2008 Louis M Martini - Malbec Monte Rosso

The best Malbec I have ever tasted from California must be Martini’s 2008 Malbec Monte Rosso Vineyard, one of the iconic terroirs in California. Made from 100% Malbec aged in 100% French oak for 18 months, the Malbec is even bigger than the Cabernet Franc, coming in at 15.5% alcohol. A perfumed floral bouquet exhibits notions of blueberry liqueur, black currants, licorice and camphor. The complex aromatics are followed by a wine with exceptional richness, intensity and density. It is the only California Malbec I have ever tasted that could stand up against some of the high elevation, prodigious Malbecs from Argentina. This full-bodied, intense, stunning 2008 is capable of lasting 15 or more years. This venerable winery can trace its origins back to 1900 when Louis Martini came to the United States from Genoa, Italy. After a long, distinguished winemaking history, the family sold the winery in 2002 to the Gallo family with whom they had been close friends for decades. Today’s wines may be the finest Louis Martini offerings since the classics they made in the fifties and sixties. The wines reviewed in this report represent an impressive line-up that includes some outrageous values. Moreover, readers should not forget Louis M. Martini’s three Napa Valley offerings that were reviewed in issue #192. Tel. (800) 321-WINE