In this post, I mention my somewhat shamefaced desire to find a Washington cabernet sauvignon that was as good or better, and as affordable as my favorite California cabernet sauvignon, from Meridian. I set out to find one, pursuing my goal with dedication, due diligence, and a cork screw. Here are my findings.

Meridian Cabernet Sauvignon 2005 California

It's a very dark red, with ruby highlights. The first impression of the wine is the ripe fruit scent, followed by a deeper hint of the tannins. The wine coats the glass nicely. Both fruit (currants, dark cherries?) and tannin notes are present, but each is nicely balanced. For the price (we're currently getting Meridian cabernet at Rite Aid, for $5.99 a bottle) this is going to be tough to beat. And since the point of this exercise was to find a Washington Cabernet Sauvignon that's at least the equivalent in terms of quality and wine experience, this is the wine to beat in the under-ten-dollar range.

Stimson Estate Cellars Washington

No date on the bottle; I suspect that this is part of an "end of the branding" bottling. Real cork; large 1.5 liter bottle. $8.99 Rite Aid. Actually a blended wine; based on the Web page for the 2002 version 14% Merlot. Rich purple-red; pure rhodolite garnet. Good reliable table wine; you definitely taste the merlot. Perfect for that spontaneous lasagne dinner, because it's stolid, robust, and not particularly spicy or complex in and of itself. http://www.stimson-estate-cellars.com/2002cabsauv.cfm. The line takes its name from the winery's location on the former estate of Frederick Stimson, an early twentieth-century Seattle lumber magnate. The grapes come from the Columbia valley in eastern Washington. Stimson Estate Cellars is a subsidiary of Ste. Michelle Wine Estates (SMWE). They are owned, like Ste. Michelle, and Red Diamond, and Stag's Leap, and Columbia Crest, by UST Inc. UST Inc. other primary business is smokeless tobacco. On January 6, 2009, UST became a wholly-owned subsidiary of Altria Group, Inc.

Avery Lane 2005 Cabernet Sauvignon Washington

Dark red, with rhodolite garnet highlights
Slightly acidic; vivid fruit overtones and scent, more raspberry than anything else. This is a wine that needs a good steak; it's just a little too vapid on its own. I won't go out of my way to try it again. This wine was rather slight, without the depth, complexity, or interest that I usually associate with cabernet sauvignon. It's pretty hard to find any current information about the winery, other than an address in Seattle and a defunct Web site; I suspect it's a casualty of the economy.

Red Diamond Cabernet Sauvignon 2006 Washington

Shallow; more raspberry in color. Mostly sweet, very fruity. Sort of thin, Palest of all the cabs. Considering how very much I like the Red Diamond Shiraz, this wine was a bit of a disappointment, overall. Not awful, just nothing special, either. Probably my least favorite of the cabernet sauvignons we've sampled so far, and I don't plan to buy it again.

Conclusions? I found a cabernet sauvignon that I like as much, and possibly better (more research is required) than my beloved Meridian cabernet sauvignon, the Columbia Crest Grand Estates Cabernet Sauvignon. That said, I'd buy Columbia Crest Two Vines Cabernet Sauvignon and the Lindeman's again. I'm looking at the rest of the Grand Estates wines now; in fact I might have to start exploring shiraz. The comparisons have also made me curious about the various geographies, and their soil, or "terroir" for those who know what they're talking about (not me!) and how that affects the grapes, and hence the wines, of a region.