Description
WINEMAKER’S NOTES
The 2021 Paul Wallace Black Dog Malbec is the twelfth vintage made from grapes produced on our own farm, Wallovale Vineyards. It is named after Jake, Paul’s beefy black shadow, a cross Labrador/Rottweiler, who was a puppy when we bought the farm in 2003. Jake is sadly no longer with us but two black labs, Angus and Becky, continue the legacy. The Malbec grape is also known as the Black Grape and it is this characteristic that has been incorporated into the name.
Much like the dog, the wine is dark in colour, well-muscled, intense and full of character. The Black Dog Malbec presents with an intriguing somewhat exotic nose, conjuring up hints of black plums, blue and black berries, bramble, rhubarb, violets and a touch of cumin. The entry onto the palate follows on the expectation of the nose – a satisfying fruit-filled mouthful of dark fruits linked by a herbal element and held together by rounded, silky tannins – just enough to contribute to food friendliness. The Black Dog Malbec is a truly memorable wine which reflects the natural elegance we have come to expect from Elgin wines.
The ideal accompaniment to red meat dishes, beef steak, game or slow roasted lamb or should it take your fancy, sit in front of a fire, sip slowly and dip into a bowl of pistachio nuts or biltong.
WINEMAKING
The three individual blocks that comprise our Malbec plantings each have their own unique profile due to different row direction and training systems. The three blocks were harvested and vinified separately, each contributing its own unique building block. Left on the skins for post fermentation maceration before being transferred into 225L and 300L French oak barriques, where MLF took place. The wine spent approximately 15 months in wood with a 20% new wood component. 30% was matured in a concrete egg, contributing towards the fruit driven profile and adding yet another building block to the final compilation.
TECHNICAL ANALYSIS
Alc.13.08 % | RS 2.6 g/l | TA 5.4 g/l | pH 3.49
Harvest Date: 15th – 17th March 2021
Bottling Date: 11th October 2023
Release Date: January 2025
