Washington winemaker Juan Muñoz-Oca takes wine craftsmanship to a zany new place with these two wines under the premise that the environment affects winemaking like it does street art. As it is true that beauty is in the eye of the beholder, so it is also in the glass of the imbiber. Both the labels and the wines of Intrinsic Wine Company are extraordinarily engaging. Don’t let the very reasonable price points fool you. These wines are very serious, especially the Red Blend. And the labels are HOT!

91
Red Blend Columbia Valley 2016 14.5%
Cabernet Franc meets Malbec and vice-versa in this blend that switches up the skin-aging of one on the other. This isn’t just any switcheroo, however; it’s nine crazy months of skin contact exchange! (FYI: thirty days is usually very long already!)  

This with a smidgeon of Cabernet Sauvignon and a dash of Merlot makes for an impressively smooth and sumptuous feeling wine with excellent, full body balance and ample, explosively ripe fruit that glides into a creamy finish. This is very drinkable wine that is layered with boysenberries and mulberries laced with a touch of cocoa. In all honesty, I expected it to be as brash and wild as its street art-inspired label. However, I found that while its unusual blend fits that mold, its palate expression is very welcoming. 
Drink: 2018-22

88
Cabernet Sauvignon Columbia Valley 2016 14.5%
This smells like classic Cabernet Sauvignon as soon as the cork is popped. Black currant and cedar gush from the glass. The palate follows with the same, adding on cracked black pepper and fig preserves. It’s a dense and toothsome wine, but a few glasses could easily slide down the throat! Its easy-going nature is less intellectual than the Red Blend above, but its suave and supple palate feel shows a sibling-like kindred ship. The finish is brief but nicely refreshing with gently lifting acidity.
Drink: 2018-20