2018 Rockpile Ridge Malbec
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Tasting notes
All Malbec from a great appellation in the heart of Sonoma, the 2018 Malbec Rockpile Ridge offers a classic, exotic, blue fruit-driven style with a wealth of blueberries, wildflowers, iron, tobacco, and crushed stone. Flawlessly balanced and full-bodied on the palate, it has an awesome mid-palate, a vibrant sense of freshness and acidity, and a killer finish. It's one of the finest Malbecs out there, yet it’s slightly closed and backward and needs 4-5 years of bottle age. It should have two decades of overall longevity.
Critic scores
Average Score
Jeb Dunnuck
Antonio Galloni, Vinous
More reviews and scores
Deep purple-black in color, the 2018 Malbec Rockpile Ridge Vineyard opens very slowly to detailed aromas of mint chocolate, pencil shavings, cassis, aniseed and exotic spices over intense blue and red fruits. The palate offers powdery tannins and plush ripeness tempered by streaks of rocky mineral character, finishing very long. This Rockpile Ridge Malbec gets better and better year after year! 575 cases were made.
The 2018 Malbec Rockpile Ridge is fascinating to taste next to the Merlot from Farrow Ranch. Here Malbec is dark and intensely brooding. Black cherry, gravel, spice, menthol, licorice, dried herbs and licorice infuse the 2018 with tremendous character. This is an especially potent, structured wine. Another year or two in bottle will only help.