The 2016 Malbec comes from Block 45, which occupies a southwest-facing hilltop in the heart of Margarita Vineyard. Here, soils of shale and ancient sea bed produce intensely flavored Malbec with a bright, racy character. The 2016 growing season was marked by warm, steady conditions and low yields, with the Malbec grapes being harvested on October 26. The resulting fruit exhibited beautiful physiological maturity with both concentration and structure. Margarita Vineyard stands alone as the southernmost vineyard in the Paso Robles region, nestled into the rugged Santa Lucia Mountain range just 14 miles from theh Pacific Ocean in the new Santa Margarita AVA. The mountain peaks act as a gateway for cool marine air, resulting in an extended growing season that yields fruit with uncommon depth and structure. The peaks are also testaments to the tectonic forces that created Margarita Vineyard’s rare diversity of soils, ultimately fostering natural complexity in our wines.