2012 Obelisco Estate Malbec

Obelisco Estate is based in Woodinville, near Seattle, but its 30-acre vineyard is in Red Mountain in Eastern Washington. The estate was founded in 2004 by Doug Long, a veteran grape grower and wine entrepreneur who, with his brothers, planted vineyards in Napa Valley in 1971. In 1981 they started David Arthur in Napa, which was named Winery of the Decade in 2000 by Wine Spectator. Obelisco’s first vintage was the 2007 and today its winemakers are Peter Hedges and Sara Goedhart. The estate produces Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec, Merlot, Syrah, Chardonnay and Riesling. Obelisco’s wines typically earn ratings in the low 90s from reviewers including Robert Parker and Wine Spectator.

Yakima Valley AVA was the first AVA created in Washington State. The valley, a 600,000-acre area in south central Washington, was granted AVA status in 1983. In 1984 Columbia Valley was given AVA status, and Yakima Valley was enclosed within the Columbia Valley AVA. Nevertheless, Yakima Valley remains home to the largest concentration of vineyards and wineries in the state. There are more than 60 wineries and some 16,000 vineyard acres, and nearly 40% of Washington wines are made with Yakima Valley grapes. The most frequently planted grape is Chardonnay, followed by Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon. Winemaking here dates to 1869, when a winemaker from Alsace planted grape vines. Vineyard planting and wine production plodded along slowly until the early 1980s when numerous modern pioneers started making well-reviewed Yakima Valley wines. Some of the state’s newest, most closely watched appellations, including Red Mountain AVA and Horse Heaven Hills AVA, are contained within Yakima Valley.

This grape produces a dark red wine with plenty of tannins. It is one of the six grapes allowed for blending red Bordeaux wines. Malbec is also the flagship variety of Argentina. The grape needs a lot of sun and heat to mature. It adds complexity and intensity to blends.