Ginkgo Forest Winery 2012 Estate Malbec, Wahluke Slope, $24
A number of Washington state’s largest wineries and vineyards have been established on the Wahluke Slope. Mike Thiede ranks among the smallest, yet he uses on his own vineyard to produce small lots of delicious wines he sells at his tasting rooms in Mattawa and Tacoma. The decade’s most balanced vintage to date allowed him to grow and craft this delicious Malbec, which broadcasts aromas of plump Bing cherry, chocolate-covered pomegranate, dark toast, black licorice and pepper. There’s gorgeous, mouth-coating dark fruit on the entry as the silky structure leads to slightly chalky yet enjoyable tannins. There’s piercing purity of fruit on the finish, which offers a drip of cherry bitters, too. This earned a gold medal at the 2016 Capital Food and Wine Festival Wine Competition.
Rating: Outstanding!
Production: 70 cases
Alcohol: 15.1%
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