Sebastiani Alexander Valley Malbec 2016
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Since it’s founded in 1904 by Samuele Sebastiani, Sebastiani Vineyards & Winery has been a Sonoma winemaking tradition. The winery is located in the heart of downtown Sonoma and offers a historic winery with a hospitality center, barrel room with stunning antique redwood tanks, a grand event space and daily tours and tastings.
Planted in 1961, the “Original Vineyard Block” now known as Cherryblock, was planted primarily to Cabernet Sauvignon, which led the winery to create one of Sonoma County’s first varietal Cabernet Sauvignon. Sebastiani has continued its tradition in crafting a variety of Cabernet’s including the iconic Cherryblock, Alexander Valley Cabernet Sauvignon and North Coast Cabernet Sauvignon. Utilizing grapes from a variety of premier growing sites created wines with richness and complexity.
Proprietor, Bill Foley, purchased Sebastiani in 2008 and honors the traditions of Sebastiani while embracing the future. Sebastiani Vineyards and Winery continues to create consistent, highly acclaimed wines crafted by Winemaker, David Nakaji.
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.