She's Got Legs...
By The Real Todd Harrison | March 21, 2008 | 2:13 PM | 0 Comments
No, I am not referring to ZZ Top circa 1983. Although, Eliminator was a great album! I am talking about the 2004 Malbec from Imagery Estate Winery. If you have never heard of or tasted an Imagery wine, you are missing out. These wines are some of the best I have tasted.
Imagery Estate Winery in Sonoma Valley, California was the brainchild of Joe Benziger of the Benziger Family Winery. The first Imagery wines were produced in 1985. Over the next 20 years, Joe and his team developed some of the best and rare wines under one name. At Imagery you can taste Sangiovese, Tempranillo, Cabernet Franc, White Burgundy, Viognier, Pinot Noir Rosé, Barbera, Lagrein, Petit Verdot, and of course, Malbec.
All Imagery wines are produced using Biodynamics®. Biodynamics® is a holistic farming approach that was developed in the 1920s by Rudolf Steiner, the Austrian scientist-philosopher who developed 
Waldorf Education. In 2001, the Demeter Association certified the 20-acre Imagery estate Biodynamic. The adjacent 40-acre Sunny Slope Vineyard, on which the Benzigers hold a 30-year lease, achieved Biodynamic certification in 2006. While it encompasses many of the principles of organic farming, such as the elimination of all chemicals, Biodynamics® goes further, requiring close attention to the varied forces of nature influencing the vine. It also emphasizes a closed nutrient and self-sustaining ecosystem.
Imagery's Malbec has found a home in Northern California even though it is notoriously difficult to cultivate. Malbec is a black grape variety originally brought to France by a Hungarian peasant, where it was grown in the Loire Valley and Cahors. Long known as one of the six grapes used in the blending of red Bordeaux wine, it is increasingly celebrated as the classic grape of Argentina. Malbec is darkly colored, very distinct in aroma and flavor (dark plum, blueberry, tobacco, sweet pepper), fleshy in texture, and long on the finish. It is mildly oaky, and well balanced. She's got legs! What more could you ask for?
Imagery's wines compare to some of the best in the world. Average price is $36.00 per bottle.
Imagery Estate Winery is located at 14335 Hwy. 12, Glen Ellen, California 95442.
TASTING ROOM & ART GALLERY
Open daily 10am - 4:30pm
877.550.4278
707.935.4515
707.935.4504 fax
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