2018 J. Lohr Shotwell Vineyard Malbec
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Wine Enthusiast, June/July 2021
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Wine Spectator, Dec. 2020
Abundant with color, this 2018 Shotwell Vineyard Malbec offers aromas of milk chocolate, cherry, and violet. The texture is super-soft, with plum, raspberry, hibiscus, and a touch of cracked pepper on the palate.
— Brenden Wood, Red Winemaker
Wine Details
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Composition Blend
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97%
Malbec
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2%
Merlot
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1%
Cabernet Sauvignon
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Origin
El Pomar District, Paso Robles, CA
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Cellaring
Best fruit within 5 years of vintage date; will hold for 10 years.
12 Years -
Food Pairings
Enjoy this exuberant wine with a seafood paella or an Argentine- style beef asado.
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Maturation
Time in Barrel: 18 months
Barrel Type: 60-gallon French Oak barrels, 10% new
Vineyards
The J. Lohr Shotwell Vineyard is located in the El Pomar District of the Paso Robles AVA. The climate here is a moderate Region II on the Winkler heat accumulation scale, which characterizes it as a quite cool location for late-ripening red varieties. This tightly spaced cordon-trained, spur-pruned planting of Malbec clone 596 is laid out with an 8’ by 4’ vine spacing. Planted in 2015 on a north-facing slope of calcareous Linne-Calodo soil, the steep slope at this location required the row direction for planting to follow the grade of the hillside - in order for our tractors to navigate the steep terrain.
Vintage
Thanks to a “Miracle March,” the 2018 Paso Robles growing season reached normal rainfall levels with over 70% of the season’s precipitation accumulated in a 3-week period. This kicked off a vintage of exceptional quality and yield. A stretch of warm weather in May assured a good fruit set in the vineyard. The fruit was picked in the early morning hours on the last day of October, displaying an exuberant flavor profile. This winery-exclusive Shotwell Vineyard Malbec showcases the elegance of this classic Bordeaux variety.
