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Never known to be a traditionalist, and sometimes described as something of
a viticultural maverick, Paul has been making his own Malbec from bought in
grapes since 2004. What started as a 'fun project' to keep his friends in
wine, has developed something of a reputation and following. His maiden
vintage, the Paul Wallace Malbec 2004, received a 4 star rating in John
Platter and was awarded a Silver Medal at the Michelangelo International
Wine Awards 2006. Subsequent vintages have all received a four star rating
in the Platter wine guide.
The 2008 vintage of Malbec was the first vintage made from grapes harvested from our own farm, Wallovale Vineyards. It is also the very first bottled pure Malbec from the Elgin region. Nicky used this opportunity to rebrand the product changing the packaging from the original bold purple label to a discreet yet striking label featuring a purple stripe and introducing Paul's shadow, the beefy black dog (aka Jake) featured in silhouette on the front label. Jake knew every vine intimately but sadly at the age of 15 we sent him to doggy heaven. There are two new black Labs and a needy Spaniel to fill his paws.
Our current vintage is the
2019 Paul Wallace Black Dog Malbec.
2014 saw the inauguration of our tasting room as well as the Maiden Release
of the
Paul Wallace Little Flirt Sauvignon Blanc
and the
Paul Wallace Brave Heart Pinot Noir. The range was further extended with the inclusion of our Bordeaux blend named
Crackerjack. As the name suggests it is exactly that - a cracker of a wine.
We were particularly excited about a small batch of Noble Late Harvest made from Sauvignon Blanc grapes in an extremely tricky and rainy summer of 2014. The last few bottles are now firmly tucked away in Nicky's secret store. However weather conditions in 2016 and 2017 allowed us to once again vinify some of this delicious nectar.
Cabernet Franc and Chardonnay were planted in the winter of 2016. We did however buy in some grapes from the neighbours to cut down on the time from plant to launch allowing us to release our Maiden Vintage of Chardonnay in 2016. The 2022 Paul Wallace Reflection Chardonnay is currently available.
Also available from our tasting room is one of Elgin's very few Chenin Blanc wines. The Off the Record Chenin Blanc
begun as a shared project between the Wallace brothers, Mark and Bobby. If the name intrigues you, you will have to visit the farm to find out the story behind the wines.
Recently added to the range is the Off the Record
Syrah - made from grapes sourced from the Ceres Plateau, some 1000
meters above sea level.
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