Wife is out of town and Costco had a three pack of prime ribeyes. So it's smoked steak with big red weekend.

This boy is 50% merlot and 50% malbec sitting at 14.2% abv and is absolutely delicious. Laurel Ridge feels like an underrated producer in Willamette Valley because everything I've had from them has been outstanding.

Saving half the bottle for tomorrow so I let this decant in the glass for about an hour and a half. Took a quick sip after 20 minutes and it was screaming and scratchy, dying for some air. After the fill hour and a half, once dinner was ready, it was soft and velvety while the richness shone through.

Nose of typical rich red fruits that I'd expect on a malbec dominant blend. Taste of plum, blackberries dominant with some earthy spices in the background. Long unchanging finish.

Great with the steak. Looking forward to repeating this dinner tomorrow with steak number two and the second half of the bottle.