2012 Reininger Malbec

Well it's Sunday evening and I feel like I got a lot accomplished today.  I did a bit of spring cleaning, planted some herbs in my herb garden, and embarked on something completely new for dinner, but more on that later.  So tonight I've opened a bottle of 2012 Reininger Walla Walla Malbec which I just received in a wine clubs shipment a few weeks ago.  This particular wine is 100% Malbec from the Pepper Bridge Vineyard in Walla Walla, and a limited production of just 171 cases.

The wine is a deep, inky purple color in the glass, with a bit of garnet at the edges.  The nose presents some lovely blackberry notes, dark cherry, leather and a hint of eucalyptus.  The taste is at first crisp and refreshing with a rush of ripe black fruit that transition nicely to some earthy notes of mossy oak and white pepper midpalate.  The tannins are evident but not overpowering, leading to a finish that is more smooth than bracingly dry, but still quite long and delicious.

Overall I would rate this wine a solid 8 with plenty of room to grow in the cellar (I can't wait to try my next bottle in a few more years).  It's also a great wine to pair with a variety of rustic foods, which brings me to my dinner tonight.  Yesterday I was at my local market and they had fresh Morel mushrooms as they are now in season, so I couldn't resist and bought some.  After looking at a number of recipes, I decided to go with some linguine with a Morel mushroom cream sauce with fresh asparagus, a perfect dinner chock full of spring delicacies.  The fruit of this wine was a nice foil to the earthiness of the mushrooms, which in turn reinforced the earthy characteristics in the wine.  That was a delicious evening for all!  Cheers!