Fun fact #1: Idris Muhammad used to love Malbec.
Fun fact #2: I just made that up, and if you fell for it, that's on you. But if you've never heard of Idris, you need to stop reading this site right now and dig on in to his genius.
This is another Malbec blend (85% Malbec /15% Merlot) and was aged in stainless steel and 4th fill (!?!) barrels over 12 months.
Nose: A quite familiar mix of blackberry and pepper at first. Other elements emerge that bring some interesting promise to the table: black licorice rope and a bit of vanilla (thank you 4th fill) cut through and keep expanding as it sits. It never gets over emphasized here, but there's still enough interplay to heighten the curiosity of the palate.
Palate: Comes in with the fruit leading the way, but the pepper begins to crest as I swallow. Rich texture and the sweeter elements emerge faster with each sip. It borders on being tart-sweet, but pulls back enough where it does not ruin the experience. Mouth coating tannins and decent acidity which helps to keep the sweetness muted.
Finish: Long and very balanced. The fruit expands but then vanilla and oak emerge towards the end. Lingers on but never really pulls in one direction.
As best I can tell thus far, this is very French, but also very indulgent. Nothing ever really get out of balance, and there's something here for everyone who likes to go deep on Malbec variations. Quite a nice price, too. Come to think of it, this bottle could use one of those stickers on the front. Nice Price. Well done.
$20