Jigar Wines Malbec Sonoma County 2018

Another insane value from artisanal producer, Jigar Wines – today we have a lush and earthy Malbec for an incredible cellar stacking price! Jam-packed with plum and blueberry flourishes, this is a profound and limited Malbec highlighting some of Sonoma County’s best terroir!

The truth is, Jigar is a wine most of us here in “the trade” keep to ourselves. Wicked good, finely made, screaming deal for what’s in the bottle! Today, we are letting you in on the secret, which you may already be pleasantly familiar with if you grabbed some of their Zinfandel a few weeks back. Jigar is a one-man show, an artisan producer focusing on exquisite expressions of some of Sonoma’s best vineyards. This wine comes from Sonoma’s Dry Creek Valley, from the glorious 2018 vintage, for up to 53% off and available almost nowhere else! Mostly sold through the winery mailing list, we scored a small allotment for you fine folks.

This is precise and luxurious in style, yet powerfully built with a vibrant acidity and tantalizingly smooth tannins. An array of layered flavors and aromas dances from the glass, including blueberry preserves, juicy blackberries, and black plum, wrapped up in some charred earth, black pepper, clove, and a touch of smoked paprika and sweet tobacco. 100% Malbec grapes are aged in French oak for 10 months to soften and incorporate the spiced edges into the purple-fruited core, producing something lush and nuanced. Only 220 cases produced, this is a rare gem indeed!

It’s rare to find a local, affordable Malbec of this caliber, and I plan to tee this up for many a cookout and grilled meals throughout the rest of summer and into fall. Get yourself a case, at least, and follow suit, and you’ll be stoked to have an easy-sipping table red no matter the occasion or meal!

PAIRING IDEA: Sheet pan cheeseburger sliders are my new guilty pleasure. So dang easy, and so ridiculously good. This is the recipe I use and will 100% be pairing with a bottle of this Malbec ASAP!