Malbec was the subject of our most recent tasting with the Pepper Bridge/Amavi staff. Malbec has become such a hot grape here in Walla Walla, it seems like everybody is making one these days. Jean-François always makes a little bit of Malbec for blending into both the Merlot and Cab, 10 barrels in 2008 . But I do believe that it will be impossible to talk him into bottling a 100% Malbec. One on the best reasons being that at the moment there is a whopping 6 acres of Malbec planted in the Pepper Bridge Vineyard, and we only get 1 of those acres. If Jean-François were to bottle Malbec all by itself he wouldn't have enough left for blending and it seems to be one of his secret weapons, great color, great fruit, and earthiness. So we compared a classic French Malbec from Cahors, an Argentinian bottle, a local Walla Walla Malbec, and a barrel sample of 2008 Pepper Bridge Malbec.
All of these wines were delicious and good representations of the varietal. The French bottle from
Chateau Haut-Monplaisir was full of dark fruit and earth, very French. We tasted a bottle from 2003 and I think that it surprised everyone with how fresh and young it was.
Achaval-Ferrer was our Argentinian bottle. Very fruity and food friendly and a total bargain at $17.99. From Walla Walla we tasted the 2006
Seven Hills Winery Malbec. It is a very nice bottle of wine and I think that it is a good representation of the varietal. Their fruit comes from vineyards that are adjacent to the Seven Hills Vineyard, about 10 miles from the Pepper Bridge Vineyard, the source for our Malbec grapes. The Pepper Bridge Malbec, even coming out of the barrel in an unfinished state, was fruity and floral with lots of earth and fantastic color.
I would say that it seemed to fall in between France and Argentina style wise. Not as earthy and rustic as the French, and not quite as fruity and juicy as the Argentinian. Really I guess that means that Malbec does pretty well here in Walla Walla. The only unfortunate part being that the only way to taste Pepper Bridge Malbec is 3-5% at a time.
Malbec was the subject of our most recent tasting with the Pepper Bridge/Amavi staff. Malbec has become such a hot grape here in Walla Walla, it seems like everybody is making one these days. Jean-François always makes a little bit of Malbec for blending into both the Merlot and Cab, 10 barrels in 2008 . But I do believe that it will be impossible to talk him into bottling a 100% Malbec. One on the best reasons being that at the moment there is a whopping 6 acres of Malbec planted in the Pepper Bridge Vineyard, and we only get 1 of those acres. If Jean-François were to bottle Malbec all by itself he wouldn't have enough left for blending and it seems to be one of his secret weapons, great color, great fruit, and earthiness. So we compared a classic French Malbec from Cahors, an Argentinian bottle, a local Walla Walla Malbec, and a barrel sample of 2008 Pepper Bridge Malbec. 
All of these wines were delicious and good representations of the varietal. The French bottle from Chateau Haut-Monplaisir was full of dark fruit and earth, very French. We tasted a bottle from 2003 and I think that it surprised everyone with how fresh and young it was. Achaval-Ferrer was our Argentinian bottle. Very fruity and food friendly and a total bargain at $17.99. From Walla Walla we tasted the 2006 Seven Hills Winery Malbec. It is a very nice bottle of wine and I think that it is a good representation of the varietal. Their fruit comes from vineyards that are adjacent to the Seven Hills Vineyard, about 10 miles from the Pepper Bridge Vineyard, the source for our Malbec grapes. The Pepper Bridge Malbec, even coming out of the barrel in an unfinished state, was fruity and floral with lots of earth and fantastic color. 
I would say that it seemed to fall in between France and Argentina style wise. Not as earthy and rustic as the French, and not quite as fruity and juicy as the Argentinian. Really I guess that means that Malbec does pretty well here in Walla Walla. The only unfortunate part being that the only way to taste Pepper Bridge Malbec is 3-5% at a time.
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