Attollo The Black Wine Malbec 2012

Attollo “The Black Wine” Malbec is made from a selection of only the best individual barrels in creation of the ultimate Malbec, “The Black Wine”.  The vinification utilises New and Old World influences in creation of a wine with immediate drinkability but age-ability for the medium to long-term, depending on your cellaring conditions.

2012 was a perfect year, with a lovely fruitful spring, a warm to hot summer and a long dry autumn providing for ideal ripening conditions.  The 2012 reds all aged gracefully in barrel and are drinking very well early but should great promise for cellaring- a hallmark of a great vintage in Margaret River.

The Malbec for this wine was sourced from two vineyards in Margaret River.

Metricup Road Willyabrup Malbec grown using a VSP trellis on gravel karri loams.  This vineyard formed the majority of the wine, with distinctive chocolate, licorice and black fruit characters and a full flavoured palate with fine tannins.

Glenarty Road Karridale Subregion Malbec grown using a modified lyre arrangement on moderately fertile black loam sands over karri loams.  The warm vintage resulted in a wine with fragrant herbs, brambly dark fruits and violets, with moderate weight, long length and savoury tannins.

A small portion of 2013 Willyabrup Malbec was blended in to contribute some freshness  and build midpalate  sweetness to complete the wine.

1.136t of Malbec grapes were hand harvested from Metricup Road Willyabrup on the 21st March and 0.885t from Glenarty Road Karridale on the 04th April 2012.  Both lots were destemmed to dry iced bins where they were cold soaked for 7 days at 5oC.  The must was then transferred by gravity [bucket] to 225L barrique fermenters (one brand new) with a small addition of D21 Lallemand yeast.  Each individual ferment was plunged by hand gently during ferment lasting for 8 to 12 days and peaking at 25 to 28oC.  Towards the end of fermentation the barrel fermenters were set on racks and left on skins for a period of two to three weeks [extended maceration] to build palate weight and provide a tannic backbone affording longevity to the wine.  The barrels were then gently basket pressed directly back to barrel for malolactic fermentation.  Five individual 225L barriques resulted from this vinification process.  The wines were sulphured at the end of malolactic fermentation and 30% was left on lees for 6 months, with an occasional stir.  The wines were racked by gravity and blended after this process and matured in oak for a total of 15months.  In November 2013, the 2012 The Black Wine Malbec was carefully blended by gravity transfer to a stainless steel tank and then transferred to stainless steel drums to clarify and stabilise.  The wine was then bottled in January 2014 under screw cap.  As this wine has been minimally handled, a natural sediment may remain.

pH 3.78

Titrateable Acidity [TA] 5.85g/L

Residual Sugar [RS]  0.1g/L

Volatile Acidity [VA] 0.58g/l

Alcohol 14.2%

Cases Bottled  January 2014

800L

179  6 pack screw cap

Cellaring Best

Best 2015-9, Maximum 2022

Taste [13/10/14]

The wine has a typical deep red centre with a pink hue.  Violets, blackberry and chocolate notes, with some cherry and savoury leather undertones.  Probably the most elegant palate for all the Black Wine Malbecs.  It has some lightness on it’s feet but still a brooding depth and length, finishing with sweet chocolaty tannins. 

This wine is still coming together after being bottled only 8 months ago…  it will fill out and the tannins will smooth and integrate to complete the wine.  This process should be evident in the glass as it is being enjoyed.