[one_fourth]

CLICK TO PURCHASE

Retail: $44

[/one_fourth][three_fourth_last padding=”0 30px 0 0px”]

95 POINTS & GOLD MEDAL
2017 Press Democrat North Coast Wine Challenge

DOUBLE GOLD MEDAL
2017 San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition

GOLD MEDAL
2016 Sonoma County Harvest Fair

Tasting Notes

Pause a moment to savor the lush aromatics. Toasty oak notes weave through the dark ripe boysenberry and blackberry nose, while traces of vanilla add dimension and breadth. Intense flavors of juicy fresh red, blue and black berries burst on the palate where they are complemented by hints of baking spices and caramel. A dark toast essence emerges as the wine opens, as does opulent dark cherry. A smooth, bright texture and mouthwatering acidity balance the delicious fruit. The underlying oak and tannic structure is seamlessly integrated, letting the limelight shine on the luscious, concentrated flavors.

Delicious now, this wine will continue to develop with bottle aging, although it will take some willpower to leave it in your cellar.

Wine Review: “This pitch black colored Malbec from California is impressive. It opens with a blackberry jam bouquet with a hint of oak and cherry. On the palate, this wine is full bodied, rich and concentrated. The flavor profile is a very tasty black raspberry with notes of mild minerality, oak, black currant. The finish is dry and its flavors and moderate tannins show nice length. This Malbec would pair very nicely with a New York strip steak. Get in line for this early when released, there was not much of this gem made. Enjoy – Ken!” Review date: August 6, 2017 Ken’s Wine Rating: Very Good+ (92)

Vintage: 2014
Varietals: 100% Malbec
Region: Dry Creek Valley, Sonoma County
Production: 65 cases

Vintage Notes

The third excellent growing season in a row began in early 2014 with moderate conditions midwinter that supported early budbreak in March. A warm, relatively dry Spring in April and May created great conditions during bloom which allowed almost all of the self-fertile blooms to become pollinated to create perfectly even clusters during set in May and early June. The consistent and not-too-hot conditions during Summer produced great photosysnthetic activity in the leaves and perfect growth. Veraison began in Fall with some cool, foggy nights followed by a timely spot of warmth to get all our varieties ready for harvest. Clusters at harvest were darkly colored with great favor intensity. Daily tasting evaluations of our wine in our fermentation tanks were consistently flavorful, giving an insight into the great wines that were to come.

Winemaking Notes

Our winemaking protocol demands separate small carefully temperature regulated fermentations for each varietal providing optimum treatment for our Malbec. This wine is carefully pressed direct to barrel and aged separately until rigorous barrel evaluation trials the Spring before Summer bottling. Each individual barrel is tasted for uniqueness and provides an essential blend diversity that typifies our wines, as well as an exceptional 22 month ageing period.

Food Pairing Suggestion

Enjoy a bottle with grilled flank steak with chimichurri sauce, or a hearty venison stew.

[/three_fourth_last]