The Malbec is grown on the Matchbook Vineyard in the Dunnigan Hills where the warm weather and gravel soils promote juicy red and black berry flavors, cherry notes and touch of earthiness. Barrel aging adds aromas of toasted oak, apple pie and vanilla and flavors of cinnamon and nutmeg. This medium bodied red is layered with delightful flavors that pair nicely with appetizers of fig and goat cheese or lavender honey on Gorgonzola. A fun wine with pizza and pasta, too.

Blend: 76% Malbec, 13% Cabernet Sauvignon, 11% Petit Verdot
Production: 4,000 cases

2009 was picture perfect for us out here in the Dunnigan Hills AVA. Cooler than normal temperatures and very little wind allowed us to ripen our grapes slowly, allowing maximum flavor and intensity.

The malbec grapes grown at our Matchbook Vineyard were harvested on two dates: September 11 at 25.6 brix from our heavily thinned vineyard section and September 14 at 24.6 brix from the lightly thinned section. 10% of the juice was bled off the skins of the first lot to concentrate flavors; the remainder was fermented with Assmannshausen yeast. The lightly thinned section was not bled and was fermented with native yeast. We pressed off the skins at dryness and aged the wine for 16 months in French and American oak barrels. We added cabernet sauvignon and petit verdot to improve mouth feel and increase depth.