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Viinin Kuvailu
The Story
MAY-BRITT & DENIS MALBEC, formerly of Château Latour, have created the wines of Notre Vin to honor their favorite California terroirs. Nearly a decade of consulting with Napa and Sonoma Valleys' finest wineries has given this team an in-depth understanding of the region's diverse vineyards and microclimates. They have carefully selected vineyards in the Napa Valley, including Howell Mountain, and along the Sonoma Coast that yield grapes of concentration and balance, and they interpret this fruit through a legacy of Bordeaux winemaking experience that spans generations.
Notre Vin, which means “our wine” in French, produces a Howell Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon, a Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon sourced from the Howell Mountain foothills, a Rosé from Howell Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon, and a Burgundian-style Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir. All wines are crafted in very limited quantities. Our Howell Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon grapes are sourced from a few very select vineyards sites on top of the mountain at an altitude of about 1800 feet.
Wine Information
“The growing season from bud break, mid-March to early May, was extremely dry. This pattern changed in early May with a rainfall that ended up putting over three inches on Howell Mountain. This late rain gave the vines ample moisture to allow for very good growth with minimal inputs from us. The pre-set cluster numbers looked very good heading into bloom. The bloom period was cool and extended which resulted in a limited set in numerous Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon vineyards. The veraison was expected to be extended as well due to the bloom experience, but surprisingly, the change of color was actually compact, which will create very uniform ripening, as the Cabernet Sauvignon moved along remarkably fast during this period, particularly on the mountain. With little to no frost, very few heat spikes and beautiful moderate temperatures during the summer it looked like the perfect scenario for harvest. The end of August into early September saw the most significant heat spike with the lowest humidity of the season. Sugars moved up nicely through this period, anywhere from two to four Brix. Through the month of September, very short and mild heat spikes occurred about every seven to ten days and humidity levels fell a few times below 20%, further increasing the risk of berry dehydration. Managing irrigation before and after these spikes was critical to avoid dehydration. October began with mild high-temperatures and, more importantly, low-temperatures moving down into the mid thirties. A significant rain event happened on October 13th with about three inches rainfall. Another lighter rain occurred on the 19th of October. The effect of this rain could be measured in the uptake of moisture to the plants which caused some swelling to the berries and in many cases helped to limit brix readings. Also of concern after the rain was the onset of rot, Penicillium spp. and possibly Aspergillus. Fortunately this rot was seen on sunburned berries only, usually on the afternoon side of the vine and was pretty limited on Howell Mountain, so a quick pass to remove these infected berries prior to harvest prevented the rot to be delivered to the wineries. In general, the harvest was on average a week later than normal. All in all a relatively uneventful growing season until the harvest period.
May-Britt & Denis Malbec, prorietors of Notre Vin and consultants for Blankiet, Kapscandy,
NOTRE VIN - THE STORY
MAY-BRITT & DENIS MALBEC, formerly of Château Latour, have created the wines of Notre Vin to honor their favorite California terroirs. Nearly a decade of consulting with Napa and Sonoma Valleys' finest wineries has given this team an in-depth understanding of the region's diverse vineyards and microclimates. They have carefully selected vineyards in the Napa Valley, including Howell Mountain, and along the Sonoma Coast that yield grapes of concentration and balance, and they interpret this fruit through a legacy of Bordeaux winemaking experience that spans generations.
Notre Vin, which means “our wine” in French, produces a Howell Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon, a Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon sourced from the Howell Mountain foothills, a Rosé from Howell Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon, and a Burgundian-style Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir. All wines are crafted in very limited quantities.
NOTRE VIN - THE LEGACY
DENIS MALBEC was born at Château Latour, the renowned Bordeaux First Growth house in Pauillac, France. He took his first steps in the cellar and later learned to ride a bike by weaving among the vineyard rows. In 1993, Denis followed in his father's footsteps, starting as a cellar worker at Château Latour and eventually becoming Enologist and Cellar Master. He crafted vintages from 1994 to 1999. Denis is the third generation of his family to have worked at Château Latour.
May-Britt has received numerous distinctions as a sommelier, including the Prince Henri-Melchior de Polignac Award in 1992, with Serena Sutcliffe Sotheby's Master of Wine as president of the jury, designating May-Britt the best sommelier in the Nordic countries. As a result, she soon began serving on important judging panels, such as Le Mondial for the best sommelier in the world and Trophée Ruinart for the best European sommelier. May-Britt moved to Bordeaux in 1995 to oversee public relations at Château Latour.
