Skip to main content

Review: Alexandria Nicole 2008 Malbec Block 20 Estate Grown

Malbec Photo
Photo: Alexandria Nicole Cellars 2008 Malbec.
Fabulous Horse Heaven Hills Malbec.

Last month I visited Alexandria Nicole Cellars, a local Washington winery dedicated to producing small lots of hand-crafted wine, at their Destiny Ridge Estate vineyard and winery. Destiny Ridge vineyard is located high above the bluffs on the Columbia River, near the town of Paterson, Washington, where many different varietals thrive in soils and micro-climate conditions of the Horse Heaven Hills AVA. I'm delighted to share with you my experience with the Alexandria Nicole 2008 Malbec.


Destiny Ridge Photo
Photo: View of Destiny Ridge Vineyard, Horse Heaven Hills AVA.

Washington wine can be such an exquisite personal experience. The Alexandria Nicole 2008 Malbec is no exception. Their Block 20 Estate grown Malbec was wrapped in gorgeous color. When I stuck my nose in the glass, lush aromas of dark fruit, licorice, spice, black pepper, and chocolate, vibrated into a floral flourish, merrily carrying through the finish. An addition of dark cherry flavor balanced out this wine and its smooth-texture ended with a light, friendly grip. This Malbec was a welcome companion to my roast beef with grilled bell peppers. Recommended.

ABV: 14.1%
Closure: Natural cork
Production: 177 cases
Sample provided by the winery

Produced and Bottled by Alexandria Nicole Cellars
Prosser, Washington
509-786-3497
TASTING ROOM LOCATIONS

PROSSER TASTING ROOM 
Open daily 11-5 | 2880 Lee Rd, Suite D , Prosser, WA  | 509.786.3497

HOLLYWOOD SCHOOLHOUSE
Open 12-5 Thursday-Monday| Friday night happy hour 5-8 |
 14810 Northeast 145th Street, Woodinville | 425.487.9463

DESTINY RIDGE VINEYARD AND WINERY
 Open by Appt.| 158422 W. Sonova Rd. | 509.242.9979

Thank you Alexandria Nicole Cellars for a wonderful visit and for sharing your exceptional wines. Your 2008 Malbec rocked! My friends, if you have never visited this part of the wine world, then I encourage you to come experience the pleasure of Washington wine at the wineries I write about. Our weather this season is exceptional too.

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

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

Spirit Review: Ole Smokey Tennessee Moonshine White Lightnin' @OleSmoky

Today I have crossed the line from wine to spirits. At 100 proof the Ole Smokey Tennessee Moonshine is definitely turning up the volume (ABV 50%). "Moonshine, white lightning, mountain dew, hooch, and Tennessee white whiskey are terms used to describe high-proof distilled spirits, generally produced illicitly...The word "moonshine" is believed to derive from the term "moonrakers" used for early English smugglers and the clandestine (i.e., by the light of the moon) nature of the operations of illegal Appalachian distillers who produced and distributed whiskey." Source Wikipedia My family is no stranger to Moonshine.  That is, my great-grandfather and grandfather were not strangers. Evidently the family occasionally produced their own spirits on their Oregon ranch. My grandfather told me about his younger brother getting into his dads stash with predictable results. Grandmother also told me stories about midnight runs and secretive deliveries d