Winemaker Notes
Devil Proof Malbec, Farrow Ranch, is a lush, strikingly complex wine that comes from the Alexander Valley hillsides of Farrow Ranch in Northern Sonoma County.
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
This is a super rich and deep-set, plum and blueberry-focused style that has some sweet, toasted spices and really rich, intense violets, too. The density and depth is phenomenal with a super plush, super deep and super fresh palate that delivers such richness. The tension between ripeness and freshness here is really something. Without question, this is the finest release to date.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2016 Malbec Farrow Ranch takes its time to open to luscious scents of blueberry jam, mint chocolate and cassis with accents of fenugreek, coffee bean, roasted plum and violet with a streak of graphite. The palate explodes with rich, dense, lush, spicy blue and black fruits with an incredibly velvety frame and great freshness on the finish that goes on and on. This is structurally stunning and should be very long lived. 325 cases were made.
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Jeb Dunnuck
These are two more world class Malbecs from winemaker Jesse Katz. The 2016 Malbec Farrow Ranch comes from a site in Alexander Valley and spent a full 20 months in new French oak. It's an inky purple-colored beauty that gives up loads of blueberry and cassis fruits intermixed with notions of green tobacco, graphite, forest floor, iron, and earth. It's a rich, full-bodied, powerful Malbec that has a great mid-palate, sweet tannins, no hard edges, and a great finish. It's more dense and backward than the 2015 and is going to benefit from 2-3 years of bottle age.
Rating: 94(+?)
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Wine Enthusiast
Black truffle, tar and black licorice combine around thick, rich layers in this gorgeous, structured and full-bodied wine. Earthy and herbal, it shines in its balance of complementary characteristics. —V.B
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Wine Spectator
A contoured and rich-tasting red, with chiseled flavors of dark plum, raspberry, cherry and Asian spice that are open-textured and creamy. The finish is loaded with chocolate and slate accents, showing hints of dried savory herbs. Drink now through 2024.
Celebrated for its bold flavors and supple texture, Malbec has enjoyed runaway success in Argentina since the late 20th century. The grape originated in Bordeaux, France, where it historically contributed color and tannin to blends. A French agronomist, who saw great potential for the variety in Mendoza’s hot, high-altitude landscape, brought Malbec to Argentina in 1868. Somm Secret—If you’re trying to please a crowd, Malbec is generally a safe bet with its combination of dense fruit and soft tannins.
Nearly a northern extension of Napa Valley, Alexander Valley starts just north of the small, Knights Valley, and is just a few minutes drive from the Napa town of Calistoga. It is Sonoma County’s hottest AVA. But the Russian River, which runs through the valley, creates cooler pockets and its soft, alluvial soil is ideal for grape growing, especially Cabernet Sauvignon. In fact, some believe that Alexander Valley Cabernets truly rival the best from Napa Valley and many of the heavy-hitter producers have largely invested here.
In addition to Cabernet Sauvignon, which makes up over 50% of plantings, Merlot and old vine Zinfandel thrive here. Ample, fleshy Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc dominate white wine production. Some old-vine plantings of Grenache have also been discovered and more recent experiments with Sangiovese and Barbera show great promise.