Oak Farm Vineyards Malbec 2021

Alcohol: 14%

Grape(s): Malbec

Localization: Lodi (Mokelumne River), California, USA

Tasting Notes: This deep ruby colored Malbec is overflowing with aromas of
sweet plums and raspberry tart. It has a smooth floral mouthfeel
and a lively finish.

Notes: Estate Vineyard to the west of our tasting room and production facility. Bilateral cordon trained into vertical shoot position (VSP). Clone 3 on 5BB rootstock. Planted in 2014, the vines are young and full of energy. Pruning and shoot thinning were done to keep cluster counts in balance, leaves were pulled on the north side of the vine as the rows oriented east to west. 2017 was the first vintage we harvested fruit from this vineyard

Grapes were hand-picked (at 24.6 Brix average) in the morning on September 29th, 2020 and gently sorted and transferred to a temperature controlled stainless steel tank for cold soak.
Fermentation was managed with regular punch downs or pump overs. Aged in oak barrels (approximately 34% new French & American oak). Filtered on May 27, 2020 and bottled on June 3rd, 2020.

Food Pairing: 

The Domain: Oak Farm Vineyards is a family owned and operated estate winery located in Lodi CA.

The property was originally home to William DeVries and his wife Cornelia Crowe, which William acquired in 1860. At the time, the area was called "Elkhorn Township". DeVries was a wheat farmer, raised cattle, and even became Justice of the Peace. The beautiful colonial style home was built by William in 1876. The property has been largely renovated with great attention to its’ heritage. The ranch was known throughout the San Joaquin Valley as one of the most magnificent and beautiful pieces of property within the state. DeVries was an enthusiastic lover of trees, particularly of oaks, and on the home ranch, he never allowed a tree to be cut unless it was a menace. Today, many of the property’s enormous oaks still stand, along with the DeVries family burial plot.

The Panella family purchased Oak Farm in 2004. As a third generation California Farmer, Dan undertook the task of replanting the property’s 60 acres of vineyards in 2012. Dan leads a talented building a diverse portfolio of wines made up of 14 different grape varieties as well as selectively sourced grapes.