Our bold Malbec from the Moon Mountain District offers a compelling departure from conventional full-bodied reds like Cabernet Sauvignon. While Malbec is typically cultivated in this region as a blending component, as a single-varietal bottling it reveals an impressive powerful character brimming with concentrated, ripe dark fruit. With limited Malbec acreage in Sonoma County, our expression stands out in a category that remains largely uncharted in California.
Pangloss Cellars is a celebration of Sonoma and the diversity of grape varieties for which Sonoma is known.
Named after Dr. Pangloss, the eternal optimist in Voltaire’s novel Candide, Pangloss Cellars is our commitment to optimism as the best way to approach life. Dr. Pangloss famously said that mankind lives in the best of all possible worlds. In Sonoma, we believe we have indeed found the best of all possible worlds, and with our Pangloss wines we want to share the best of Sonoma with you.
Our Pangloss Cellars home at the Repris Tasting Lounge is a carefully restored 119-year-old historic building on the town square in Sonoma where California was founded. Given our obsession with handcrafting wines using Old World techniques, our attraction to the old building was natural and powerful.
Bringing the building back to its original glory was a first step for us in forming a deep bond with our home. Over the course of a 9-month restoration project we painstakingly recreated the original redwood and glass storefront. Stonemasons spent months chiseling away layers of plaster to reveal the original stone walls, and carpenters exposed the old hand-sawn beams and brought in reclaimed oak floors. Having regained her special character and soul, our beautiful building is ready to welcome you.
Available States
AL, AZ, AR, CA, CO, CT, DC, FL, GA, ID, IL, IN, IA, KS, KY, LA, ME, MD, MA, MI, MN, MO, MT, NE, NV, NH, NJ, NM, NY, NC, ND, OH, OK, OR, PA, RI, SC, SD, TN, TX, VT, VA, WA, WV, WI, WY
Hello Casemates! I’m Erich Bradley, winemaker for Pangloss Cellars in Sonoma. It’s great to be here and I’m excited to share our 2023 Moon Mountain District Malbec with you.
For those unfamiliar with the Moon Mountain District, it’s a rugged, mountainous appellation high above Sonoma Valley, known for its volcanic soils, elevation, and distinctive growing conditions. It’s a pretty special place to grow Bordeaux varieties, and Malbec is no exception.
I’ll be checking in throughout the day tomorrow, so feel free to ask any questions. Cheers!
I don’t visit often enough, but I’m excited to be here today (tonight?), officially shilling for the ‘23 Pangloss Malbec, Moon Mountain District.
Full disclosure, I’ve been working with Erich Bradley for 12 years - since I said goodbye to WCC (clearly I’m still on good terms with WineDavid, Terry and Ariana. Lifelong friends.) Erich is a great friend and a great winemaker. And like Erich, I’m a big fan of the Moon Mountain District- the Sonoma side of the Mayacamas - the Sonoma side of Mt. Veeder.
Those of you that hung out up at Kunde on the RPM tour many moons ago (see what I did there?) under the oak trees looking down on the Sonoma Valley - we were standing in the Moon Mountain DIstrict.
I have some thoughts to share on this wine… I’m about to pop a cork shortly and have a glass. I’ll report back tomorrow. Any questions, please ask!
Ok, I’m back, sipping coffee and posting my notes!
Appearance: Dark magenta with a vivid rim.
On the nose: Fresh, fragrant strawberries!
Palate: Plush notes of wild berries. Ample fruit and plenty of acidity. A hint of meatiness and savory quality. The tannins are smooth. It has a gentle finish; a little bit of heat which gradually subsided as I got deeper into the bottle.
…which I did whilst grilling up some chuck/brisket blend burgers. The Malbec got together with the fatty burger perfectly. It was a beautiful thing. This wine (like all of Erich’s wines) likes food.
This Malbec is not rustic and not brutish. It’s big, but there’s an elegance to it. It’s mountain grown fruit handled with a light touch.
I’m biased, but I think this is a solid example of Moon Mountain District and a screaming deal at the Casemates price.
@neilfindswine Thank’s for your tasting notes Neil. I guess we’ll keep you on the team. More seriously…Moon Mountain District’s general signature is the coalescence of plush mountain tannins with fresh fruit, and I feel that this wine is a very good representation of that.
How much more are you saving by buying a full case?
(Note: tax and shipping are not included in savings calculations)
2023 Pangloss Cellars Malbec - $140 = 35.89%
Very excited to have lab ratted this wine - big fan of the Moon Mountain area, so I was excited to see the bottle.
This time around we were able to pop and pour two nights ago for a glass and then have the other last night after some time to breathe.
Pour quite dark deep ruby, strong legs. My feeling on the first sip was that it was quite hot, needed some time to breathe. I was really surprised by how floral it was, which frankly I loved and my wife hated. Good minerality on the finish as well.
Let the wine chill out for a minute while making dinner, and came back. That cloud of heat was gone, still strongly floral but now there’s berry coming out too, along the lines of strawberry or raspberry. Not cloying or sweet at all, and I thought it went really well with the rest of the flavor profile. In a recurring theme, my wife hated this…
Corked the bottle and let it sit overnight, had another glass last night, this time the food pairing was much better, which was pizza. I thought it went very well, with a little spice in the sauce the floral notes were a little more muted, but the berry was still there.
Good acidity the whole way through as well, nothing astringent from tannins and I don’t believe that it needed them.
When that mystery case came from over the summer we had gotten several high altitude malbecs there, which was new to me. I feel like this drank much more like those, delicate and layered. Really fantastic wine, though not something you want to sit down with a heavy meal to drink. My ideal with this would be some charcuterie - cheese, some salty meat, and some light fruit.
If I was getting this I’d let it sit until it warms up, will be awesome to drink on that first sort of warm day outside.
In general, I’d say it reminds me of great Sonoma reds with good acidity and some unexpected flavors, can easily picture having some at the winery and having that “Oh! This is different and really good” reaction, makes me want to take a trip out there again.
@rmm989 Thank you for taking the time to share your notes and for commenting on the minerality, which to me is a calling card for Malbec grown at high elevation, which the Moon Mountain District shares with the high altitude bottles you sampled.
I didn’t say anything earlier because I just ordered a case right off the bat. High Altitude Malbec from California…Yes please. Peterson Malbec and Deerfield Malbec are two of my favorites, also very small productions, and my bottles are running thin. I love the fact that you intentionally avoided over-oaking them and you wanted the grapes to speak more for themselves. I’m excited to try the wine. Did I hear correctly that you only made a couple barrels?!
Yes, only 2 barrels produced in this vintage. This sounds like it’s in your Malbec strike zone of high elevation, terroir-driven and small production. Enjoy!
@PanglossCellars
Yes, this does sound tasty.
Very full cellar, really no room for a full case, volume wise or $$, and the hit for two bottles is pretty steep. Wish WD would have assembled a three or four pack instead of the double; that I would have gone for.
@PanglossCellars Yeah, that combination is definitely a swing away all day for me. I don’t care how full my cellar is, I’ll make room for it when I see it and can afford it.
My philosophy with oak and Malbec is informed by some trial and error over the years. I’ve been playing with Malbec in the hills above Sonoma going back to my days at Arrowood over 25 years ago. My general conclusion has been that new oak just gets in the way and inhibits me from being able to express site or region…which in this case is The Moon Mountain District. Those who know…know.
Pangloss Cellars Malbec
2023 Pangloss Malbec, Moon Mountain District
Food Pairing Suggestions
Specs
What’s Included
2-bottles:
Case:
Price Comparison
not for sale on winery website, $900/case MSRP
About The Winery
Available States
AL, AZ, AR, CA, CO, CT, DC, FL, GA, ID, IL, IN, IA, KS, KY, LA, ME, MD, MA, MI, MN, MO, MT, NE, NV, NH, NJ, NM, NY, NC, ND, OH, OK, OR, PA, RI, SC, SD, TN, TX, VT, VA, WA, WV, WI, WY
Estimated Delivery
Monday, Nov 16 - Tuesday, Nov 17
2023 Pangloss Cellars Malbec
2 bottles for $64.99 $32.50/bottle + $4/bottle shipping
Case of 12 for $249.99 $20.83/bottle + $1/bottle shipping
Hello Casemates! I’m Erich Bradley, winemaker for Pangloss Cellars in Sonoma. It’s great to be here and I’m excited to share our 2023 Moon Mountain District Malbec with you.
For those unfamiliar with the Moon Mountain District, it’s a rugged, mountainous appellation high above Sonoma Valley, known for its volcanic soils, elevation, and distinctive growing conditions. It’s a pretty special place to grow Bordeaux varieties, and Malbec is no exception.
I’ll be checking in throughout the day tomorrow, so feel free to ask any questions. Cheers!
Greetings CaseMateys!
I don’t visit often enough, but I’m excited to be here today (tonight?), officially shilling for the ‘23 Pangloss Malbec, Moon Mountain District.
Full disclosure, I’ve been working with Erich Bradley for 12 years - since I said goodbye to WCC (clearly I’m still on good terms with WineDavid, Terry and Ariana. Lifelong friends.) Erich is a great friend and a great winemaker. And like Erich, I’m a big fan of the Moon Mountain District- the Sonoma side of the Mayacamas - the Sonoma side of Mt. Veeder.
Those of you that hung out up at Kunde on the RPM tour many moons ago (see what I did there?) under the oak trees looking down on the Sonoma Valley - we were standing in the Moon Mountain DIstrict.
I have some thoughts to share on this wine… I’m about to pop a cork shortly and have a glass. I’ll report back tomorrow. Any questions, please ask!
Ok, I’m back, sipping coffee and posting my notes!
Appearance: Dark magenta with a vivid rim.
On the nose: Fresh, fragrant strawberries!
Palate: Plush notes of wild berries. Ample fruit and plenty of acidity. A hint of meatiness and savory quality. The tannins are smooth. It has a gentle finish; a little bit of heat which gradually subsided as I got deeper into the bottle.
…which I did whilst grilling up some chuck/brisket blend burgers. The Malbec got together with the fatty burger perfectly. It was a beautiful thing. This wine (like all of Erich’s wines) likes food.
This Malbec is not rustic and not brutish. It’s big, but there’s an elegance to it. It’s mountain grown fruit handled with a light touch.
I’m biased, but I think this is a solid example of Moon Mountain District and a screaming deal at the Casemates price.
@neilfindswine all is right with the world. Neilfindswine is in the house!
@neilfindswine Thank’s for your tasting notes Neil. I guess we’ll keep you on the team. More seriously…Moon Mountain District’s general signature is the coalescence of plush mountain tannins with fresh fruit, and I feel that this wine is a very good representation of that.
@Winedavid59 Thank you sir, it’s nice to be here. I like what you’ve done with the place.
How much more are you saving by buying a full case?
(Note: tax and shipping are not included in savings calculations)
2023 Pangloss Cellars Malbec - $140 = 35.89%
Very excited to have lab ratted this wine - big fan of the Moon Mountain area, so I was excited to see the bottle.
This time around we were able to pop and pour two nights ago for a glass and then have the other last night after some time to breathe.
Pour quite dark deep ruby, strong legs. My feeling on the first sip was that it was quite hot, needed some time to breathe. I was really surprised by how floral it was, which frankly I loved and my wife hated. Good minerality on the finish as well.
Let the wine chill out for a minute while making dinner, and came back. That cloud of heat was gone, still strongly floral but now there’s berry coming out too, along the lines of strawberry or raspberry. Not cloying or sweet at all, and I thought it went really well with the rest of the flavor profile. In a recurring theme, my wife hated this…
Corked the bottle and let it sit overnight, had another glass last night, this time the food pairing was much better, which was pizza. I thought it went very well, with a little spice in the sauce the floral notes were a little more muted, but the berry was still there.
Good acidity the whole way through as well, nothing astringent from tannins and I don’t believe that it needed them.
When that mystery case came from over the summer we had gotten several high altitude malbecs there, which was new to me. I feel like this drank much more like those, delicate and layered. Really fantastic wine, though not something you want to sit down with a heavy meal to drink. My ideal with this would be some charcuterie - cheese, some salty meat, and some light fruit.
If I was getting this I’d let it sit until it warms up, will be awesome to drink on that first sort of warm day outside.
In general, I’d say it reminds me of great Sonoma reds with good acidity and some unexpected flavors, can easily picture having some at the winery and having that “Oh! This is different and really good” reaction, makes me want to take a trip out there again.
POPSOCKETS! SPA KITS! POLLY POCKETS! AWESOME!
@rmm989 nice rattage, glad you enjoyed. A trip to Sonoma is strongly encouraged!
@rmm989 Thank you for taking the time to share your notes and for commenting on the minerality, which to me is a calling card for Malbec grown at high elevation, which the Moon Mountain District shares with the high altitude bottles you sampled.
Anyone want to share a case? Boston/So/NH area?
I didn’t say anything earlier because I just ordered a case right off the bat. High Altitude Malbec from California…Yes please. Peterson Malbec and Deerfield Malbec are two of my favorites, also very small productions, and my bottles are running thin. I love the fact that you intentionally avoided over-oaking them and you wanted the grapes to speak more for themselves. I’m excited to try the wine. Did I hear correctly that you only made a couple barrels?!
Yes, only 2 barrels produced in this vintage. This sounds like it’s in your Malbec strike zone of high elevation, terroir-driven and small production. Enjoy!
@PanglossCellars
Yes, this does sound tasty.
Very full cellar, really no room for a full case, volume wise or $$, and the hit for two bottles is pretty steep. Wish WD would have assembled a three or four pack instead of the double; that I would have gone for.
Hope to see you back here again…
@PanglossCellars @rjquillin Ron! I’ve never known you NOT to have a very full cellar! An enviable position to be in. Hope to be back!!
@PanglossCellars Yeah, that combination is definitely a swing away all day for me. I don’t care how full my cellar is, I’ll make room for it when I see it and can afford it.
My philosophy with oak and Malbec is informed by some trial and error over the years. I’ve been playing with Malbec in the hills above Sonoma going back to my days at Arrowood over 25 years ago. My general conclusion has been that new oak just gets in the way and inhibits me from being able to express site or region…which in this case is The Moon Mountain District. Those who know…know.
I’m excited to try it!