Last week, we stuck around stateside for some Malbecs, and this week we zoom in with even greater geo-specificity, and I'm not 100% sure I even used that word correctly and I am too lazy to bother finding out. Anyway, we are sticking around the state of Washington this week for a few bottles. And by we, I mean those of us residing on the West Coast and have accessibility to such a wonderful bounty of bottles.
Today we hear from Columbia Valley's Category 5, whose elegant packaging and aesthetics on their website promise a very good time for a decent price. This is 100% Malbec from two different vineyards: 57% stems from its Lawrence vineyard, which traditionally offers cooler temperatures, and the remaining 43% from the warmer Gamache vineyard. It's aged 18 months in 33% new French oak. So enough with the specs, the glass has been sitting here for a few minutes while I look up "geo-specificity" and get distracted by the news on TV.
Showing an impressive blend that's heavy with notes of pepper, blackberry, and an earthy element resembling topsoil, there's a gentle relief of plum and cassis on the back end. There's much complexity to be found throughout, with mild acidity enhancing the brightness of the finish. Incredibly well done and well worth the effort to track down.