Okay, let’s do a week of stateside Malbecs. First up is a Walla Walla/Columbia Valley juggernaut coming in hot at $40 from Lagana Cellars. That’s usually about $10 – 15 above what I normally pay, but I’m also on vacation, and the shopkeep I chatted with seemed quite smitten with the vintage. Let’s get down to business.
Nose: I may be under the spell of the charms and feeling of
being on vacation, but the first thing I get is a very hard asphalt note that
lets up and thankfully shifts into familiar, earthy territory – think pine
resin and wet forest floor. With a bit of time in the glass, about 15 to 20
minutes, it makes another shift to baking spices and something in the dark
fruit family – cherries?
Palate: Comes in brisk and fruity that’s sweeter than
savory. It’s approachable with great texture, and the fruit expands with each
consecutive sip: different bursts of cherry, blackberry and elderberry. But
there’s also a glimpse of a floral note – rose petal?
Finish: Puckery and longer in length than I anticipated. The
mild floral note hangs around and the dark cherry returns to end matters on a
high note.
Aside from the wild nose and entry, this was an incredibly
pleasant bottle that capped off a week away from the day job in great fashion. West
coasters need to keep an eye out for more of this stuff.
$40