2015 M. Trinchero Haystack Vineyard Malbec

Trinchero Family Estates was started in 1947, when brothers John and Mario Trinchero purchased Sutter Home Winery in St. Helena. Since then more recent generations of the family have expanded the business by acquiring numerous brands in the U.S. and Australia, including Ménage a Trois, Napa Cellars and Trinchero Napa Valley. The family’s umbrella business also includes rum and tequila brands. Trinchero Napa Valley is the family’s prestige wine label, and it is mostly single-vineyard wines from the family’s Napa vineyards. Trinchero Napa Valley makes Bordeaux style wines and grows Sauvignon, Merlot, Petit Verdot, Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Sauvignon Blanc. The M. Trinchero label is in honor of Mario Trinchero, and the estate considers its M. Trinchero wines to be "ultra premium."

Atlas Peak AVA is perched above the Stags Leap AVA to the northeast of the city of Napa. Elevation ranges from 760 to 2,600 feet, and temperatures are up to 15 degrees cooler in the Atlas Peak vineyards compared with vineyards in the valley. There are 1,500 vineyard acres planted primarily to Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay. The appellation was named for Atlas Peak, which, at 2,633 feet above sea level, is the highest peak in the area.

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.