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| Drinking Windows and Values |
| Community Tasting History |
| Community Tasting Notes (average 91.7 pts. and median of 92 pts. in 334 notes) - hiding notes with no text | | | Tasted by jeginmt on 4/24/2024 & rated 95 points: Dark, full bodied, has aged very well, rich fruit, hints of chocolate, smooth mellow tannins, a rare treat. (193 views) | | | Tasted by Stomp on 2/19/2023: Delicious. Perfect! (966 views) | | | Tasted by TheoIV on 12/3/2021 & rated 90 points: Decanted for an hour. Nose: bright red fruit, earth. Palate: Smooth, low tannins, low acid, blackberry notes. Long finish. Nice drop. Funny also broke the cork! (1664 views) | | | Tasted by CWilliam on 5/15/2021 & rated 93 points: Un-named Atlanta wine tasting Group: Wine #6 in blind tasting (wines with some age). Notes were poor. Dark black in the glass with slight gradient from rim to center. Blackberry, fig preserves, vanilla (not overdone) and black cherry on nose. Palate had similar flavor profile. Full body, good structure with integrated tannins. Wine has aged extremely well. Guessed Aalto (Ribera Del Deuro) given structure - nice surprise here. 93+/- (2102 views) | | | Tasted by markcic on 4/29/2021 & rated 92 points: Exactly the same as my experience in December and January right down to the broken cork. This wine is aging gracefully. I opened the bottle, the cork broke so I decanted through a vinturi. The nose is all fruit, the palate was dark cherry, coffee and earth. The finish is moderate to long. (2074 views) | | | Tasted by markcic on 1/8/2021 & rated 92 points: Exactly the same as my experience last month right down to the broken cork. This wine is aging gracefully. I opened the bottle, the cork broke so I decanted through a vinturi. The nose is all fruit, the palate was dark cherry, coffee and earth. The finish is moderate to long. (2362 views) | | | Tasted by markcic on 12/17/2020 & rated 92 points: Aging really gracefully. I opened the bottle, the cork broke so I decanted through a vinturi. The nose is all fruit, the palate was dark cherry, coffee and earth. The finish was long and smooth. Served with pork chops stuffed with apples and raisins. (1906 views) | | | Tasted by ID on 11/20/2020: This wears its 14.5% alcohol well. A full-bodied wine without being too heavy like the 2004 Quilceda that I recently had. It was my last bottle and I wish I had more. I didn't make any precise notes on the nose or the finish, but I do remember the wine gave a lot of pleasure. (1328 views) | | | Tasted by prasm on 9/14/2020 & rated 93 points: Consumed with friends at our lake cabin - note from memory. Wonderful balance, showing dark fruit, earthiness and mineral back-bone. Has aged perfectly and is in it's prime drinking window - wonderful Washington wine. (1123 views) | | | Tasted by BallardHome on 1/14/2020 & rated 93 points: Delicious! Great time to drink! (1644 views) | | | Tasted by wmccone54 on 9/15/2019 & rated 92 points: This wine is still developing, maybe in the early stages of midlife maturity. Very balanced. Clear, dark ruby color, no signs of bricking. Pronounced aromas and flavors showing a mix of juicy and ripe black and red fruits, with secondary and tertiary characteristics: ripe blackberry, spicy raspberry, dark cherry, dark chocolate, black coffee, cigar box, and dark mulchy earth. I’m not noticing any dried, stewed, or cooked fruits which leads me to think this still has many more years; oak, tannin, and acid all display balance...structure still in tact. Finishes long, along with some savory notes. Best guess is this could go another 3-5 years, maybe more depending on cellar conditions. Drink or hold. (1458 views) | | | Tasted by Baron Slick on 7/3/2019 & rated 92 points: Lovely wine. Bright red fruit, earth, sandalwood, sous bois, and gentle oak tones were articulated in a restrained, almost shy manner. Stylistically, it was powerful and resinous, more savory than fruity, and as the wine came out of its tightly-wrapped shell, it delivered some serious asphalt, incense, and white pepper complexity. I don’t feel it gave everything it has to give, as it was still expanding and developing when I took my last sip at the 5-hour mark. And yet it retained a sense of elegance, tension, and balance in an Old World kind of way. (1548 views) | | | Tasted by bablues on 3/1/2019 & rated 92 points: Very nice and I liked it a lot. Smooth, mellow mid-palate but packed a nice punch on the finish. Nose was classic Bordeaux. Has a few years of great drinking (1858 views) | | | Tasted by Kanorfleet on 1/27/2019: After decanting the wine it opened up nicely. (1720 views) | | | Tasted by dsimmons on 12/11/2018 & rated 89 points: This bottle went well with left over stroganoff. My last of thee and probably a good thing. It does not happen for my tastes too often but to me this is past prime. The fruit is becoming a bit pruney. Drink up. (1800 views) | | | Tasted by Visca on 11/25/2018: Passed, should have opened sooner (1539 views) | | | Tasted by copp on 11/12/2018 & rated 89 points: very sweet for WA state (1537 views) | | | Tasted by pmk on 8/18/2018 & rated 93 points: popped and put through venturi. Opned in 20 minutes and was eqjual to a 20 year old bordeaux! (1581 views) | | | Tasted by vinodolphin on 12/1/2017 & rated 92 points: Smooth and mellow with a long finish. Excellent wine. (2688 views) | | | Tasted by D. Mitchell on 7/1/2017 & rated 92 points: Wow, this is just getting better and better! This is a very elegant and smooth, I bought 18 of these, and this was lucky 13. Dark ruby colored, with a slight light edge, clear, on the nose was sweet dark fruits, cedar, and a bit of charcoal. On the palate it was dark fruit, with a touch of sweetness (that could be Napa taste if blind), leather, and mushrooms, well integrated quality oak that led into a medium finish. No need to rush to drink these, as I think they will hold on for at least a few more years. 92+ Points Beautiful.. (4313 views) | | | Tasted by skifree on 3/25/2017 & rated 93 points: Tasted as part of the "50 Years of Ch. Ste. Michelle" seminar at 2017 Taste of Washington. (Four Seasons Seattle): Tasted as part of the "50 Years of Ch. Ste. Michelle" seminar at 2017 Taste of Washington. Garnet color in the glass; size of the clear meniscus hints at its age. Nose is quite subtle, with earth and sweet fruit to find. Palate is sweet fruit with some black tea; merlot peeking its head out despite only 19 %. Finish is long, with classic Bordeaux tobacco, earth, and tannins showing. Bob Berthau (winemaker) talked about 2006 as a less hot, more elegant vintage in Washington at the seminar. (4296 views) | | | Tasted by RayT on 3/24/2017 & rated 91 points: Cork disintegrated while opening the bottle. Thought it was corked but luckily it was okay. Strained and decanted for 2 hours. Dark Garnet in color. This drank better than my last bottle 18 months ago. (3858 views) | | | Tasted by rmh66 on 1/28/2017 & rated 93 points: Needed about two hours to open up. Black raspberry, blackberry, earth, violets, graphite, and licorice on the nose. Black and red cherry, blackberry, earth, licorice, and herbs on the palate. Nice acidity, integrated tannins, medium-long finish. Beautiful silky texture. Delicious wine. (3554 views) | | | Tasted by dsimmons on 1/25/2017 & rated 91 points: Nicely aged WA cabernet. Drinking well now. I plan to hold my last bottle for a year or two. (2947 views) | | | Tasted by hebill on 1/7/2017: This is nice right now. Initial sweetness is gone and shows more Bordeaux character. (1682 views) | | | Only displaying the 25 most recent notes - click to see all notes for this wine... |
| By Julia Harding, MW
JancisRobinson.com (1/21/2010)
(Col Solare Columbia Valley Red) Subscribe to see review text. | By Stephen Tanzer
Vinous, November/December 2009, IWC Issue #147
(Col Solare Red Columbia Valley) Subscribe to see review text. | By Sean Sullivan
Washington Wine Report (8/27/2009)
(Col Solare Col Solare Columbia Valley) On the nose a layer of dust over Chukar cherries laced with chocolate. Thick and rich on the palate with silky tannins and abundant tart cherry flavors. An excellent mix of power and elegance. 72% Cabernet; 19% Merlot; 4% Cabernet Franc; 3% Petit Verdot; 2% Syrah. 14.5% alcohol. Red Mountain (27%); Columbia Valley (35%); Wahluke Slope (19%); and Horse Heaven Hills (14%) AVAs. ***** points |
NOTE: Scores and reviews are the property of JancisRobinson.com and Vinous and Washington Wine Report. (manage subscription channels) |
| Col Solare Producer Website2006 Col Solare2006 Col Solare Varietal Blend: 72% Cabernet Sauvignon, 19% Merlot, 4% Cabernet Franc, 3% Petit Verdot, and 2% Syrah.Red Bordeaux BlendRed Bordeaux is generally made from a blend of grapes. Permitted grapes are Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Petit Verdot, Malbec and rarely Carménère.Today Carménère is rarely used, with Château Clerc Milon, a fifth growth Bordeaux, being one of the few to still retain Carménère vines. As of July 2019, Bordeaux wineries authorized the use of four new red grapes to combat temperature increases in Bordeaux. These newly approved grapes are Marselan, Touriga Nacional, Castets, and Arinarnoa.
Wineries all over the world aspire to making wines in a Bordeaux style. In 1988, a group of American vintners formed The Meritage Association to identify wines made in this way. Although most Meritage wines come from California, there are members of the Meritage Association in 18 states and five other countries, including Argentina, Australia, Canada, Israel, and Mexico.USAAmerican wine has been produced since the 1500s, with the first widespread production beginning in New Mexico in 1628. Today, wine production is undertaken in all fifty states, with California producing 84% of all U.S. wine. The continent of North America is home to several native species of grape, including Vitis labrusca, Vitis riparia, Vitis rotundifolia, and Vitis vulpina, but the wine-making industry is based almost entirely on the cultivation of the European Vitis vinifera, which was introduced by European settlers. With more than 1,100,000 acres (4,500 km2) under vine, the United States is the fourth-largest wine producing country in the world, after Italy, Spain, and France.Washington Washington Wine Commission | Credit to Washingtonwine.org for this article
Washington Wine
Washington State is a premium wine producing region located in the northwest corner of the United States. Although a relatively young wine industry, it is now the nation's second largest wine producer and is ranked among the world's top wine regions. Washington wines are found nationally in all 50 states and internationally in more than 40 countries.
Wineries
With 30,000+ acres planted, the state has ideal geography and conditions for growing premium vinifera wine grapes. Primarily grown on their own root stocks, the vines produce grapes of consistent quality, resulting in strong vintages year after year. While its focus is on Chardonnay, Riesling, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah, the region also produces a wide range of other spectacular whites and reds.
Growers
Winemakers from all over the world have chosen to establish themselves in Washington, where they can create wines reflecting this region's unique characteristics. Their hand-crafted wines are receiving wide acclaim from critics regionally, nationally and internationally for their consistently high quality. Many of them have received scores of 90 and above from the major wine media. Overall this is a higher percentage than other leading wine regions.
Regions
As the state's fourth largest fruit crop, the Washington wine industry is an important contributor to the long-term preservation of Washington agriculture. The industry is committed to sustainable agricultural practices and conservation of water resources.
Washington State is a premium wine producing region located in the northwest corner of the United States. Although a relatively young wine industry, it is now the nation's second largest wine producer and is ranked among the world's top wine regions. Washington wines are found nationally in all 50 states and internationally in more than 40 countries.
Varieties
Washington produces more than 20 wine grape varieties - a ratio of 56 percent white to 44 percent red. As the industry matures and experiments, it finds many grape varieties that thrive throughout Washington's microclimates. There are more than 16,000 vineyard acres of red wine varieties statewide.
History & Vintages
Washington's wine future is limitless. As consumers discover the quality of Washington wines, demand continues to grow nationally and internationally. New acreage and wine varietals are being planted and new wineries are opening at a remarkable pace. Washington State is recognized as a premium viticultural region around the world.
State Facts
Washington's wine industry generates more than $3 billion to the state economy. It employs more than 14,000 people, directly and indirectly, with projections to add nearly 2,000 more jobs by 2006. In terms of tax revenues accrued to the state and federal government, wine grapes are among the highest tax generators of any agricultural crops. Furthermore, Washington wine tourism attracts nearly two million visitors annually contributing to the positive growth of local and regional economies.
Washington State - the perfect climate for wine = ideal growing conditions, quality wines, business innovation, lifestyle, and social responsibility. All are key elements of this world-class wine industry.
Vintages
"2008 and even more so 2010 and 2011 were cool, even cold vintages (think: 2002 in the Barossa) without the extreme ripeness, extract and higher alcohol that had become the norm in the state’s post 1995 world. 2008 was manageable but the duo of 2010/2011 nearly caused a “great depression” in Washington State." - Jon RimmermanColumbia Valley Columbia Cascade Winery Association
The Columbia Valley AVA lies mostly in Washington state, with a small section in Oregon. The Cascade Range forms its western boundary with the Palouse regions bordering the area to the east. To the north, the Okanogan National Forest forms a border with the AVA and Canada. It encompasses the valleys formed by the Columbia River and its tributaries, including the Walla Walla River, the Snake River, and the Yakima River. The Columbia valley stretches between the 46th parallel and 47th parallel which puts it in line with the well known French wine growing regions of Bordeaux and Burgundy. The northern latitude gives the areas two more hours of additional daylight during the summer growing season than wine regions of California receive. The volcanic and sandy loam soil of the valley offers good drainage and is poor in nutrients, ideal in forcing the vine to concentrate its resources into the grape clusters.Columbia Valley Columbia Valley Winery Association |
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