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| Drinking Windows and Values |
| Drinking window: Drink between 2008 and 2012 (based on 5 user opinions) |
| Community Tasting History |
| Community Tasting Notes (average 84.8 pts. and median of 85 pts. in 40 notes) - hiding notes with no text | | | Tasted by wtianseter on 4/20/2020 & rated 86 points: Well past its prime but still has good basic flavors with a touch of age. Medium body with a short but smooth finish (545 views) | | | Tasted by wtianseter on 11/22/2013 & rated 85 points: This bottle was good but a bit tired. Fruit flavors were nice and full but the oak that I remember from past bottles was light and too understated to enhance the balance. It lacked much of a lingering finish. A day later it was going down hill big time (2737 views) | | | Tasted by Tickman on 3/26/2011 & rated 82 points: Is there fruit in this wine? Dark in color, light on the nose. Nose smells oaky. Dry and mildly sour. Dry finish. No need to get again...ever. (5296 views) | | | Tasted by Cobbster on 3/23/2011 & rated 88 points: Luscious and full. Great value. (5602 views) | | | Tasted by bin905 on 12/24/2010 & rated 85 points: Fruit forward with reasonable tannins. Pleasant but fairly simple. (5184 views) | | | Tasted by valecnik on 12/24/2010 & rated 87 points: Dusty dark berry, coffee, mocha. Good structure and decent balance. Not special but, like all CC bottlings I've had, a solid well-made wine that's a fine everyday drinker. The next level beyond the Two Vines and Grand Estates designations. (5593 views) | | | Tasted by Xfactor on 10/13/2010 & rated 79 points: Blueberry through and through. Mild, acetone nose, palate is oaky blueberry, palate is short with a hint of acetone on the fnish. Nothing memorable, nothing structured, mild. (2895 views) | | | Tasted by Xfactor on 10/13/2010 & rated 81 points: Bottle opened up after an hour. Slightly better now. Fuller. (3700 views) | | | Tasted by jeffal66 on 7/27/2010 & rated 85 points: I bought this pretty much knowing what I'd get. As Columbia Crest's second (third?) label, you can expect some leftover grapes. It's no great shakes, not over-the-top, everyday type drinking. Some dark fruit, chocolate, blah blah blah. (3140 views) | | | Tasted by boyajian on 6/2/2010 & rated 86 points: Nothing very pronounced here except maybe the finish. Nose is fine, a little dull but black cherry. Rather plain in the palate, a little tannic and somewhat heavier bodied than I was expecting. Finish is a combination of tannin and velvet, it's the most interesting part of this wine. Theres nothing wrong with this, it's a good drink but I think I like the (cheaper) Columbia Crest Grand Estate Merlot better (3310 views) | | | Tasted by chrwhite on 5/28/2010 & rated 86 points: Eh, nothing special. This wine was a dark, inky purple, almost back in the glass. I was hoping for more on the nose: it was fruit forward, but more generic fruit than anything specific. Spice and oak showed up as well. This wine was medium bodied on the palate, and seemed a little off. Oak, spice and cherry predominated, but the wine was chalky on the back of the palate leading into a finish that tasted a bit like fortified wine. Nothing bad, but not something I would seek out again, necessarily. (3319 views) | | | Tasted by Cobbster on 2/24/2010 & rated 86 points: Big flavors upon opening, fades some after a couple of hours. (3900 views) | | | Tasted by WineontheBarrelhead on 2/17/2010 & rated 78 points: Very lean, with aromas of black fruits and dried herbs followed by clipped flavors of bittersweet chocolate and roasted tomato, and hints of singed toast. In my experience, Columbia Crest's H3 reds have been earthy, loamy and somewhat herbal, but tend to lack concentration. This wine is indicative of that profile, with a light-medium bodied frame and an abrupt finish. Not recommended. (3914 views) | | | Tasted by Bicycler52 on 2/12/2010 & rated 85 points: not impressed at all, nothing interesting about this wine (3943 views) | | | Tasted by WY Leonidas on 1/26/2010 & rated 80 points: Nose had some decent cocoa, cola, cherries. Medium bodied, the flavors start with dusty cherries and blackberries, as well as a bitter cocoa. However, a rough astringent oak dominates the palate and nearly hides the rest of the wine. It's unfortunate that this is so overoaked, because it is otherwise a well balanced smooth wine. (4025 views) | | | Tasted by ethralls on 1/7/2010 & rated 85 points: Very funky, wet and mushrooms on the nose at first but eventually blew off to smokyand slight black fruit but not much else. Blackberries and blueberries on an otherwise uneventful palate (4114 views) | | | Tasted by df1962 on 12/3/2009 & rated 87 points: Very forward brambly, smoky nose with hint of treacle toffee. Refreshing blackberry blueberry flavour with lingering flavours and a smoky hint of vanilla. Nice balance. Not as flsehy as other vintages but also works better with food. Opended up over the course of a few hours. Tasty mid-week house wine at a great price. (4215 views) | | | Tasted by *Vine* on 11/4/2009 & rated 81 points: Popped and poured. Medium-plus red/purple hue. Aromas of toasted oak with a touch of fruit. Medium to medium-plus body. Has really devolved from a somewhat palatable Merlot with little merit to what is now simply an oak-laden mess. Palate simply shows spice from the oak additives...what little fruit is underneath comes across as green and under-ripe. Technically not flawed, hence the low rating (showed best on release). Drink now.
Really a shame for Columbia Crest to have ever released this Merlot when their example from the Grand Estates line scores at least in the mid eighties (not to mention the Two Vines Merlot, which is also generally much better)...hopefully just an anomaly with this vintage. (4490 views) | | | Tasted by markandsusanw on 11/1/2009 & rated 78 points: Basic, serviceable Merlot; a little thin and not much fruit. The kind of thing I'd drink only as a last resort. (4250 views) | | | Tasted by kavitha and nick on 10/18/2009 & rated 90 points: velvety smooth and long finish. Would buy again for price. (4416 views) | | | Tasted by foobarski on 10/2/2009 & rated 81 points: Didn't decant or aerate, and found it to be kinda thin, and yeah, oaky. (4326 views) | | | Tasted by ccrida on 8/10/2009 & rated 84 points: Flabby, fruity oak bomb. Big blueberry nose, jammy taste struggles to break through the vanilla. Easy enough to suck back, this would have been a good play when I was chasing girls in college but is too bit boring for adults at this price ($11). (4509 views) | | | Tasted by DTWOB on 7/26/2009 & rated 88 points: Consumed over three days with no discernible decrease in quality of taste. Nice deep dark color, full nose of dark berries, very approachable with very mild tannins more dark berries and a mild finish - great QPR. (4519 views) | | | Tasted by *Vine* on 6/29/2009 & rated 85 points: Popped and poured. Medium-plus ruby/purple hue. Still has a strange "funk" on the nose somewhat reminiscent of fruit that is matched by aromas of well-toasted, spicy oak and alcohol (the oak component is especially disconcerting at this point, definite overuse). Medium body. On the palate, flavors of black cherry, plum, vanilla bean, and toasted oak are actually quite pleasant. Tannins are slightly drying. Seemed to improve with air, albeit slightly. This wine may never come together, the oak component seems to have grown. Drink up within the next 1-2 years before the fruit fades away.
***Quick commentary - Clearly this wine has been over-manipulated by use of oak chips and/or powder. The fruit that may have existed before the oak element was added could have actually led to a much better result. At this point, the always solid Grand Estates Merlot is a better wine and value. (4755 views) | | | Tasted by Quarked on 6/16/2009 & rated 85 points: On opening had almost no aroma and very thin taste, though very smooth with nicely chewy tannins. I was thinking low 80's score, but after a few hours took a nice smokey, woodsy smell and a little more flavor. Still, even at this price point many better options. (4516 views) | | | Only displaying the 25 most recent notes - click to see all notes for this wine... |
| Columbia Crest Producer websiteMerlotMerlot is a dark blue–colored wine grape variety, that is used as both a blending grape and for varietal wines. The name Merlot is thought to be a diminutive of merle, the French name for the blackbird, probably a reference to the color of the grape. Its softness and "fleshiness", combined with its earlier ripening, makes Merlot a popular grape for blending with the sterner, later-ripening Cabernet Sauvignon, which tends to be higher in tannin.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.Horse Heaven Hills About AVA (Wikipedia) |
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