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 Vintage2011 Label 1 of 31 
TypeRed
ProducerJustin Vineyards & Winery (web)
VarietyMalbec
DesignationReserve
Vineyardn/a
CountryUSA
RegionCalifornia
SubRegionCentral Coast
AppellationPaso Robles
OptionsShow variety and appellation
UPC Code(s)733952007659

Drinking Windows and Values
Drinking window: Drink between 2013 and 2019 (based on 5 user opinions)
Wine Market Journal quarterly auction price: See Justin Malbec Reserve on the Wine Market Journal.

Community Tasting History

Community Tasting Notes (average 90.3 pts. and median of 91 pts. in 26 notes) - hiding notes with no text

 Tasted by rldixon on 11/6/2021 & rated 90 points: I bought this on a whim from a very good source. This wine needed an hour of air before coming out, but even then, I found it tired. All of the ingredients for a delicious wine were there, just really faded. I'll bet this was wonderful about five or more years ago. (529 views)
 Tasted by jdjjadair on 1/29/2018 & rated 88 points: Getting a little thin; probably a year or so past its prime (cellared since purchase). Fruit is diminishing and tannin structure is basically gone. Still nice drinking but has lost its punch. Drink now. (1490 views)
 Tasted by KevinShari on 12/31/2017: Was Ok (1433 views)
 Tasted by snaff on 4/16/2016 & rated 90 points: Dark and purple tinged. Nose is bursting with crushed blackberry. Bright acai berries, pomegranate and briary raspberry combine with solid tannins and a bit of dust to make for a long satisfying finish. (2697 views)
 Tasted by cdp1276 on 8/16/2015 & rated 88 points: Not a lot of life to it. (2672 views)
 Tasted by DoberdadinMD on 1/31/2015: Taste: Bright Cherry and Red Raspberry. Color: typical Malbec purple. We thought it was too young a year ago, but after tasting now it was probably not as good a pairing with steak. Aroma: possible Licorice? Not as brightly fruity as the taste. (2722 views)
 Tasted by awineo on 8/17/2014 & rated 92 points: Nice Central Coast Malbec. Smooth fruit with balanced tannins. Drinking well right now. (2250 views)
 Tasted by awineo on 3/24/2014 & rated 92 points: A great CA Malbec!! Just ordered more. (2536 views)
 Tasted by WineSteeler on 3/21/2014: Not a fan. No need to buy again. Even Bill wasn't a fan. Then we went to the Justin tasting locally and they were pouring and we still didn't like it much.

Don't buy again. (1595 views)
 Tasted by awineo on 3/2/2014 & rated 92 points: This is a BIG FRUIT Malbec WITHOUT the jamminess. A solid bottle and was a great buy directly from Justin. (1340 views)
 Tasted by TastesGoodToMe on 3/1/2014 & rated 90 points: Blind Tasting at the Lake - South Charlotte Wine Lovers (Bob and Anita's Place on Lake Wylie): Blind tasting. My first guess was Malbec but then switched to Merlot. Bob guessed right. Think the reason I switched was that this wine did not have much of a backbone to me. A little to much juice, without the tannin structure to back it up. Also a little too much "Sweet tart" on the tongue for my tastes. But still a nice bottle of wine. (1748 views)
 Tasted by jusdavi on 1/22/2014 & rated 88 points: Another disappointing "Reserve" release from this winery. Not as awful as the Reserve Tempranillo but no where near worthy of the "Reserve" on the label. Guess I need to stick with the Isos, Justification and Isos Reserve! (959 views)
 Only displaying the 25 most recent notes - click to see all notes for this wine...

CellarTracker Wiki Articles (login to edit | view all articles)

Justin Vineyards & Winery

Producer website

Malbec

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. With its natural balance, 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, pâté, spinach soufflé, and hearty 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.

Reserve

The Wine News | Wine Country This Week | Wine Lover's Page

USA

American wine has been produced since the 1500s, with the first widespread production beginning in New Mexico in 1628. Today, wine production is undertaken in all fifty states, with California producing 84% of all U.S. wine. The continent of North America is home to several native species of grape, including Vitis labrusca, Vitis riparia, Vitis rotundifolia, and Vitis vulpina, but the wine-making industry is based almost entirely on the cultivation of the European Vitis vinifera, which was introduced by European settlers. With more than 1,100,000 acres (4,500 km2) under vine, the United States is the fourth-largest wine producing country in the world, after Italy, Spain, and France.

California

2021 vintage: "Unlike almost all other areas of the state, the Russian River Valley had higher than normal crops in 2021, which has made for a wine of greater generosity and fruit forwardness than some of its stablemates." - Morgan Twain-Peterson

Central Coast

http://www.ccwinegrowers.org/links.html

http://www.discovercaliforniawines.com/regional-wine-organizations/

http://beveragetradenetwork.com/en/btn-academy/list-of-winegrowers-association-in-central-coast-california-274.htm

Central Coast AVA Wikipedia

Paso Robles

Paso Robles Wine Country Alliance

Set apart by unique climate and geography, Paso Robles Wine Country provides prime growing conditions for more than 40 varietals planted over 26,000 acres of vineyards. More than 300 wineries craft this fruit into premium wines, gaining recognition around the world. The fruit, the wines and the distinct environment have quickly made Paso Robles California's third largest and fastest growing wine region.

 
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