By Canvasback
2022 Walla Walla Valley Malbec

Vineyard
Home to many of the Pacific Northwest's oldest and most acclaimed vineyards, grapes have been grown in Walla Walla Valley since the 1850s. This opulent and beautifully structured Malbec is grown in deep, silt-loam soils that experience a dramatic swing between day and nighttime temperatures, producing an extraordinarily plush Malbec, with energetic acidity and supple, flowing layers of blackberry, blue plum, and cocoa.

Vintage Notes
Beginning with an April snowstorm that delayed budbreak but caused no significant damage, the 2022 vintage was marked by its cool nature. While a cold, wet spring helped saturate the soils, it also delayed flowering until mid-June. Midsummer was mild and temperate, with temperatures finally rising above 90 degrees F in late June, and only 7 days over 100 degrees F throughout the summer. As harvest approached, we benefited from a perfect stretch of warm, dry weather in the high 70s and low 80s. We began harvesting our Syrah on October 10th and concluded with Cabernet Sauvignon on October 25th. The resulting wines show dynamic depth and complexity, supple tannins, and lush, varietal flavors.

Winemaking Notes
An exceptional expression of Walla Walla Valley Malbec, this wine invites you in with aromas of blackberry compote, marionberry, earthy notes, and wet stone. The palate is rich and energetic, featuring decadent blackberry pie and wild mountain berry flavors. Polished tannins and nuances of graham cracker, spice, wet slate, dark chocolate, and cigar humidor lead to a luxurious, lingering finish.

Winemaking
Appellation: Walla Walla Valley
Vineyards: Les Collines, Eritage Vineyard
Varietal Composition: 84% Malbec, 16% Cabernet Sauvignon
Oak Profile and Aging: Aged 16 months in 100% French oak; 60% new, 40% neutral
Key Coopers: Sylvain, Orion
Alcohol: 14.50%
pH: 3.88
Acidity: 0.54 g/100ml
[Information provided by The Duckhorn Portfolio]

Wine: Canvasback Malbec Walla Walla Valley 2022
Score/Rating: 93
Review Date: 12/19/2024
Reviewed By: James Suckling
Tasting Notes: Spice-driven notes of bramble berries, baking spices, graphite and dried herbs. The palate is full-bodied with finely integrated tannins and bright acidity, giving notes of boysenberries, pomegranates, cured meat and earth. Quite serious, with a lush mouthfeel. Drink or hold.

Wine: Canvasback, Malbec, Walla Walla Valley, Columbia Valley, Washington, USA 2022
Score/Rating: 91
Suggested Drinking Window: 2024 - 2031
Review Date: 12/04/2024
Reviewed By: Clive Pursehouse
Tasting Notes: Sourced from two Walla Walla Valley sites, Les Collines and Eritage Vineayrd [sic]. Full fruited aromatics of blackberry compote, sweet, ripe black plums and cocoa powder mark this Walla Walla Valley Malbec, with 16% Cabernet Sauvignon blended in. The palate shows loads of dark, stony minerality and has a salty streak with graphite and intense baking chocolate at the finish.

Wine: Canvasback 2022 Malbec Walla Walla
Score/Rating: 88
Suggested Drinking Window: 2025 - 2028
Review Date: 10/2024
Reviewed By: Eric Guido
Tasting Notes: The 2022 Malbec Walla Walla wafts up with a pretty blend of crushed blueberries and baking spice accentuated by minty herbs. This is a soft and round effort with ripe red and blue fruit notes yet I find myself craving more complexity. It finishes with a flourish of bitter blackberry and drying tannin.

Wine: 2022 Canvasback Malbec Walla Walla Valley
Score/Rating: 82
Suggested Drinking Window: 2025 - 2027
Review Date: 04/03/2025
Reviewed By: Erin Brooks
Tasting Notes: The 2022 Malbec Walla Walla Valley was blended with 16% Cabernet Sauvignon and matured for 16 months in 60% new French oak. It has generic cassis and blueberry aromas with some off-putting funkiness in the background. The full-bodied palate is dense and chewy with compressed, synthetic flavors and a short, bitter finish. [...]