Malbec
⏳ Drinking Window
Typically best enjoyed within 1–5 years from the vintage release to appreciate its vibrant fruit character.
🍽️ Food & Wine Pairings
Grilled ribeye steak, roasted lamb chops, blue cheese
✨ Technical Specifications
Cooper's Hawk Malbec showcases the winery's innovative sourcing model, bringing premium California-grown Malbec grapes to their state-of-the-art winemaking facility in Illinois. Malbec, a grape with deep historical roots in Cahors, France, where it was known as 'Cot', and later celebrated in Argentina, thrives beautifully in the warm California sun. This expression captures the grape's signature dark fruit character, offering a velvety texture with rich notes of blackberry, plum, and subtle baking spices derived from careful oak aging. It represents a modern, fruit-forward American interpretation of a classic Old World variety, crafted to be approachable yet deeply flavorful.
🍾 About the Producer
Cooper's Hawk Winery & Restaurants was established in 2005 by entrepreneur Tim McEnery in Orland Park, Illinois, combining an upscale casual dining concept with an artisanal winery and tasting room. Rather than farming single-estate vineyards, the operation functions as a large-scale modern négociant and custom-crush producer, sourcing premium grapes and must primarily from leading American viticultural areas across California, Washington, and Oregon, as well as select international origins. Centralized vinification, blending, and barrel maturation take place at its dedicated Midwestern production facility under Vice President of Winemaking Rob Warren. The portfolio embraces an approachable, crowd-pleasing cellar philosophy focused on clean varietal expression, balanced oak integration, and food-friendly structures. Among its hallmark bottlings are California-sourced expressions such as Unoaked Chardonnay, Lux Chardonnay, Viognier, and the crisp, aromatic Riesling Gewürztraminer blend, alongside a diverse suite of methode-charmat sparkling and dessert offerings.
🍇 Grapes
Malbec