Skip to main content

Review: Waterbrook 2011 Malbec @waterbrookwine

photo

A food friendly Washington Malbec

Malbec is a red wine variety originally from the Bordeaux region of France, a variety which has become strongly associated with fine wines from Argentina. Last month I enjoyed some excellent Malbec from the southern hemisphere. This month I felt it was time to move back north to Washington state and try a local Malbec.
Waterbrook Winery

Founded in 1984 as Walla Walla's fourth founded winery. The new tasting room and production facility are on Highway 12 west of Walla Walla. They are easy to visit when driving to or from Walla Walla.

Tasting Notes

Color: Fresh, dark, inky night.
Nose: Peppery-cherry, tilled soil with caramel.
Palate: Smooth at opening with medium body, flavors of cherry, cranberry compote, licorice, yes, it was spicy as expected. A medium finish with orange peel, braced by acid.


Thoughts: This was not a big or complex wine. It played friendly with my dinner of salad with blue cheese dressing and a fried steak. This Malbec was an excellent choice for dinner. I can see pairing this wine with another grilled steak, planked salmon, Osso Buco, chicken Marsala or beef Carpaccio. Recommended.



Blend: 100% Malbec
AVA: Columbia Valley
Vineyards: Canyon Ranch, Doval
Bottled: October 29, 2012
ABV: 13.3%
Closure: Agglomerated cork
Paid: $11.98
John Freeman, Waterbrook Winemaker since 2005

Waterbrook Tasting Room
10518 West Highway 12
Walla Walla, Washington 99362
www.waterbrook.com
@waterbrookwine

I've noticed that quality in their more recent vintages has improved. Mr. Freeman is doing a good job in the cellar. Word is out. They are on my must visit list.

Malbec FAQ

While Malbec is the name most commonly known to wine drinkers other common synonyms for Malbec include: Agreste, Auxerrois, Auxerrois De Laquenexy, Auxerrois Des Moines De Picpus, Auxerrois Du Mans, Balouzat, Beran, Blanc De Kienzheim, Cahors, Calarin, Cauli, Costa Rosa, Cot A Queue Verte, Cotes Rouges, Doux Noir, Estrangey, Gourdaux, Grelot De Tours, Grifforin, Guillan, Hourcat, Jacobain, Luckens, Magret, Malbek, Medoc Noir, Mouranne, Navarien, Negre De Prechac, Negrera, Noir De Chartres, Noir De Pressac, Noir Doux, Nyar De Presak, Parde, Périgord, Pied De Perdrix, Pied Noir, Pied Rouge, Pied Rouget, Piperdy, Plant D'Arles, Plant De Meraou, Plant Du Roi, Prechat, Pressac, Prunieral, Quercy, Queue Rouge, Quille De Coy, Romieu, Teinturin, Terranis, Vesparo, Côt, and Plant du Lot.

Côt was most likely the grape variety's original name and the frequent appearance of Auxerrois as a synonym suggests the northern reaches of Burgundy as being the possible home of the varietal. In Bordeaux, where the variety first gained attention, it was known under the synonym Pressac.

Cheers!

Popular posts from this blog

Review: Sho Chiku Bai, Unfiltered Sake

Last month in Seattle, I purchased a bottle of Nigori sake at Uwajimaya. Uwajimaya is one of the largest Asian grocery retailers in the Pacific Northwest. I’ve been visiting Uwajimaya for almost 40 years. When I was much younger, I’d buy model ship and plane kits, Japanese comic books (manga) and I never left without at least one steaming Humbow in hand. Today I buy the manga for my son; while I still enjoy the tasty steamed Humbows, now I never leave without at least one bottle of Sake in hand. Uwajimaya has a terrific selection of imported sake. This most recent visit, I left with a bottle of Sho Chiku Bai Nigori sake. Nigori sake is generally the sweetest of all sakes, with a fruity nose and a mild flavor, making a great drink to complement spicy foods or as a dessert wine. Typical sake is usually filtered to remove grain solids left behind after the fermentation process; however Nigori sake remains unfiltered, resulting in a cloudier beverage. Before serving, the bottle must

My Current State of Wine

"Do I still work in the wine industry?" Like many of you, the Covid pandemic altered my life trajectory. Today, I am going to re-cap where I am in the wine industry. My story will bounce back and forth for context. Remember, I like to connect the dots. The Walter Clore Wine and Culinary Center in Prosser, Washington. First, everyone asks me, what happened to the Walter Clore Wine and Culinary Center (Clore Center)? Good question. The Clore Center, located in Prosser, Washington, birthplace of Washington wine, opened in 2014 as a not for profit. The primary mission of the Clore Center was to promote " Washington state wine ." I began working at the Clore Center in October 2015. My last title was, Wine Education Coordinator . We finally, sadly, closed our doors in November 2020.  It was my sincerest pleasure to work at the Clore Center for five years. I made many friends in the industry and in the community. I met many people from around the country and from around th

A Special Oregon Pinot Noir with Eastern North Carolina Inspired Ribs #OTBN #winePW 10

Open That Bottle Night - A great excuse for a Wine Pairing Weekend.  February 28th was Open That Bottle Night - I selected a bottle of wine I helped blend using barrel samples of Pinot Noir from R. Stuart winery in McMinville, Oregon. I was saving this bottle for a special occasion and knew it was likely time to open and drink. I hoped it had improved. "Blending wine is no task for mere mortals."   - William Pollard Jr.  Our Wine Pairing Weekend group decided Open That Bottle Night would be an appropriate occasion to pair our selected bottle of wine with something special as well. After some consideration, I decided North Carolina ribs would likely pair well with my special bottle of Oregon Pinot Noir. For this post I'll review the wine first, then provide the recipe, and wrap up with the results of this wine + food pairing. *Note: What is Open That Bottle Night? Wife and Husband columnists Dorothy J. Gaiter and John Brecher invented Open That Bottle