Wine Article
2017 Novelty Hill Winery Malbec Stillwater Creek Vineyard
Last edited on 9/27/2020 by Zine
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Tasting Notes
“A bright, stylish wine brimming with fresh strawberries, wild blackberries, dark plum and spicy undertones. The flavors gain focus on the palate, then linger across a supple, refined finish.”
- Mike Januik, Winemaker
Vintage
Spring 2017 was marked by cool, wet weather that resulted in a late bud break, but hot, dry summer conditions accelerated the season and put ripening back on track. Clusters were small with fewer berries than usual allowing light to penetrate the vine and color the fruit from all sides. This, combined with a cooling weather pattern in mid- September to extend hang time, yielded fresh, expressive wines with plenty of structure and excellent acidity.
Vineyard
Varietal bottlings of Columbia Valley Malbec continue to gain a following, and Novelty Hill’s estate vineyard, Stillwater Creek on the Royal Slope of the Frenchman Hills, is leading the way. Through careful vineyard management and innovative clonal selection, this steep, south-facing vineyard has earned a reputation for high quality grapes, including Malbec.
Winemaking
• Hand-picked and fermented in small lots
• Gentle pump overs during fermentation helped extract color and flavor while yielding soft, supple tannins
• Gravity racked every 3-4 months
• Aged 22 months in a combination of new and used oak barrels; 75% French, 25% American
https://www.noveltyhilljanuik.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/2017-Malbec.pdf
“A bright, stylish wine brimming with fresh strawberries, wild blackberries, dark plum and spicy undertones. The flavors gain focus on the palate, then linger across a supple, refined finish.”
- Mike Januik, Winemaker
Vintage
Spring 2017 was marked by cool, wet weather that resulted in a late bud break, but hot, dry summer conditions accelerated the season and put ripening back on track. Clusters were small with fewer berries than usual allowing light to penetrate the vine and color the fruit from all sides. This, combined with a cooling weather pattern in mid- September to extend hang time, yielded fresh, expressive wines with plenty of structure and excellent acidity.
Vineyard
Varietal bottlings of Columbia Valley Malbec continue to gain a following, and Novelty Hill’s estate vineyard, Stillwater Creek on the Royal Slope of the Frenchman Hills, is leading the way. Through careful vineyard management and innovative clonal selection, this steep, south-facing vineyard has earned a reputation for high quality grapes, including Malbec.
Winemaking
• Hand-picked and fermented in small lots
• Gentle pump overs during fermentation helped extract color and flavor while yielding soft, supple tannins
• Gravity racked every 3-4 months
• Aged 22 months in a combination of new and used oak barrels; 75% French, 25% American
https://www.noveltyhilljanuik.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/2017-Malbec.pdf