2020 Attollo The Black Wine Malbec

Attollo The Black Wine Malbec 2020

Attollo “The Black Wine” Malbec is made from a selection of vineyards across the Margaret River region and utilises only the best individual barrels of the season in creation of the ultimate Malbec, “The Black Wine”.  The vinification utilises both New and Old World influences in creation of a wine with immediate drinkability but ageability for the medium to long-term, depending on your cellaring conditions.

The 2020 growing season was a good average growing season, with moderate even ripening and mostly a rainfree season.  There was some unevenness in white varieties but reds were quite even.  Fruit was high quality with beautiful perfume, fresh flavours and savoury elegant to ripe tannin.   2020 is a consistent early ripening vintage- not outstanding but very good overall.

The Malbec for this wine was sourced from two vineyards in Margaret River, staying more southern this vintage, stretching from Walcliffe to Karridale.

Bessil Road Walcliffe Subregion Malbec grown using a VSP trellis on grey gravel loams over mottled clay.  The vines were planted in 1996 and this vine age (24 years old in 2020) combined with this inland terroir provides for richly flavoured malbec with an amazing purple colour, powerful aromas of violet and dark fruit, with distinctive hints of savoury herbs, rich long flavour with amazing bright acidity and rustic structural tannins.  This parcel was hand picked on the 10th March 2020 at 13.4 Baume on a biodynamic fruit day.

Glenarty Road Karridale Subregion Malbec grown using a modified lyre arrangement on moderately fertile black loam sands over karri loams.  The vines were planted in 1994 so now have some pedigree also being 24 years old at harvest.  The warm vintage resulted in a wine with intense fruit flavours of Christmas cake and chocolate with violet notes and an immense rich full bodied palate with immense length, fine ripe tannins and a savoury texture.   This parcel was hand picked on the 4th of  March 2020 at 14.9 Baume on a biodynamic fruit day.

Pusey Road Wilyabrup Subregion Malbec grown using a VSP trellis on karri loam soils.  The vines were planted in 1990 so now are 32 years old.  The good vintage conditions vintage resulted in a wine with strong chocolate and black fruit characters with a rich structured palate and blocky sweet tannins.  This parcel was hand picked on the 13th of March 2020 at 13.9 Baume.

The blend was comprised of 0.548t Pusey Road Malbec, 0.438t Glenarty Road Malbec. And 0.44t Besel Road Malbec.  All parcels were hand picked and chilled to 5oC before gently destemming to dry iced bins for a 7 day cold soak. The must was then transferred by gravity [bucket] to 225L barrique fermenters (one brand new).  Each individual ferment was plunged by hand gently during ferment lasting for 8 to 12 days and peaking at 25 to 28oC.  Towards the end of fermentation the barrel fermenters were set on racks and left on skins for a period of three to four weeks [extended maceration] to build palate weight and provide a tannic backbone affording longevity to the wine.  The barrels were then gently basket pressed directly back to barrel for malolactic fermentation on lees.  Five individual 225L barriques resulted from this vinification process.  The wines were sulphured at the end of malolactic fermentation and left on lees until for about 12 months with monthly  stirring.  The malbec was then matured on light lees for a total of 17 months, before blending in August of 2021.  The wine was bottled with no fining or filtration in November 2021.

pH 3.56

Titrateable Acidity [TA] 6.1g/L

Residual Sugar [RS]  0.2g/L

Volatile Acidity [VA] 0.59g/l

Alcohol 14.3%

Cases Bottled

November 2020

1030L

228  6 pack screw cap

Cellaring Best

 Best 2022-32, Maximum 2035

Taste 20/09/26

The wine has a typical deep red centre with a pink hue.  The wine is very blackberry, cocoa and chololate, with a floral violet lift and some cherry savoury leather undertones. The 2020 is a very strong vintage with rich fruit and pronounced savoury tannin which will soften over time.   The use of barrel fermentation adds a sweet dimension to the palate and melds the oak so it is barely discernable.  The palate is medium to full weight, with lovely poise and depth, great midpalate richness and a beautiful dry savoury tannic finish.  This wine is very young and will continue to soften and evolve over the next 20 years.