2019 Modo (Late Harvest Malbec))

Late Harvest Malbec Port

• Varieties:
  100% Malbec (plus brandy)
• Appellation:
  Paso Robles
• Average brix at harvest:
  34.4
• Vineyard:
  Estate
• Alcohol:
  20.2%
• Residual sugar:
  7.4 g/100 mls
• Date bottled:
  July 22, 2022
• Cases produced:
  360
• Retail Price:
  $ 32.00

Growing conditions:
Abundant winter rainfall starting in December lasted until April. Multiple small rain events led to all of the moisture soaking into the vineyard soil profile. No frost and a mild spring produced a great fruit set. Judicious thinning coupled with a long warm summer led to an outstanding lat harvest with excellent quality and yields.

Winemaking:
Hand-harvested, destemmed and crushed into a stainless fermentor, then inoculated 24 hours later with d254 yeast. The must was pumped over twice daily for 7 days prior to the addition of brandy to halt fermentation. After pressing and settling, this wine was aged in French oak barrels for 28 months prior to bottling.

Tasting notes:
Intense, deep aromas of boysenberries and baking spices with notes of chocolate. Rich, lingering tannins complimented with spicy oak and a lingering rich finish.

Cellaring:
While delightful now, this concentrated Malbec port will continue to develop in the bottle with proper cellaring for another 10-15 years with a plateau of best drinkability from 2027-2037.

Food selection:
Think romance!! This Malbec port enhances many desserts especially chocolate or pungent cheeses. It continues to be our favorite wine for sipping by a roaring fire.