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2004 Imagery Estate Winery Malbec Artist Collection Red Hills Lake County |
| Vintage | 2004 |  Label 1 of 2   | |
| Type | Red | ||
| Producer | Imagery Estate Winery (web) | ||
| Variety | Malbec | ||
| Designation | Artist Collection | ||
| Vineyard | n/a | ||
| Country | USA | ||
| Region | California | ||
| SubRegion | North Coast | ||
| Appellation | Red Hills Lake County | ||
| Options | Show variety and appellation | ||
| UPC Code | 785774000813 |
| Community Tasting History |
Community Tasting Notes (average 87.2 pts. and median of 87 pts. in 8 notes) | |
| Tasted by nate's cellar on 1/27/2010 & rated 87 points: (50 views) | |
| Tasted by VinoJestes on 1/2/2010: Good! (82 views) | |
| Tasted by SacramentoCharlie on 12/18/2009 & rated 88 points: Very dark, deep red color. Has a big cranberry nose with some dark cherry and a slight mushroom/wet stick element. Medium to good mouthfeel but not a lot of complexity. The tannins are there but not overbearing; This could sit for another year or so. There's a very slight bitter taste on the backend but the cranberry & red fruit flavors keep it to a very minimum...The finish is the strong point of this wine with the red fruit lingering for a good 15+ seconds. This sat in the glass for about 40 mins beforehand and drank over about 4 hrs. (132 views) | |
| Tasted by CardDawgWinos on 10/12/2009 flawed bottle: Corked bottle - opened and poured out :( (243 views) | |
| Tasted by nate's cellar on 8/31/2009 & rated 87 points: (195 views) | |
| Tasted by Snoman on 11/24/2008 & rated 89 points: Major change from the Malbecs so popular from Argentina. Not overly extracted, and medium-light color. Nose of sweet red fruit, with slight floral background. Soft and smooth on palate, with fruit opening up in mid-palate, light oak and a hint of rasberry. Suggest a half-hour to hour decant, or overnight. Very pleasant, almost like a northern Italian cool-weather red. This style would be a good substitute for Pinot Noir with appropriate foods. (454 views) | |
| Tasted by bjohnson350 on 6/1/2008 & rated 85 points: Nice softer malbec. Darkly colored. The nose was on the softer side, dark plum, blueberry. The palette was a typical malbec in that it quickly transitioned to the mid pallet with the taste of t tobacco, and green pepper but with that twist of tree bark and vet leaves. Nice in texture, and long mid palette with the finish lingering but a tough on the bitter side. It is mildly oaky, and well balanced. Worth a try for the money. (518 views) | |
| Tasted by fschreiber on 9/30/2007: Less tannins than most malbec, late fruit flavor, opens up after about 20 minutes (603 views) |
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| Producer website
About red wine Varietal character (Appellation America) One of the traditional “Bordeaux varietals”, Malbec has characteristics that fall somewhere between Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. A midseason ripener, it can bring very deep color, ample tannin, and a particular plum-like flavor component to add complexity to claret blends. Malbec is a finicky vine whose fruit is prone to rot and mildew in the cool, damp coastal climate of Bordeaux. But ask a Bordelais grower why there’s no Malbec around, and you’ll more likely get a dismissive shrug and sniff than a viticultural analysis. It is known in much of France as Côt, and, in Cahors, also as Auxerrois. There are in fact hundreds of local synonyms, since Malbec at one time was widely planted all over the country. Sensitivity to frost and proclivity to shatter or coulure (a disease that results in premature fruit drop) is the primary reason that Malbec has become a decreasing factor in most of France. Although plantings in the Medoc have decreased by over twothirds since the mid-twentieth century, Malbec is now the dominant red varietal in the Cahors area. The Appellation Controlée regulations for Cahors require a minimum content of 70%. Malbec is also planted in Chile, and there’s relatively little and recent acreage in California and Australia. It is usually blended with other red varietals in these countries. But Malbec truly comes into its own in Argentina, where it is the major red varietal planted. Much of the Malbec vines there were transplanted from Europe prior to the outbreak of phylloxera and most is therefore ungrafted, on its own roots. Sadly, over the years the bug infested Argentina, too, and vineyards are being replanted on resistant rootstock. Happily, the vines thrive in the arid climate of the Mendoza region in the foothills of the Andes. Made in the context of this South American nation’s Spanish and Italian heritage, it produces a delicious wine that has almost nothing in common with Bordeaux except the color. Argentines often spell it “Malbeck” and make wines from it that are slightly similar in flavor to those made in Europe, but with softer, lusher structure, more like New World Merlot. Another difference is that where French examples are usually considered short-lived, Argentine Malbecs seem to age fairly well. Successful Argentine Malbec growers claim that, in order to develop full maturity and distinction, Malbec needs “hang time” even after sugar levels indicate ripeness. Otherwise, immature Malbec can be very “green” tasting, without its characteristic notes of plum and anise. Malbec in Argentina has come to be appreciated for a spicy white pepper characteristic, the aroma of violets, and sweet, jammy fruit. It is a seductive wine that is typically warm and generous in the mouth, with plenty of flesh, and very appealing when young. Almost always producing a ripe and fruity, even plummy wine, Malbec can take oak aging or show well without it; it’s juicy and quaffable when young but can benefit from aging, developing an intriguing complexity with time in the bottle. It can range in price from as little as $7 to more than $75. The true potential of Argentine Malbec, and indeed in the entire spectrum of Argentine wines, is demonstrated by the fact that many of the world’s most renowned winemakers have come to Argentina to make wine. Both the legendary California winemaker Paul Hobbs, and Michel Rolland of Bordeaux, one of the world’s most famous winemakers, have created very high-end Malbecs. It may be the Italian component in the country’s mixed Latin family tree that fosters the fact that Malbec is an exceptional companion with a broad range of food. Its well-balanced fruit-and-acid profile makes it a natural with rare beef (bear in mind that Argentina is cattle country), but it’s just as good with simple fare from burgers to fried chicken. Because if its balance and fruit, good pairings include cajun cuisine, calzones, cannelloni with meat, poultry, vegetable couscous, steak creole, Greek cuisine, deviled eggs, hummus, Indian cuisine, leg of lamb, Mexican cuisine with meat and chicken, pâté, spinach soufflé, and pasta. For cheeses, think of harder styles that are either waxed or oiled, such as Parmigiano Reggiano, Ricotta Salata, Romano, Asiago, Pont l’Eveque, Gruyere, Manchego, Cantal, Comte, old Gouda, old Cheddar, Baulderstone, Beaufort, Leicester, aged Chesire, Chevre Noir, Wensleydale, Tilsit, Iberico, Mahon, Roncal, and Mizithra. WineAmerica (National Association of American Wineries) | Free the Grapes! California Wines (Wine Institute of California) California is one of the most diverse wine regions in the world, with almost 100 grape varieties grown in almost 10 viticultural areas, including dozens of different microclimates and soil types, as well as a very individualistic set of winemakers, many with international experience, which adds to and deepens that diversity. The North Coast American Viticultural Area (AVA) in California, covering more than three million acres, includes Napa, Sonoma, Mendocino and Lake counties, and portions of Marin and Solano counties. (see The Wine Institute for more information) Federal Register entry establishing the "Red Hills Lake County" Viticultural Area. The "Red Hills Lake County" AVA is entirely within the "Lake County" AVA. |
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