Whidbey Island is home to the son/mother winemaking team of Jake Krug and co-founder Karen Krug, and they source their Malbec from a relatively cooler site in the Yakima Valley — Crawford Vineyard, which is owned and managed by the husband/wife team of Charlie and Connie Crawford. This example flashed more character than most as wild blackberry and President plum created a bright level of concentration while the fruit, structure and chocolatey barrel influence achieved a charming balance. Subtle and secondary notes of tapenade, tobacco and earthiness raised the level of interest, particularly among the winemakers on the panel. “This had more freshness and seemed more intentional,” one winemaker said. “I appreciated its boldness and saw its slight bit of funkiness as a positive — not a negative.” The Krug family earned a Platinum for its 2017 vintage of Malbec, so there’s a track record of success.
Rating: Outstanding! Gold medal — 92 points
Production: 116 cases
Alcohol: 13.8%
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