2018 Malbec

The Vintage
The 2018 vintage will be one described by poets and songwriters…it was a season of dreams. The harvest began in earnest the second week of September, which is considered normal in most years, but for the past three or four harvests it would seem late. The season was of almost perfect pace and timing, with fruit ripening on a gradual scale which allowed for a much more relaxed tenor to the usual more frantic time of year. The term “hang-time” gets used a lot in describing harvests, but 2018 sure proved to be the harvest of hang-time. A moderate summer, leading to a moderate fall weather pattern allowed for full flavor development across all varieties. 

The Winemaking
The 2018 Trione Alexander Valley Malbec is the third wine in our series of single Bordeaux varietals. This is a small bottling of a barrel select lot of 100% Malbec from our Alexander valley ranch. Malbec is one of the five noble grape varieties used in the Bordeaux region of France. At Trione we make it as we do all our red wines, in small open top fermenters, basket pressed, and aged for 18 months in carefully selected French oak barrels. This wine was kept separate and individually bottled to show the distinct character of the wine that is Malbec.

Tasting Notes
Malbec is, in a word, elegant. This wine is as soft and supple as a pair of lambskin gloves. The aroma and flavor are just the same on the nose and palate. Rich and inviting, this wine has notes of blueberry and blackberry preserves with hints of cinnamon, sage, and clove. Enjoy this wine now or cellar it, it will only get better with age.