Attollo The Black Wine Malbec 2017

Attollo “The Black Wine” Malbec is made from a selection of vineyards across the Margaret River region and utilises only the best individual barrels of the season in creation of the ultimate Malbec, “The Black Wine”.  The vinification utilises both 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.

The 2017 growing season was a very cool season, with mild even ripening and a very lucky warm dry finish.  Cyclonic rains in January gave an unseasonal drink to the vines, which resulted in great freshness and higher than average yields.  Thankfully, the growing season extended with the driest April on record, with moderate perfect ripening temperatures.  2017 started out cool and ended up being mild and long, with fresh moderately flavoured reds with fine savoury tannin.  Bird pressure was insignificant as well- which was a first.

The Malbec for this wine was sourced from two vineyards in Margaret River, stretching from Wilyabrup to Walcliffe.

Bessil Road Walcliffe Subregion Malbec grown using a VSP trellis on grey gravel loams over mottled clay.  The vines were planted in 1996 and this vine age (21 years old in 2017) combined with this inland terroir provides for richly flavoured malbec with an amazing purple colour, powerful aromas of violet and dark fruit, with distinctive hints of savoury herbs, rich long flavour with amazing bright acidity and rustic structural tannins.  This parcel was hand picked on the 6th May 2017 at 13.25 Baume.  The latest I have any picked anything in Margaret River.

Pusey Road Wilyabrup Subregion Malbec grown using a VSP trellis on karri loam soils.  The vines were planted in 1990 so now are 27 years old.  The mild vintage resulted in a wine with spicey red fruits and an elegant and fresh palate with fine savoury tannins.  This parcel was hand picked on the 8th of April at 13.45 Baume. 

The blend was comprised of 0.9t Pusey Road Malbec and 0.45t Bessel Road Malbec.  All parcels were hand picked and chilled to 5oC before gently destemming to dry iced bins for a 7 day cold soak. The must was then transferred by gravity [bucket] to 225L barrique fermenters (one brand new).  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 three to four 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 on lees.  Five individual 225L barriques resulted from this vinification process.  The wines were sulphured at the end of malolactic fermentation and left on lees for another 8 months with monthly  stirring.  The malbec was then matured on light lees for a total of 15 months, before blending in July of 2016, where a small amount of 2018 Treeton Road Malbec was blended in to sweeten the midpalate and freshen the aromatics and tannins.  The wine was bottled with no fining or filtration in November 2017. 

pH 3.51

Titrateable Acidity [TA] 6.3g/L

Residual Sugar [RS]  0.5g/L

Volatile Acidity [VA] 0.6g/l

Alcohol 14.9%

Cases Bottled 

November 2017

1030L

223  6 pack screw cap

Cellaring Best

 Best 2017-23, Maximum 2028

Taste [20/11/2018]

The wine has a typical deep red centre with a pink hue.  The wine is very aromatic with violets in the forefront and some spicey perfume, with blackberry and chocolate notes in the background, with some cherry and savoury leathery undertones.  The 2017 has a more noticeable savoury perfume from the mild vintage, which has also given the wine a fresh natural acidity..  The palate is lighter than usual, but has that typical midpalate richness and sweetness and those distinctive  lovely savoury tannins to afford a dry lingering finish.  This wine is still an infant and will continue to soften and evolve over the next 5 years- enjoy.