Black-skinned fruit, new leather and violet aromas mingle with cedar in this bright and textured
2017 Brassfield Estate Malbec. Rich and juicy, the full-bodied palate features flavors of toasty
baguettes, dates, and blackberry pie. This wine closes with a savory and lasting finish that is
silky and voluptuous.
Vineyard Notes
Adjacent to an ancient volcanic cinder cone and nestled into the remote eastern edge of High
Valley our Volcano Ridge vineyard features steep slopes and strikingly red volcanic soils.
Originally planted in 2003 and 2004, the vineyard totals 85 acres and is planted to a sizable
number of varietals, including Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, Malbec, Petite Sirah, Mourvèdre,
Grenache and Zinfandel. The vineyard elevation ranges from 1900 ft. to 2200 ft. The volcanic
sands and tephra (small, fused sand pebbles) of the Konocti series make for excellent
drainage. Vines struggle in these soils, and the intensity of that struggle is reflected in the
layers of complexity and structure, in the concentrated fruit, and in the final expression of
Volcano Ridge wines.
Winemaker Notes
Our Volcano Ridge Malbec was processed gently to create a whole-berry fermentation, which
we kept active and healthy with twice daily pump overs. After sending wines to barrels, we then
allowed our wines to undergo malolactic fermentation in our caves. To showcase the fruit and
structure of this wine, we used 65% new French barrels and 35% neutral barrels. The wine was
stirred monthly on its lees to achieve body and texture. After 18 months in barrel, our 2017
Malbec was lightly fined and bottled without filtration.