2001 Abacela Malbec

[dananne]

The "Dan" part of "dananne" has really touted Abacela through the years. It's an iconoclastic and unique winery in Oregon's Umpqua Valley that has staked out a solid claim for the best Tempranillo wines this side of Rioja. However, not to be overlooked are some of their other wines, such as a spicy Grenache, a bacon fatty Syrah, a lip-smacking Merlot, a dark and brooding Malbec, and a lively Dolcetto, among others.

This '01 Malbec showed dark color bordering on purple in the glass, with aromas and flavors of spicy plums, blueberry pie (which is something I find in many Abacela wines, regardless of grape variety), and vanilla. Polished tannins and some nice acidity late help keep it in balance. Though not the blockbuster Malbec that they produced in '00, it shows good consistency, and it seemed to benefit from the additional aging time in bottle. By our experience, Abacela wines can age a very, very long time. 13.5% alc. We paid about $28 for it on special order through a local wine shop, as it rarely shows up on the shelves around here. FWIW, WE gave it a 90. The winery, in general, has long-since moved beyond the "keep an eye on them" status, graduating to the "one of the best wineries in the Pac NW" realm, IMHO.