2023 Brecon Malbec (Best of Class & not a lot left)
Tisk Tisk. I got caught purple handed copying a previous tasting note. Well if it's not broken don’t fix it, right? This egregious misdeed is not unlike how we gratuitously plagiarized the technique for crafting this lovely drop. You see, since the time of Asterix the Gaul and Julius Caesar, the fine folk of Cahors have been making delicious Malbec. That's why plucky little Brecon decided not to reinvent the chariot wheel, and mimic their wine's makeup, i.e. sneak in a sizable chunk of Tannat. Hence, the bags of bright Malbec fruit with its lovely acid balance and certain softness of texture are reinforced with a solid Tannat backbone. All of this is overlain with fine French oak that imparts cinnamon/nutmeg overtones with hints of vanilla candies. Sorry, not available in Amphoras.
Best in Class. Boston Wine Competition, October 2025
Double Gold. SF Chronicle Wine Competition, January 2026
When in Cahors! You do what they have been doing for centuries and sneak up to 30% Tannat into your Malbec. Being that this Malbec is a Cahors clone, and (further being) we have hilltop Tannat available, it’s perhaps then not surprising we sneaked in 25ish% of said Tannat, making it absolutely in the Cahors-style spectrum, but of course, with that Paso and Brecon twist.
| Vintage | 2023 |
| Varietal Composition | 46.13% '23 Malbec, Adelaida District, La Vista Vineyard.
26.93% '23 Malbec, Adelaida District, Brecon Estate Vineyard.
24.94% '23 Tannat, Adelaida District, Brecon Estate Vineyard.
2% '24 Malbec, Adelaida District, Brecon Estate Vineyard |
| Appellation | Paso Robles, Adelaida District |
| Acid | 0.57g/100ml |
| PH | 3.70 |
| Aging | Drink Now - 2040 |
| Residual Sugar | 0.06g/100ml |
| Alcohol | 14.80% |
| Volume | 750 ml |
| Bottling Date | 08/14/2025 |
| Cases Produced | 168 |
There is a Malbec renaissance going on right now in California, and Brecon is right at the forefront of it. Fantastic new clones are being brought in from both Cahors, the spiritual home of Malbec, and Mendoza in Argentina. Our Cahors vines went into the ground in 2014, while our Argentinian vines will be planted in 2026. Both will be the second US plantings of their respective clones in the USA. Needless to say, we can't wait.
