built by the Mels, and Sergio Traverso, chief winemaker at neighboring Concannon
Vineyard, form a partnership to create the wines of Murrieta’s Well and resurrect the
exquisite wine estate, replanting the vineyards with additional Bordeaux, Spanish and
Portuguese varietals.
1991
The beautifully restored old stone winery opens its doors to visitors for the first time.
Release of first vintages of White Meritage (1990 Vintage), Red Meritage (1989 Vintage)
and Zinfandel (1989 Vintage).
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2000
Sergio sells his interest in the winery to the Wente family. He remains an integral part of
the winegrowing and winemaking team, consulting in the vineyard and during blending.
2002
Karl Wente named winemaker for Wente Family Estates, encompassing Wente
Vineyards, Murrieta’s Well and Tamás Estates, with Sergio and Phillip as consulting
winemakers at Murrieta’s Well.
2004
Release of first vintage of Zarzuela (2001 Vintage), a blend of Spanish and Portuguese
varietals, including Touriga Nacional, Tempranillo, Souzao and Touriga Francesca.
2010
Murrieta’s Well celebrates 20 years with the introduction of two new enticing blends;
the Whip, a blend of six aromatic white varietals including Semillon, Sauvignon Blanc,
Viognier, Muscat Cannelli, Gewurztraminer and Orange Muscat, and the Spur, a blend of
Cabernet Sauvignon, Petit Verdot, Petite Sirah, Cabernet Franc and Malbec.
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MURRIETA’S WELL: KEY FACTS
Murrieta’s Well is a Livermore Valley wine estate defined by its distinctive blended wines, stunning location,
and a rich heritage that began during California’s Gold Rush era. In 1990, Fourth Generation Winegrower
Philip Wente and Winemaker Sergio Traverso merged old and new winemaking styles, reviving the historic
winery originally established by Livermore Valley Pioneer Louis Mel.
The Place: Set in the heart of the Livermore Valley American Viticultural Area (AVA), as well as the greater
San Francisco Bay AVA, Murrieta’s Well is located 35 miles east of San Francisco. The site is located on a
natural water source at the base of the Mocho Canyon. The legendary gold rush era bandito Joaquin Murrieta
is known to have frequented the artesian well in front the winery, and it is for him that the winery is named.
The Winery: Originally built in the 1880s by Livermore Valley pioneer Louis Mel, the old stone winery
building is a timeless example of early California architecture. Local timber and concrete made from gravel
gathered from the nearby Arroyo Mocho Creek were used in the construction. One of the first examples of
California gravity flow design, the building is now home to the Murrieta’s Well Tasting Room.
Owners: The Wente Family
Winemaking Team: Winemaker Karl Wente; Consulting Winemaker Sergio Traverso.
Wines: Blends handcrafted to showcase the exceptional terroir of the property, and the art of blending.
The Whip and the Spur are sophisticated white and red blends respectively.
Los Tesoros de Joaquin wines (The Treasures of Joaquin), linked to the heritage of the surrounding vineyards,
are produced in small quantities and are sold only at the winery or online. The wines in the Los Tesoros de
Joaquin portfolio honor the pioneering bandito Joaquin Murrieta.
Production & Cooperage: ~12,000 cases (vintage dependent). Aged in French, American, and Eastern
European oak barrels.
Acreage: 92 acres planted to: Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Sauvignon Blanc, Semillon and
Zinfandel, Petite Verdot, Mourvedre, Tempranillo, Souzao, Touriga Francesca and Touriga Nacional.
Tasting: May–October: Daily 11:00am to 4:30pm, and November–April: Wednesday through Sunday
11:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
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PHILIP R. WENTE
Fourth Generation Winegrower and Co-Founder of Murrieta’s Well
Philip R. Wente is a fourth generation winegrower, and for more than 20 years he
has headed the operation, expansion and redevelopment of the Wente Family
Estate vineyards and its land development programs. Under his supervision of
agricultural operations, the winery’s vineyard holdings increased significantly. He
replanted the family’s estate vineyards, utilizing the soil resources and new trellis
system technologies to further enhance the natural distinctiveness of each
vineyard block.
In 1990, Philip teamed up with winemaker Sergio Traverso to revive the historic
'Murrieta's Well' winery focusing on red and white blended wines produced from
the sustainably farmed 92-acre Estate Vineyard and the adjacent historic Raboli
vineyard.
Following in the footsteps of his grandfather Ernest Wente, Philip pursued his love of viticulture at University
of California at Davis. He graduated in 1975 with a degree in agricultural science and management, specializing
in viticulture and enology. In recognition of his commitment to viticulture, Philip was elected to the Board of
the Wine Institute in 1977, served as chairman in 1995, and continues as an ex-officio officer to the present
time, a further tribute to his commitment to the stewardship of the California wine industry.
Philip is strongly committed to preserving and protecting the family’s vineyards through the 'Farming for the
Future'-program dedicated to sustainable agriculture. The program is a system of practices that enhances the
vitality of the soil, creating a harmony of sustainable ecology, minimal water use and reducing non-organic
waste, all part of the family’s ongoing focus on sustainability.
“Our vineyards are our heritage. We want to produce exceptional wines with the least environmental impact, and
create vineyards that will endure and thrive,” Philip explains.
Philip is a leading advocate for the Livermore Valley and Arroyo Seco as winegrowing regions and is actively
involved in land use and planning issues in the Livermore Valley. In 1986, Philip spearheaded the South
Livermore Valley Planning Process that created a General Plan Amendment adopted in 1993. One of the many
tools developed during this planning progress was the formation of the Tri-Valley Conservancy, an innovative
agricultural land trust that harmonizes real estate development and agricultural land preservation in Alameda
County, California. These initiatives were so successful that they are being used as a model in many other areas of
the country.
Philip lives with his wife, Julie, and their daughters in the Livermore Valley home built by his grandfather early in
the last century.
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SERGIO TRAVERSO, Ph. D.
Consulting Winemaker and Co-Founder of Murrieta’s Well
A renowned winemaker in both North and South America, Sergio Traverso cofounded Murrieta’s Well with Philip Wente in 1990 with the shared vision of creating
wines of character and distinction. Sergio later sold his interest in the winery to the
Wente family, staying intensely involved as consulting winemaker. Today he works
closely with Fifth Generation Winemaker Karl Wente on the winery’s unique
portfolio of blended proprietary wines.
Growing up amongst the vineyards and wineries of Chile and the son of wellrespected winemaker and distiller Bartolomé Traverso, Sergio’s interest and
experience in wine began early. He attended the University of Chile in Santiago,
where he graduated with distinction as a biochemist. Sergio caught the attention of a
visiting professor from the University of California at Davis, where he was asked to come to California to be a
research assistant. While at U.C. Davis he obtained a master's degree in food science and a doctoral degree in
microbiology.
Following graduation, Sergio served as technical director of Mexico’s Casa Madero, one of the oldest wineries in
North America. During his time there, Sergio succeeded in reshaping the winery from its previous focus on
distilled spirits to a new era in wine production. In 1975, he returned to California to become the first
winemaker of Domaine Chandon in Yountville, moving to Sterling Vineyards as winemaker in 1978. He also
acted as a consultant for specific projects at several wineries in the Napa and Sonoma valleys: among them
Robert Mondavi Winery, Clos du Val, Inglenook and Sonoma-Cutrer. In 1981 he joined Concannon Vineyard,
where he was instrumental in its restoration and in providing new direction to the historical winery in the
emerging region of Livermore Valley.
As chief winemaker at neighboring Concannon Vineyard, Sergio knew the valley well and held an admiration for
Bordeaux-styled blends. His preference for those grapes dates to his childhood in Chile where the vineyards
were planted by Bordelais, who brought over grapes such as Semillon, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. During
his winemaking years at Concannon he found that these blending grapes flourished in the Graves-like gravelly
soil and climate.
Sergio sold his interest in Concannon and joined Philip Wente to found Murrieta’s Well, where he was attracted
by the characteristics of the 92-acre estate vineyard and the lore of the old winery site by a play written by fellow
Chilean, and Nobel Prize-winning poet, Pablo Neruda, about Joaquin Murrieta. He worked with Philip Wente to
plant diverse varietals on the estate and continues to make wine with Karl Wente focusing on ways to make
blends unlike any other.
“Blends of wines from different grape varieties offer to the winemaker perhaps the most complete set of tools in
bringing the essence of terroir into a wine glass.” -Sergio Traverso
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THE WINES
Murrieta's Well wines are produced from grapes grown on the winery’s sustainably-farmed 92-acre Estate
vineyard.
The flagship wines are handcrafted blends with a strong influence from the Bordeaux varietal heritage of the
property with a dash of panache from other grape varieties to create an artist’s palette for blending. Murrieta’s
Well The Whip and The Spur are sophisticated white and red blends respectively. The small lot, limited
production Los Tesoros de Joaquin wines round out the diverse portfolio.
The Whip
A sophisticated blend of aromatic white grapes, the Whip is a tribute to the great white blends of the world.
Fermented and aged in a combination of stainless steel and neutral oak barrels, the resulting wine is a
captivating symphony of flavors and aromas of white peach, baked apple, honey and butterscotch, perfect as
an aperitif or a well-paired match to many dishes.
The Spur
The art of blending is a signature of Winemaker Sergio Traverso, who has been winemaking for more than 35
years. Together with Fifth Generation Winemaker Karl Wente, they have created a beautiful expression of a
red blend with the Spur,, which displays aromas and flavors of blackberry and blueberry with hints of
chocolate, anise, graham crackers and toasted oak.
Los Tesoros
The legendary gold rush era bandito Joaquin Murrieta is known to have frequented the artesian well in front
the winery; it is for him that the winery is named. The wines in the Los Tesoros de Joaquin portfolio continue
to honor the memory of this brave and bold bandito.
Our Los Tesoros de Joaquin wines are linked to the heritage of the Estate vineyards and are produced in small
quantities and sold only at the winery.
REDS:
WHITES:
Murrieta’s Well The Spur
Murrieta’s Well Red Meritage
Murrieta’s Well Anniversary Blend
Los Tesoros Meritage
Los Tesoros de Joaquin Cabernet Sauvignon
Los Tesoros de Joaquin Merlot
Los Tesoros de Joaquin Tempranillo
Los Tesoros de Joaquin Petit Verdot
Los Tesoros de Joaquin Mourvedre
Los Tesoros de Joaquin Touriga
Los Tesoros de Joaquin Francesca
Los Tesoros de Joaquin Souzao
Los Tesoros de Joaquin Malbec
Los Tesoros de Joaquin Zinfandel
Los Tesoros de Joaquin Port
Murrieta’s Well The Whip
Murrieta’s Well White Meritage
Los Tesoros de Joaquin Semillon
Los Tesoros de Joaquin Semillon-Chardonnay
Los Tesoros de Joaquin Sauvignon Blanc
Los Tesoros de Joaquin Muscat Canelli
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