2019 J. Lohr Shotwell Vineyard Malbec
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JebDunnuck.com, October 2021
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2023 Monterey International Wine & Spirits Competition
The 2019 Shotwell Vineyard Malbec is dark purple at its core, with energetic magenta hues that stain the glass when swirled. Initial dried cherry and hibiscus fragrances lead into fresh raspberry and blueberry aromas with hints of milk chocolate. The texture is plush, and contrasts with the lively raspberry and plum flavors that linger on the finish.
— Brenden Wood, winemaker, red wine
Wine Details
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Composition Blend
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100%
Malbec
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Origin
El Pomar District, Paso Robles, CA
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Cellaring
Expressive vibrant fruit within 5 years of vintage date, with the capacity to hold 10 years.
10 Years -
Food Pairings
Enjoy with Argentine- style beef asado or try with a portobello mushroom sandwich.
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Maturation
Time in Barrel: 16 months
Barrel Type: French oak barrels, 23% new wood
Coopers: Darguad et Jaegle and Marcel Cadet, water-bent medium toast
Vineyard
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, and was planted in 2015 on a steep, north- facing slope of calcareous Linne-Calodo soil.
Vintage
The 2019 vintage benefited from above-average preseason rainfall. This left us with a full soil- moisture profile as the vines woke from dormancy in April. Summer temperatures rose to normal for the region, with enough daytime heat to ripen the fruit, followed by cold nighttime temperatures which preserved flavors and acidity. We’ve coined the term “friendly blender” for our Paso Robles Malbec because its approachable, high-tone red fruit flavor and soft texture give it the ability to elevate the quality of so many other grape varietals. With this bottling, we are excited to let one of our favorite blocks of Malbec shine on its own. The J. Lohr Shotwell Vineyard Malbec has been aged in water-bent French oak barrels that have low oak aroma impact, allowing full expression of varietal character from our sustainably farmed vines.
