2023 Iris Vineyards Malbec, Craterview Vineyard, Rogue Valley, Oregon
Tasting Notes
The deep purple garnet of this wine complements the aromatic background of wildflowers, a hint of pipe tobacco, and strawberry cotton candy. The palate adds notes of red plum and soft leather. We utilize the same small lot, hands-on techniques traditionally used to produce the world’s finest wines.
Vintage Description
Warmer than the Willamette Valley, Southern Oregon gives us the opportunity to make wines from some warm-climate varietals. The winter of 2022/2023 was wetter than the previous winter, so unlike during the 2022 growing season, when some vineyards were left without water as early as the first week of July, there was enough water for irrigation. 2023 did not have the extreme heat waves we have seen in some other recent vintages. There was an unusually cool, dry start to the season, which delayed budbreak by two to three weeks. However, the weather began to warm quickly in the latter part of April and brought us some much-needed rain at that time. The vines caught up quickly, resulting in, possibly, the shortest period between budbreak and bloom in Oregon wine growing history. The warm days and cool nights of summer lasted into August, at which time we did experience many days in the 90s coupled with unusually warm nighttime temperatures. Fortunately, the heat spell ended by September, and we had near-perfect ripening weather from then until harvest.
Specs
Varieties: 98% Malbec, 2% Merlot
AVA: Rogue Valley
Elevage: Two months in new French Oak, 8 months in neutral French Oak
Iris Vineyards is a winery built on the Greek stoics’ concept of areté – that living well means always bringing your best, and always striving to improve. The eye on our labels reminds us to always keep looking for ways to evolve and improve, whether as grape growers, winemakers, managers, Wine Bar hosts, or human beings.
Our winery produces award-winning Willamette Valley Pinot Noir, Pinot Gris, Chardonnay, and sparkling wines from our own grapes, as well as fruit we source from some of Oregon’s finest vineyards. Meticulous vineyard management ensures the best possible representation of the South Willamette Valley’s terroir, respecting the environment with sustainable stewardship. In the cellar, our winemaker blends science and art to craft wines that are the truest and most expressive they can be. Open a bottle and discover what happens when you bring your best efforts to the table.
Available States
AL, AZ, CA, CO, CT, DC, FL, GA, ID, IL, IN, IA, KS, KY, LA, ME, MD, MA, MI, MN, MO, MT, NE, NV, NH, NJ, NM, NY, NC, ND, OH, OK, OR, PA, RI, SC, SD, TN, TX, VT, VA, WA, WV, WI, WY
2023 Iris Vineyards Malbec, Craterview Vineyard, Rogue Valley, Oregon
The look is a dark purple.
The nose has rich fruit and I got hints of sweet tobacco.
Taste is rich, complex fruity flavors with notes of plum, blackberry, and hints of vanilla and chocolate over time. I think it’s a bit young, so I’d decant if you are going to sit on them.
Excellent wine for in between a Cab and Merlot.
My thoughts are that this is an excellent wine for the cost. I would have guessed a price tag closer to $20 on casemates (even for Malbec which there are still a decent amount of bargains out there). A little bold. A little smooth. Not very sweet compared to the nose. Not very acidic.
Also: do NOT forget about the Iris coupon code if you copped the last Iris deal on the Meh frontpage.
Screwcap, then poured through a screwcap haley’s corker. The color is a reddish-purple. Nose definitely says malbec to me. A bit of dustiness. Blackberry, plum. Bright acidity - surprised me. I guessed cool climate (don’t know much about Rogue Valley) and that seems to be correct, though not as cool as Willamette Valley. Taste is a bit fruity and a bit peppery. This smoothed out as it was open longer. I estimated it at $15 on casemates.
Tried with a piece of prosciutto and that made it seem almost too fruity. The perfect pairing? The KFC chicken tenders I was eating before going to the Kraken game. The fruitiness and acidity do well with the fat and bit of spice. Somehow we drank the whole bottle, which I honestly can’t tell you the last time I did that in one sitting (and made for a fun hockey game!) So I’d say it’s definitely an easy drinker while still varietally correct and pairs well with a variety of foods.
Mr aces comments:
Not very complex
Don’t need to hold for very long
Some tannins but not a ton
Couldn’t have told you it was malbec but could have told you it was not cabernet sauvignon, merlot, pinot noir, etc. Guessed $12-15 on casemates.
I have way too much wine so don’t need this, but if you are looking for an interesting daily drinker, this definitely fits the bill.
How much more are you saving by buying a full case?
(Note: tax and shipping are not included in savings calculations.)
2023 Iris Vineyards Malbec - $30 = 16.66%
I thought the .99 cent marketing tactics were below the wine industry. That shit is for MD 20/20. Or something that penny is keeping another digit out of the price, e.g. 9.99, 999.99, etc.
The MSRP is 30 dollars. Look how much classier that looks. But that’s just my two cents.
2023 Iris Vineyards Malbec, Craterview Vineyard, Rogue Valley, Oregon
Tasting Notes
Vintage Description
Specs
What’s Included
6-bottles:
Case:
Price Comparison
Not all wines for sale on winery website, $359.88/case MSRP
About The Winery
Available States
AL, AZ, CA, CO, CT, DC, FL, GA, ID, IL, IN, IA, KS, KY, LA, ME, MD, MA, MI, MN, MO, MT, NE, NV, NH, NJ, NM, NY, NC, ND, OH, OK, OR, PA, RI, SC, SD, TN, TX, VT, VA, WA, WV, WI, WY
Estimated Delivery
Monday, Dec 1 - Tuesday, Dec 2
2023 Iris Vineyards Malbec
6 bottles for $89.99 $15/bottle + $1.33/bottle shipping
Case of 12 for $149.99 $12.50/bottle + $1/bottle shipping
2023 Iris Vineyards Malbec, Craterview Vineyard, Rogue Valley, Oregon
The look is a dark purple.
The nose has rich fruit and I got hints of sweet tobacco.
Taste is rich, complex fruity flavors with notes of plum, blackberry, and hints of vanilla and chocolate over time. I think it’s a bit young, so I’d decant if you are going to sit on them.
Excellent wine for in between a Cab and Merlot.
My thoughts are that this is an excellent wine for the cost. I would have guessed a price tag closer to $20 on casemates (even for Malbec which there are still a decent amount of bargains out there). A little bold. A little smooth. Not very sweet compared to the nose. Not very acidic.
Also: do NOT forget about the Iris coupon code if you copped the last Iris deal on the Meh frontpage.
Lab rat checking in, on time this time!
Screwcap, then poured through a screwcap haley’s corker. The color is a reddish-purple. Nose definitely says malbec to me. A bit of dustiness. Blackberry, plum. Bright acidity - surprised me. I guessed cool climate (don’t know much about Rogue Valley) and that seems to be correct, though not as cool as Willamette Valley. Taste is a bit fruity and a bit peppery. This smoothed out as it was open longer. I estimated it at $15 on casemates.
Tried with a piece of prosciutto and that made it seem almost too fruity. The perfect pairing? The KFC chicken tenders I was eating before going to the Kraken game. The fruitiness and acidity do well with the fat and bit of spice. Somehow we drank the whole bottle, which I honestly can’t tell you the last time I did that in one sitting (and made for a fun hockey game!) So I’d say it’s definitely an easy drinker while still varietally correct and pairs well with a variety of foods.
Mr aces comments:
Not very complex
Don’t need to hold for very long
Some tannins but not a ton
Couldn’t have told you it was malbec but could have told you it was not cabernet sauvignon, merlot, pinot noir, etc. Guessed $12-15 on casemates.
I have way too much wine so don’t need this, but if you are looking for an interesting daily drinker, this definitely fits the bill.
How much more are you saving by buying a full case?
(Note: tax and shipping are not included in savings calculations.)
2023 Iris Vineyards Malbec - $30 = 16.66%
I thought the .99 cent marketing tactics were below the wine industry. That shit is for MD 20/20. Or something that penny is keeping another digit out of the price, e.g. 9.99, 999.99, etc.
The MSRP is 30 dollars. Look how much classier that looks. But that’s just my two cents.
@KNmeh7 Ha! That is kind of funny. All of their wines are priced that way.
Sounds tasty, but I don’t have much room to store bottles. In for a half case!
/giphy merry-comedic-bee