Washington Malbec: A Fine Example of the Stellar 2005 Vintage

A few weeks ago I attended a blind tasting with friends where malbec was the featured varietal. Eight wines were poured into identical decanters, numbered, and then ranked in order of preference after each was sampled two to three times.

The tasting included six malbecs from Argentina and two from Washington. The overwhelming favorites – drum roll please – the Washington malbecs.

Now before you think the competition was skewed by a couple of Eastern Washington fruit bombs, I’ll stop you right there. Yes, they were the highest priced wines in the group, but they were also well balanced, well made red wines from the state’s 2005 vintage and completely unique in terms of style and taste.

The top choice was the Five Star Cellars 2005 Malbec (about $35). Made from 100 percent Walla Walla grapes, this incredible wine is packed with seamless layers of cherry, toffee and butterscotch with a touch of crème brulée on the finish. The bad news is that this wine has already sold out, but winemaker/owner David Huse informs me that it was so well received he plans to produce another malbec next year.

A close second in the tasting was the Tildio Winery 2005 Malbec. Chelan winemaker Katy Perry has produced a first class malbec from Columbia Valley grapes that will rival anything else out there. Beautiful mint and berry aromas lead to generous, plush plum flavors and a soft finish with silky tannins. It’s available locally for about $27 a bottle at Compass Wines in Anacortes.

The bottom line: many of Washington’s 2005 red wines are drinking exceptionally well, and our malbec competition confirmed why some area winemakers feel that this may be one of the best vintages the state has ever produced.