2016 Flagpole Block Estate Malbec - Hossfeld Vineyards

Fresh blackberry, coffee grounds, wild blueberry. Crushed black currant, acacia leaf, juicy dark plum. Crunchy mulberry, dark cherry, and açaí highlight a dense yet vibrant core of inky dark fruit beautifully complicated by pulverized violet, camphor, and cinnamon. Notes of fresh mint, cedar, and eucalyptus advance the theme of clean natural complexity while a restrained dusting of nutmeg and vanilla bean reveals layers of subtle baking spice. Impressions of graham cracker and chocolate provide just a pinch of lifted decadence before gravel, cast iron, and volcanic rock expose terroir-expressive depth. Serious and concentrated on the palate while remaining extraordinarily lively and fresh; showing surprising finesse and restraint despite its substantially endowed and teeth-staining intensity. Medium plus in body with powerful chalky tannin and elevated acidity. This 2016 Flagpole Block Estate Malbec by Hossfeld Vineyards is an exceptionally well balanced and expressive red from Napa Valley.

Known as a key grape in the French region of Cahors and once a major component of the wines of Bordeaux, Mablec is a powerful dark-skinned variety that has found great success in Argentina and also in a range of other new world wine regions. This bottling, crafted by Hossfeld Vineyards using Malbec sourced from their estate in Napa Valley's Soda Canyon, proves that Malbec can absolutely thrive in sunny California. True to type this wine is absolutely packed full of deep black, blue, and purple fruits yet thanks to a fresh vein of acidity manages to express them with impressive balance and subtlety. It is still quite youthful at this stage but should develop beautifully with a decade or more of bottle age. Very well done and seriously delicious.