Beverly Vineyard Reserve Malbec
⏳ Drinking Window
Typically best enjoyed 5–10 years from the vintage release.
🍽️ Food & Wine Pairings
grilled ribeye steak, roasted lamb chops, strong blue cheeses
✨ Technical Specifications
Sourced from the dramatic, wind-swept sands of the Beverly Vineyard, this reserve bottling showcases a unique pocket of the Columbia Valley terroir. Situated on a desolate bench right along the Columbia River, the vineyard's deep, desert-like sandy soils reflect intense heat and light back onto the vines, while the relentless winds help keep yields low and berries small. This extreme environment is ideal for Malbec, forcing the vines to struggle and develop deep concentration, thick skins, and robust structural integrity. Columbia Crest's winemaking team utilizes traditional oak aging to soften the grape's natural power, resulting in a dark, brooding, and deeply expressive wine that balances ripe blackberry and plum fruit with notes of cocoa, violet, and a distinct mineral undertone reflective of its rugged birthplace.
🍾 About the Producer
Established in 1982 by Ste. Michelle Wine Estates, Columbia Crest was the pioneer winery founded within what is now the acclaimed Horse Heaven Hills AVA of eastern Washington. Situated along the benchlands above the Columbia River, the estate takes full advantage of a semi-arid, rain-shadowed microclimate marked by intense summer sunshine, constant river breezes that deter frost and pests, and fast-draining, wind-blown Warden silt loam soils. Initial plantings in 1978 and early winemaking under founding cellar master Doug Gore established the winery's benchmark status for reliable varietal purity and commercial scale. The production regimen bridges large-scale precision with small-lot barrel fermentation and French and American oak aging. Columbia Crest cemented its reputation when its 2005 Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon won Wine Spectator's Wine of the Year. Today, the estate produces tiered selections ranging from the everyday Two Vines and Grand Estates labels to vineyard-driven Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay expressions.
🍇 Grapes
Malbec