The Andrew Murray Trio Is Not a Jazz Group!

Andrew Murray was barely old enough to vote when his family, at his urging, planted Rhône grapes on Foxen Canyon Road in 1990. They fortuitously pitched their tents right next door to Qupé, founded by Bob Lindquist, the trailblazer who proved that syrah had found a perfect harbor in Santa Barbara County.

As the vineyards grew and produced fruit, Murray bottled his initial vintage in 1993. In just a couple of years, the 90-plus-point ratings and accolades began rolling in. After more than three decades of syrah successes under his namesake label, Murray finally landed his white whale when a very rare opportunity emerged in 2024. 

Lindquist had sold Qupé years prior, and the eventual corporate owners suffocated under the weight of their own spreadsheets, prompting a boardroom drama that forced Lindquist out in 2019. The wine biz can be a masochistic racket, beyond swirling fancy glasses and huffing “notes of strawberry and wild thyme.”

Murray bought the brand, having long admired its founder, and now he owns the inventory, the label, and the heritage. He currently juggles three distinct projects: his original namesake Rhône portfolio, the Bordeaux-leaning E11even, and the Lazarus-like Qupé.

At least Bob Lindquist knows his legacy is in assured hands and not just a series of integers on a soulless bean counter’s computer screen. I’m confident everyone in the Central Coast wine community is delighted and feels the same way.

I recently relished an 11-wine flight with Murray. For amateur palates, that might sound daunting. For me, whose personal single-day record hits triple digits, this was a mere afternoon stretch.

Murray describes his winemaking philosophy with theatrical flair: “My style has the politeness of the French, and the brashness of the Australians. I walk the razor’s edge.” That declaration rings true when you meet him, though the emphasis is heavily on affability, with the brashness and razors lingering way in the background.

The Opening Act: E11even

The E11even brand relies heavily on Spinal Tap movie nostalgia. It’s spelled with two ones because amplifiers going to eleven is peak comedy to Gen X winemakers. Watch the movie! I’d offer some choice quotes from it, but I have to keep the tone here PG-13.

We kicked off the program with the Curtis Vineyard Santa Ynez Valley Estate Chenin Blanc 2025. It is impressively zestful, persistent, and lean, flashing freshly cut herbs and a green snap of jalapeño that would easily trick blind tasters into thinking it’s sauvignon blanc.

It’s an oyster wine that vocally demands accompaniment with a dozen Hog Island Sweetwaters and Kumamotos in any ratio you prefer. Leave the cocktail sauce in its ramekin, dab on a mignonette, and enjoy a joyously racy food and vino amalgamation.

Meanwhile, the Curtis Vineyard Santa Ynez Valley Estate Cabernet Franc 2023 dodges the usual, audience-clearing bell pepper notes in favor of ripe fruit and disciplined oak. I have long had a love-hate relationship with this grape (mostly hate). But Murray’s highly pleasing iteration made me clean-forget about the underripe, oppressively verdant efforts that have plagued my soul and tastebuds for 40 years.

Then Murray poured the Santa Ynez Valley “Remix” 2023, a merlot-heavy blend. Despite Hollywood profanely ordering the wine-drinking public to despise merlot 20 years ago via the movie Sideways, this version is plummy, chocolaty, supple, and blissfully free of vegetation. How a syrah guy crafted this, I have no idea, but it begs to be paired with garlic-herb crusted lamb chops. Add a side of asparagus if you absolutely require a dash of greenery.

The Heritage Stage: Qupé

The legacy brand shows immediate familial DNA under Murray’s baton, retaining its classic roots while absorbing his signature precision. The Santa Barbara County Sauvignon Blanc 2025 — a first-ever for the brand — bears a striking resemblance to the E11even chenin, opening with garrigue, lime, and lemongrass before offering up a midrange of lush peach on the palate.

For those nostalgic for a throwback to the original Lindquistian attributes, the soon-to-be-released 2025 Santa Barbara County Chardonnay smells of every tropical fruit in a backyard orchard. It seduces the palate like a classic, old-school Qupé bottling: measured, discreet, tempting, and lengthy.

If that sounds too polite, the Sta. Rita Hills Chardonnay 2024 turns up the volume with sexy, multifaceted oak intonations, mango, papaya, pineapple, and relentless breadth. Murray borrows the poetic marketing phrase “refrigerated sunshine” to describe the Sta. Rita Hills climate, and I discovered that after syrah, chardonnay takes a reasonably close second on his dinner table.

Finally, the Central Coast Syrah 2022 prompted a taste memory from a dinner at Piatti in Montecito back in the mid-1980s when I first savored this label. The “entry-level” bottling remains light on its feet, peppery, and laced with a distinct bramble note of subtle blueberry and cherry.

It was the wine that initiated my personal syrah obsession, and it was so tasty that my normally teetotaling mother demanded a second glass. So did I.

The Headliners: Andrew Murray Vineyards

The flagship label delivered the Rhône-style showstoppers that I expected, accented by a dash of the vinous chutzpah Murray adopted during his formative time in Australia.

The Curtis Vineyard Estate Santa Ynez Valley “Enchanté” 2025, a white blend of 55 percent roussanne and 45 percent marsanne, is a shamelessly plush, tropical pour built for a sassy appetizer like a Cajun shrimp boil. Suggestive and hedonistic from its nose to its climax, this tactile combo reflects the corpulence of roussanne, which is neatly tamed by its partner. Despite the near 50/50 ratio, the roussanne component is a delightfully domineering, commanding presence — round, floral, and libidinous.

Turning the volume up again in the reds, the Curtis Vineyard Estate Santa Ynez Valley “Espérance” 2023 is a grenache-forward powerhouse. It pushes cocoa and raspberry richness to the absolute brink, accented by a fascinating note of earthy poppy seed. Prep and serve a platter of stuffed dried figs wrapped with Jamón Ibérico, stuff a solo Marcona almond inside, and you’re set. ‘Nuff said.

For the budget-conscious consumer, the Santa Ynez Valley “Tous Les Jours” Syrah 2023 offers an incredibly plush, dark profile at a price point thrifty enough to justify the literal translation of its name: “every day.” Its price has remained static for so long that it has outlasted your last four relationships, three cars, and two career changes. Boy, your life is chaotic! This wine counteracts that beautifully.

And finally, number 11: The crown jewel is the Santa Ynez Valley Estate Syrah 2022, a masterclass in varietal purity. Anything but a wallflower, it’s rife with dogged, berry-centric fruit: blue-, boysen-, rasp-, huckle-, logan-, and even olallie-, that all reach into the darker realms with gushing intensity.

It’s perfectly balanced and complexified by floral, spicy high notes that are ideally in tune with the vibrant, rock-solid structure. Break out the New York steaks, and if you have any propane remaining after summer cookouts, toss them on the grill to accompany this perfectly impressive youngster.

Across three labels, Murray proves that while he certainly applauds an amplifier that goes to 11, he has the rare aesthetic restraint to set it at a tasteful seven. Turn off the lights, drop the needle on your favorite legacy act, and allow me this final lyrical indulgence: The ticket price is entirely justified, the performance is flawless, and it will absolutely prompt endless encores. See andrewmurrayvineyards.com, e11even.wine, and qupe.com.