Tango Malbec

Tango Malbec is a limited production single-varietal wine from a single Napa Valley vineyard.

In Tango, flavor and power are entwined - pure on the palate - juicy with a wealth of fruit and light, velvety tannin.

A wonderfully deep, dense, glossy red-black hue when poured into the glass.

The nose starts off with blackcurrant and ripe plum over a layer of densely compacted fruit beneath revealing a seam of minerals and still more.

Pure on the palate with a juicy texture and a wealth of velvety tannins and acids but tied in with all this power there is floral fruit, great substance and a lovely presence.

A wine in which flavor and power are entwined reminiscent of lovers entwined in the Tango, the dance of love.

Meat and Malbec– the ultimate pairing! Malbec has soft tannin and a short finish, making it a great choice with red meats.

A dark, almost black, spicy wine reminiscent of blackberries and chocolate, with a velvety texture. Tango is full bodied and able to mature elegantly but is delicious consumed young as well.

  • Serving Temperature: 60°F- 65°F
  • Glass Type: Riedel - Bordeaux
  • Decant: Yes – 30 to 50 minutes
  • Age: Up to 15+ years

Malbec, originally called Côt, is the dominant red varietal in Cahors where appellation regulations require a minimum content of 70% Malbec. The French Malbec tends to have solid structure, firm tannin, and an inky dark, brooding quality.

Introduced to Argentina by French agricultural engineer Michel Pouget in 1868, Malbec is widely planted there producing a softer, less tannic-driven variety than its French parent. Argentinean Malbec tends to be plummy and fruit-forward, with a soft velvety texture.

Originally planted in our estate vineyards to add color and complexity in our Bordeaux-style wines, Malbec found its way into our taste buds and hearts immediately demanding its own label so in 2004 our first single-vineyard, single-varietal Malbec was bottled as Tango.

As we can see from the French and Argentine findings, depending on where it is grown Malbec can produce a different wine. We wanted a our Tango Malbec to have the best qualities of both and we know that perfect growing conditions include ample sunshine and a dry climate, conditions usually associated with higher altitude vineyards.

Tango very quickly became popular so in 2008 we added a second vineyard and in 2010 we added a third high altitude Malbec vineyard to replace them both.

Our Tango Malbec, grown at high altitude, drier with ample sunshine and a greater diurnal temperature variation develops more intense color, a denser palate and a longer aging potential due to its higher acidity, resulting in a harmonious, age-worthy wine.

Tango ~ a dance popular in Argentina in which the dancers are entwined as lovers.

Why "Tango" ~ Tango is a wine in which flavor and power are entwined reminiscent of lovers entwined in the Tango, the dance of love. In the dance each partner dances different steps but they also remain entwined as one.

When Tango Malbec is enjoyed with food, particularly hearty red meat or spicy food, the wine will entwine with the food but also retain its own presence in the taste sensation, in the same way as the Tango dancers.

The way Malbec entwined itself into our taste buds, our hearts and our enjoyment of foods, as well as its popularity in Argentina, all suggested to Bill that it should be called Tango.

Pronunciation ~ mal bek

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