The Malbec grape originated in France and is one of the six grapes allowed in the blend of Bordeaux wine. Our Malbec has hints of black cherry, vanilla, and loose-leaf tea aromas with a hint of earthiness. It's deep red in color with medium tannins, and the finish is full with good length.
The Malbec vines were planted and pruned in early 2018 and we began to see bud break in early March. Bud break is step 1 of the vine life cycle.
Flowering began in April. During the flowering stage, pollination and fertilization occur, producing grape clusters. You can see the tiny Malbec grape clusters in the photos below:
Veraison began in July and is when natural sugar levels in the berries increase, and the organic acidity levels decrease. This is also when the color, aromas, and flavors are developed in the berry clusters, creating 'speckled' berry clusters, like the photo below:
We harvested our Malbec vines on October 1, 2018, and the vine was aged for 20 months in a mix of oak barrels, and it was bottled in July of 2020.
It was finally ready for release in December 2020. Here are a few more details on our 2018 Reserve Malbec, so come enjoy a glass with us!
Blend: 100% Malbec
Appellation: Dahlonega Plateau AVA (100% Estate grapes)
Harvest Chemistry: 22.1oBrix 3.99 pH TA 0.54 gm/100 mL
Yeast: CSM Alcohol: 13.0%
Total Acidity: 0.62 gm/100 mL pH: 3.88
Residual Sugar: 0.0% Malolactic: Positive (Enoferm Alpha)
Filtration: Polish (3µ)
Bottled 55 cases in 750 ml bottles on July 2, 2020
Tasting Notes: Black cherry, vanilla and loose leaf tea aromas with a hint of earthiness. Deep red in color with medium tannins. The finish is full with good length.
Serve with leaner red meats and dark meat poultry, such as duck, dark meat turkey, lamb and veal. It also pairs well with soft cheeses, like bleu cheese, gorgonzola and goat cheese.