2016 Malbec, McClellan Estate Vineyard, Walla Walla Valley

We have been producing Malbec for over a decade now, and were the first to do so in the Walla Walla Valley. We have come to believe the southern edge of the Valley is one of the rare places in the world where Malbec reaches its full potential, with sufficient heat for ripening, but with cool nights preserving aromatics and structure. This bottling is drawn from the fan-trained Malbec block at McClellan Estate Vineyard that we planted in 2008. The fan system produces wine of particularly generous density and flavor.

After careful vinification in small, open top fermenters, the wine was aged for I6 months in primarily Hungarian oak resulting in a wine with a unique pungency and firmness. The wine is dark and brooding with intense color and warm, sweet fruit. There is an intense concentration of blueberry jam, dried fig and smoky spice, complemented by white pepper and desert herbs that linger through a long, persistent finish. This wine is already drinking beautifully at release, but will age well for 2-4 years past vintage date.