KEW 2005 Reserve Malbec

Description:

This deep, inky wine is a pure expression of Malbec. The bouquet of this wine is intense with complex aromas of white pepper, currants and violets, while the palate offers rich sweet black fruit with hints of coffee and fruitcake. Maturation with French oak enhances the silky structure of this wine, giving length and richness to the palate.

Viticulture:

Only 0.2 hectares of the KEW vineyard is planted with Malbec, which provides 6-7 barrels of wine. Spur pruned with two metre rows, canopy management is focused on vine health as this variety seems to suffer from nutritional deficiencies more severely than Merlot. Careful crop load management is also important to ensure complete physiological ripeness.

Analyses at harvest, 8 April 05;

Brix: 22.5
pH: 3.53
TA: 9.6g/L

Winemaking:

Hand harvested, this small batch is hand plunged four times daily, giving a gentle extraction of tannin and colour. Pressed on dryness, this wine is then racked to mature barriques and aged with new French wood slats, while going through MLF. No fining agents were required to enhance this wine.

Analyses at bottling:

pH: 3.62
TA: 6.375g/L
Alc: 13%
RS: less than 1g/L

Latest Awards:

4 Stars Winestate Magazine
Silver Medal 2006 Bragato Wine Awards