Somewhat surprisingly, my week of Long Island malbecs was unintentionally cut short by an absence of any other bottles in my humble basement space that vaguely resembles a cellar. So off we head to Benton City, Washington, which is three hours from both Seattle and Portland in eastern Washington in the Columbia Valley. Almost exactly the matrix point of the geographic triangle.
Nose: Blueberry on first approach with blackberry following suit with time. More blackberry on second sniff even as dried summer herbs begin to emerge. Gets less savory and sweeter with every sniff and there's some cured meat mixed in as well. With a bit more time in the glass, a very faint apricot note emerges.
Palate: Pretty much as indicated by the nose at first with a fair bit of raspberry rising up with subsequent sips. Incredibly approachable with great texture. The sweetness of fruit mutes the earthier notes on the nose. Mild black pepper as it goes on, and pushes back some of the sweetness.
Finish: Long. The sweetness rises, but the resolve gets darker with rich caramel and cocoa at the very end. A bit of oak is present with time, pushing the pepper down in the mix.
It's an incredibly approachable experience that needs no time to show its true colors. It may be worth your time to hunt down a bottle. Or two. Or six.
$45