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2018 Devil Proof Rockpile Ridge Malbec

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Latest Sale Price

August 25, 2024 - $155

Estimate

RATINGS

98Jeb Dunnuck

...offers a classic, exotic, blue fruit-driven style with a wealth of blueberries, wildflowers, iron, tobacco, and crushed stone. Flawlessly balanced and full-bodied on the palate, it has an awesome mid-palate, a vibrant sense of freshness and acidity, and a killer finish.

97The Wine Advocate

...detailed aromas of mint chocolate, pencil shavings, cassis, aniseed and exotic spices over intense blue and red fruits...palate offers powdery tannins and plush ripeness tempered by streaks of rocky mineral character, finishing very long.

95Wine Enthusiast

Herbal, earthy and deeply concentrated...shows a wealth of slate, crushed rock and graphite elements. Boldly layered and plush in texture, it delivers lush, rich flavors of dark cherry, blueberry and blackberry around teases of baking spice and leather.

94James Suckling

Notes of dark plums, black fruit and sage. Full-bodied with chewy tannins. Textured and juicy with freshness. Balanced and layered. Flavorful finish.

93Wine Spectator

Complex and expansive, showcasing dark chocolate, wild blackberry and spiced plum flavors that are dense and toothsome, with aromatics of sweet paprika, clove and malty Assam black tea. Continues to gain momentum on the long finish, with the tannins turning velvety.

93Vinous / IWC

...dark and intensely brooding. Black cherry, gravel, spice, menthol, licorice, dried herbs and licorice infuse the 2018 with tremendous character...an especially potent, structured wine.

PRODUCER

Devil Proof

Devil Proof Vineyards in Sonoma County is only a few years old, but it’s already earning buzz from reviewers. Winemaker Jesse Katz launched Devil Proof in 2012 and his debut wine, a 2012 Malbec made from Alexander Valley grapes, sold out quickly through a mailing list. Robert M. Parker Jr. gave the wine 94 pts and wrote that “this may be the finest Malbec I have ever tasted from California...” Wine Enthusiast also gave the 2012 94 pts, noting that Katz “pulled out all the stops to craft this small-production Malbec, proving that the right fruit in the right hand can yield crazy-good results.” Katz’s fruit comes from the Farrow Ranch, where 75 acres of vineyards are planted to Malbec for Devil Proof Vineyards. Katz toured some of the world’s leading wine producers as a child and adolescent, traveling with his father Andy Katz, a photographer known for vineyard photography. Jesse earned a degree in enology in California then worked for wine producers in Argentina and California, including a stint at Screaming Eagle, before starting his own venture. Katz in 2013 was lauded by Wine Enthusiast as one of 40 young tastemakers under 40 to watch. The photo on the labels is by Andy Katz and the name comes from a Cuban saying, which is that if you live well and drink well, the devil can’t get you.

TYPE

Red Wine, Malbec

This grape produces a dark red wine with plenty of tannins. It is one of the six grapes allowed for blending red Bordeaux wines. Malbec is also the flagship variety of Argentina. The grape needs a lot of sun and heat to mature. It adds complexity and intensity to blends.