2010 Louis M. Martini Monte Rosso Malbec

Louis M. Martini is one of Napa Valley’s most historic wineries. It was founded by Louis M. Martini, who left his home in Genoa, Italy, to join his father in San Francisco in 1899. After experimenting with winemaking, the senior Martini sent his son back to Italy for 5 years to learn winemaking, and by 1911 the men were making wine for sale in rented space outside of San Francisco. Always known for its progressive thinking and attention to quality, the winery became one of the first and most successful large wineries in Napa Valley. In 2002 it was purchased by the Gallo family. The estate owns 700 acres and makes Cabernet Sauvignon, Zinfandel, Malbec, Meritage and Petite Sirah.

Sonoma Valley AVA is Sonoma County’s original winegrowing district. Designated as an AVA in 1981, it includes 14,000 vineyard acres in a long, narrow valley that runs north-south. Rather romantically, the valley is also called The Valley of the Moon. The oldest winery in the AVA, and one of the oldest in California, is Buena Vista Winery, founded in 1857 by a Hungarian count who planted vineyards in Wisconsin before moving to California. Today there are nearly 60 wineries in the AVA producing a variety of wines, from Chardonnay and Pinot Noir to Cabernet Sauvignon and Gewurztraminer. The appellation is bordered by mountain ranges on the east and west, which partly account for Sonoma Valley’s unique terroir. The mountains protect it from the cooling weather of the Pacific Ocean and fruit ripens well.

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.