March 2010

Columbia Crest Grand Estates Merlot 2006 Washington

This Columbia Crest Grand Estates Merlot is very dark

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in the glass; I'm slowly beginning to realize that that's maybe a Merlot thing. On the nose, this is mostly dark cherry and blackberry, and a hint of something . . . well. Else. It's a little closed, even a good twenty minutes after opening. The first thing I noticed on tasting this Merlot was a startlingly robust fruit fullness. Just on the safe side of not being so fruit dominant that it drowns out the hint of chocolate. It's a 13.5 % ABV, and yes, this is the basic mid-tier wine for Columbia Crest. The 2006 is this year's release, so I don't know but what it might be very different by, say, June. I plan on trying it again though; this was tantalizingly promising, and, well, I'm a die-hard Columbia Crest fan.

Mount Baker Mountain White and Mount Baker Mountain Red

These are both blended

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non-vintage table wines from Mount Baker Vineyards and Winery. I've written about their Mount Baker Syrah 2005. We bought both wines at a local Haggen with a wine manager who picked Mount Baker as their featured winery as part of the Washington Wine Month celebrations at $6.99 for a 1.5 liter bottle. Both wines are part of the Mount Baker Washington State wines tier of table wines.

Red Diamond Merlot 2007 Washington

This Red Diamond Merlot is the most fruit-forward of

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all the Washington Merlot I've tasted. I suspect it may be because it's a blend of Merlot 80%, Syrah 15%, Cabernet Franc 3%, Cabernet Sauvignon 2%. The Merlot is still very present, with a tannic finish. I love, in particular, the aroma. This is also quite attractive in the glass, though not as dark a red as I'd expect from a Merlot. About an hour after my first glass, the aroma has opened up quite a lot, as has the flavor. There's definite plum and blackberry here, and a slightly softer tannic finish than on the first glass.

Sagelands Vineyards: Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon

Born in the 1980s as Staton Hills

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winery, and soon thereafter acquired by California based Chalone Wine group and renamed, today Sageland Vintners in Wapato, Washington is owned by giant international conglomerate Diageo. I confess that this is a little heartbreaking for me, and not just because I've never really recovered from learning Diageo owned Guinness.

Washington Wine Month: A Rant and a Celebration

March is Washington wine month, and it's always something to be a little excited about because Washington wine is worth celebrating. There are special prices and displays at Washington State Liquor stores, and at a variety of chain stores, and at special Washington wine events all over the state. So this weekend, we went Washington wine shopping. We haven't made it to the state liquor store yet (more on that later), but we made two back-to-back visits, yesterday and today, to two Washington grocery stores from the same chain. It's very much a Pacific Northwest chain with a buy-local emphasis.