Attollo The Black Wine Malbec 2013

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 ageability for the medium to long-term, depending on your cellaring conditions.

2013 was perfect growing season with a mild spring and warm ripening conditions throughout the growing season.  Yields were moderate at best providing for intensely flavoured fruit.  The fruit set was fairly even, providing for consistent ripe flavours and tannins at harvest.  Vintage was fairly early with an early sugar accumulation and still some green tannins.  Patience was required for ripe tannin development.  The resultant wines are of high quality with rich fruit flavours and savoury to ripe tannins.  The 2013’s were quite ripe and needed to be closely monitored in barrel and pulled out when optimum tannin maturaity reached.

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

Metricup Road Wilyabrup Malbec grown using a VSP trellis on gravel karri loams.  This vineyard formed the majority of the wine, with distinctive cholcolate, 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 2014 Wilyabrup Malbec was blended in to contribute some fresh fruit and build midpalate  sweetness to complete the wine. 

0.991t of Malbec grapes were hand harvested from Metricup Road 24th March an0.473t from Glenarty Road Karridale on the 11th April 2013.  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 August 2014, the 2013 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 December 2014 under screw cap without fining or filtration.

pH 3.74

Titrateable Acidity [TA] 5.85g/L

Residual Sugar [RS]  0.2g/L

Volatile Acidity [VA] 0.53g/l

Alcohol 14.5%

Cases Bottled  December 2014

930L

206  6 pack screw cap

Cellaring Best

 Best 2016-20, Maximum 2025

Need note

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, with some lightness on it’s feet but still a brooding depth and length, finishing with sweet cholcolatey tannins.  This wine is still coming together after being bottled only 6 months ago.