2022 Armour Wines Carbo Barbo

I have a little complaint to share. I just really hate when establishments emphasize the sustainable—the natural, the organic, the local—but don’t seem to sell any PNW wines. Don’t get me wrong, I will never give up wines from around the world, but there is a reality we all face about our personal consumption in an ever-growing, global society. (Is this getting too serious?) Importing wines takes planes, trains, and automobiles—oh, and boats!—and that does add to the overall environmental cost when I think about a wine’s sustainability.

 Furthermore, it doesn’t hurt to represent our local wineries because there is good wine to be found here in Washington! It may be burgeoning, but it’s there. The more we support it, the more it will grow.

 Off my little soapbox and onto Armour wines. Tyler Armour reached out to us last year when we were just kicking off our wine club and we talked about working together. I tasted through his lineup of minimal intervention bottles from across the state and was thoroughly impressed by the restraint and downright drinkability of his house style. This Carbo Barbo really stood out; a Wasington-grown Barbera that goes through carbonic maceration, a type of intracellular fermentation that takes place in carbon-dioxide-rich environments. It’s funky, deeply fruited, and downright fun. I love Barbera’s signature summer fruit here: cherries, blackberries, and blueberries. It tastes freshly picked. The result is a juicy, delicious red that’s ready for a chill—or not!