THE C.R. SANDIDGE WINES
2022 Purtteman Malbec
Red
Due to the very cool weather from March through early – June, the overall growing season leading up to harvest was borderline disastrous. Utilizing excellent canopy management and dropping 25% of the grape clusters helped mitigate some of the growth delay caused by the cool weather. It would take arid – warm weather through the end of October to allow winemakers to spread out the harvest and gain some additional ripeness. Mercifully, that happened as fully ripened grapes were being picked through the 6th – 7th of November without rainfall. Ultimately, grapes were picked between 14 and 20 days later than what we would typically expect.
This fine red wine harvest came from a single Lake Chelan AVA vineyard site. Namely, our Purtteman Estate vineyard. This vineyard sits in a half-amphitheater with the Malbec facing the south-southwest on a moderate slope. It receives direct sun all daylight hours. The soil is a loamy – sand. Perfect for manipulating vine growth needed to focus on reducing berry size.
- Harvest: All fruit was hand-picked, sorted, and destemmed – crushed into one-ton fermentation bins.
- Fermentation: A yeast developed in northern France was utilized for the primary fermentation. The must was fermented for 10 days on the skins before pressing.
- Grape must be “punched down” thoroughly twice daily while the skins are in contact with the fermenting juice.
- Malo-lactic conversion: The malolactic conversion was fully completed while the wine was in barrels utilizing the native bacteria.
- The wine was aged for 17 months in French oak barrels. Fifty percent were new American oak, and twenty–five percent of the barrels were new French oak. The balance was aged in a one-use barrel. This was done to preserve a significant fruit component for the final blend. The French oak we sourced for new oak was “Center of France.” The American oak came from forests located in the state of Virginia.
- Filtration Level: Very tight at bottling.
I love this grape as it never fails to amaze us—or you, for that matter. Deep and brooding in its presentation, our Malbec showcases a dark color with purple-red hues. The aromas and flavors from the grape include very ripe red raspberries, black currants, red ripe plum, and a hint of sage. The barrel aging adds some delicious toasty oak notes as well. It pairs best with a mushroom pie made from freshly harvested morel or chanterelle mushrooms that have been sautéed to perfection and folded into a rich brown sauce before being loaded into and baked in the pie shell. A delicious smoked beef brisket will suffice if you’re a meat eater. Still not your thing? Try smoked, pan-seared, or grilled fresh-caught salmon seasoned with herbs de Provence and finished with a plum sauce with an ever-so-slight sweet note. Our family thanks you for your friendship and support. Enjoy!!
Wine Specs
| Specification | Value |
|---|---|
| Alcohol Percentage: | 14% |
| pH: | 3.67 |
| Acidity: | 5.1 grams per liter |
| Residual Sugar: | 1g/liter |
| AVA: | Lake Chelan |
Non-Member Pricing
Bottle Price: $50.00
Case Discount: 15%
Club Member Pricing
Bottle Price: $40.00
Case Discount: 30%