2008 Mt. Brave Malbec

Mt. Brave was founded in 2007 on the upper reaches of Mt. Veeder. It is named for the native Wappo tribe, whose name translates as “the brave ones.” Mt. Brave is part of the Jackson Family Wines Collection, which, despite its roots in Napa Valley, now owns wineries around the world. The Mt. Brave vineyard ranges from 1,400 to 1,800 feet above sea level, meaning that part of it is above the famous fog line that moves into lower elevation vineyards. Chris Carpenter is the winemaker. He has worked for Lokoya, La Jota and Cardinale. The estate makes Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec and Merlot.

Napa Valley AVA is the most famous winemaking region in the United States and one of the most prestigious in the world. With nearly 43,000 acres of vineyards and more than 300 wineries, it is the heart of fine wine production in the United States. Winemaking started in Napa in 1838 when George C. Yount planted grapes and began producing wine commercially. Other winemaking pioneers followed in the late 19th century, including the founders of Charles Krug, Schramsberg, Inglenook and Beaulieu Vineyards. An infestation of phylloxera, an insect that attacks vine roots, and the onset of Prohibition nearly wiped out the nascent Napa wine industry in the early 20th century. But by the late 1950s and early 1960s Robert Mondavi and other visionaries were producing quality wines easily distinguishable from the mass-produced jug wines made in California’s Central Valley. Napa Valley’s AVA was established in 1983, and today there are 16 sub-appellations within the Napa Valley AVA. Many grapes grow well in Napa’s Mediterranean climate, but the region is best known for Cabernet Sauvignon. Chardonnay is also very successfully cultivated, and about 30% of the AVA’s acreage is planted to white grapes, with the majority of those grapes being Chardonnay,

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.