Nose
Aromas of black currants and wet rock exude from the glass.
Palate
The contrasting nature of the blend shows in the mix of spicy and structural tannins that frame blackberry, pomegranate and rhubarb.
Growing Conditions
The 2020 Messer comes from Estate blocks 3 and 5. These are as close to “flat” as our property gets, offering richer topsoil then our chalkier blocks. This gives a bit more nutrients for vigorous growth and ample canopy to ripen these thick skinned and rich tannic Bordeaux varietals. The 2020 vintage is marked by producing very structured wines with ample tannin and acid backbones, making this vintage of Messer a real standout with incredible aging potential.
Winemaking
The Cab Franc and Malbec were picked a couple weeks apart, thus fermented separately. Hand-picked clusters were destemmed without crushing and transferred to 4 ton open top concrete tanks. A mix of pump over and delestage gently extracted the juice from the berries and the lots were pressed after 12-15 days on skins. The combined free run and press wine was allowed to settle for 48 hours then transferred to 40% new French oak barrels for 21 months of aging.
Aging
21 months aging in barrel. This vintage of Messer should truly mature gracefully over the next 12-15 years.
Appearance
Opaquely purple Malbec dominates the appearance of this wine.
Food Pairing
Brightly integrated acid leads to a clean finish begging for mushroom lasagna or spare ribs.