January 2010

Columbia Crest Two Vines Sauvignon Blanc 2007 Washington State

This is a more subtle

Sauvignon Blanc than others I've tried. It's a little sweeter than California Sauvignon Blanc, and quite different from the Barnard Griffin Fumé Blanc. The grapes were sourced from the Yakima Valley and Horse Heaven Hills in Washington. As is typical for Columbia Crest, the grapes were pressed, cold-settled, and filtered before fermenting in temperature-controlled stainless steel tanks. The final blend was made two weeks before bottling. This is a 13.5 ABV "drink it now" wine, that is fairly easy to find in the under $6.00 range.

Columbia Crest Two Vines Merlot 2004

I've not been, in general,

a fan of Merlot. Again, most of the Merlot I've tried has been from California, and I'm discovering the provenance of a wine makes an enormous difference. I've decided to go ahead and try Merlot; after all, I was pleasantly surprised by Chardonnay. I've not as yet been disappointed in any of Columbia Crest's Two Vines wines, and trying their Washington Merlot struck me as a reasonable introduction. And of course, the fact that Two Vines, Grand Estate wines, and Horse Heaven Hills, the three tiers of Columbia Crest wines, are all currently on sale at Fred Meyers doesn't hurt.