2021 Smith & Hook Malbec
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Tasting Notes
Dark inky purple in the glass, this wine opens up with aromas of plum, blackberry, cooked jam and hints of gentle herbs and white pepper. Silky well-rounded tannins coat the palate, following up with a burst of grip and a solid weight. The palate is rich and full bodied, with flavors of dark fruit and pomegranate and a touch of bourbon vanilla on a long succulent finish.
Blackberry
Plum
Vanilla
Vintage
2021
Appellation
Santa Lucia Highlands
Vineyards
100% Hook Vineyard
Aging
18 months, 40% new French oak
Acid
6.3g/L
pH
3.65
Alcohol %
14.8
This Malbec is crafted from select vineyard lots in the Santa Lucia Highlands where this Bordeaux varietal is known to yields large berries with thick skin and intense dark purple coloring. The 2021 growing season in the SLH started out with half our average rainfall which was easily compensated with light irrigation to fill soil profiles before budbreak. Warm spring and summer temperatures aided wine growth and even berry development. Weather leading to harvest was cool and uneventful which allowed for picking lots at optimum ripeness to ensure enhanced flavor and sugar accumulation of the fruit.
