Just okay. Received this bottle as gift recently. Aging has helped this wine, as my previous tasting note indicates, we didn't care for it all that much. Even though it improved, there are still better choices out there at this price point.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
PNP. Lots of oak. Tannins were still harsh and not well integrated. Not one of the best H3 wines but still better than 99% of the schlep at the local Kroger.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Flight 2, USA, Wine 7 (blind): The wine was dark ruby in colour and offered dark berries, blackberry and noticeable oak on the rather tight nose. On the palate the full-bodied, meaty wine showed dark berries, blackberry, dark cherry, some plum, spices and an interesting leafiness adding to the overall complexity, paired with medium-level acidity, medium-plus ripe, very fine tannin and very good length. Very good QPR. Drink now.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
It's an inky purple wine with a medium body. The nose is surprisingly non-descript, with blackberry, earth and tea notes. Wow! This is definitely soft and lush, with tastes of highly extracted blackberries, tea, a pronounced spicy pepperiness and oak and earth lurking more as deep undertones. The blackberry and pepper hang in there on the finish, braced by the oak. Ultimately, it's too much of a fruit-bomb to hold your attention much beyond the first glass, unless you are a fan of that style.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Good weeknight drinker...smooth, plenty of dark fruit and oak. I tend to like Washington Merlot better than typical Cali merlot. Not especially memorable, but well made and good QPR for $13.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
As I drink my fourth bottle from the same vintage, I realize my first experience was by the far best. Every subsequent bottle has lacked the soft, smooth, and well balanced finish that I first observed. Nevertheless, this wine remains a good QPR.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Pleasant surprise. Rich purple color with medium to full body. Nose is floral but I can't place the flower - something dense with a fairly long bloom. Palate Is very rich in vanilla with medium mouth feel and modest earthy tannins. Medium vanilla finish. 5+12+15+7=89
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Nose was pleasant - chocolate, blueberries, some dust, and oak. On the palette - heavy, coating, somewhat simple extracted dark fruit with a very smooth vanilla derived from the noticeable oak. The finish was very smooth with hints of chocolate. This wine is not particularly complicated, it is a bit over-extracted, slightly sweet, but finishes very smooth, and has enough tannins to keep it interesting. In its class, it is very good and is very easy drinking. I do not detect earth, violets, minerals, leather, or anything associated with a more complex and sophisticated wine. Nevertheless, it's delicious and a great QPR. I will certainly keep several of these on hand.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
nice balance of fruit, tannin and some acidity. A little earthiness which I like. Not the fruit bomb I was expecting. considering the price, and excellent value. The wine looks Violet colored. The legs are Slow. It smells like Dust, Flint, Plum, Medium Toast, and Lead Pencil. The body is Medium/Full. The wine has Silky texture. The wine finishes Medium.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
PNP. Color dark garnet. Nose simple berry fruit with spice and some alcohol. Swishing reveals decent acid structure with soft tannins and monolithic fruit that seems a touch sweet. Sipping gushes fruit with more fruit than structure and medium length finish. Easy to drink
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Nose: spices, blackberry jam. Aroma dominated by sweet oak after opening up for a few minutes.
Body: medium body, smoother than the nose suggests. Velvety spiced chocolate and cherry with an extra grind of spice going into the finish. Lingering tart cherry. Finish is slightly too 'puckery' for me, but still enjoyable.
Delicious wine! A very good deal. Went surprisingly well with a freshly sliced tomato, and then goat cheese spinach sandwiches.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Another interesting and great buy from Columbia Crest. Enjoyed the complexity of this merlot at this price point. With it's earthy base combined with notes of blackberry, spices and a nice finish, makes this an excellent everyday drinker. Nice smooth tannins while not being overly fruity make this a well balanced and uniquely different merlot that should be drank now.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Really good value for $8.99. Picked up for a red wine reduction sauce and was enjoyable to sip on it's own too. Lots of chocolate, black and blue fruits, an herbal edge and good balance. Not a thinker but enjoyible for what it is.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Popped and poured. Dark ruby. Medium-bodied, with plum, cherry, vanilla, caramelized oak, chocolate and nicely integrated tannins. Finish comes up a little short. Still, this is a solid 90 and is slightly better and with more structure and complexity than the more extracted 2008 vintage. At under $12 a bottle, the QPR is outstanding. Tasted multiple bottles in 2013 with consistent notes.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Fruit bomb. If you like intense wines, this may interest you. For me, it was over-extracted and in your face. Not what I'd consider a typical Merlot. On the other hand, this would certainly stand up to grilled meats and strong flavors. Might make an excellent picnic wine.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
The Columbia Crest H3 Merlot is a purple, teeth- staining wine with a medium body. It's highly extracted, you feel that with the first sip as it coats your palate. The nose has blackberry, a little peppery zing, and mere hints of oak. Deep tastes of blackberry, rich and nearly cloying, and a little sour berry that tries to counter the predominant blackberry, and is ultimately insufficient for the task. The finish features blackberry, but it can get overwhelming beyond the first glass. The deep extraction of the fruit leaves it unbalanced, as there is nothing to hold it in check.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Recommended as a "real merlot" it delivered dark fruit, strong vanilla at first that diminished later. Good dark red, astringent fruit, maybe sour cherry. Good body, drinkable now, but enough tannins to last a bit.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Dark purple color. Classic merlot aromas of plums, chocolate, a bit of licorice. It's very lush on the palate, with sweet tannins, jammy plum fruit, along with flavors of toast, mocha and a bit of earth. It has a lot more depth than the Grand Estates or Two Vines merlot bottlings. With an hour or so of air, the wine got even softer and more elegant, showing a bit of cassis flavor as well. Val really liked the smoothness of this wine. Drink or hold til 2014.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
A nose of cherry and spice, dark garnet in color. A medium to full bodied Merlot, with blackberry, cherry, dusty chocolate and spice on finish, a very good QPR.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
A very solid wine. It tastes purple — not in a grape koolaid way, but like if you took all the stuff you love that has a tinge of purple in it, and mixed it together.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
The cumulative ratings on this wine are brought down by those who apparently didn't care for it at all. Ignore them. This is a nice, solid Merlot, with an excellent bouquet, and all the chocolatey that a Merlot ought to have. I couldn't resist the sale price (it was $11), and picked it right up.
It's an excellent wine for two or three times that price.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
WSET Intermediate Course (San Francisco): deep clear ruby; clean, medium intensity, red cherries, baked plum, ripe, vanilla/oak; dry, medium acidity, medium ripe tannins, medium body; blackberry jam, black pepper, raspberry, some heat, short finish; good. 84
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Let's get something straight: this is no mind-blowing, out of this world wine! What it is, is a very nice, moderately complex, interesting and so, at the price point, a fantastic QPR. Crimson purple in color with slight opacity. The aromatics are a tad non-descript but pleasant. For the first time in my life, I'm sensing prominant hints of chocolate/cocoa powder in the flavor profile; more so towards the transition between the mid-palate and the finish. Not quite as impressive as the Cab but every bit as amazing a QPR. This winery's doing a lot of things right! And so, I'm a fan. (note: deserving of a couple extra points for its value but withheld to reflect my overall impression; price not considered)
Solid QPR; never fails to please. Always a better bottle on night 2 which is a testament to CC's ability to make a mass produced wine well. Smooth tannins lead way to cinnamon spices, mocha, and dark fruits which dominate the mid-palate...nice medlum length earthy finish.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Drank over two evenings. Found it to be just fair and rather uninteresting. The first evening the wine was rather unbalanced, its finish too acidic. On evening two it mellowed out somewhat, but it was still just lackluster and nothing special. Will not buy again.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Soft, fruity, nice plum blueberry notes. A bit toasty, almost too much acid but that should mellow with a good strong chesse or stew. Food will help this wine reach it's true potental.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Another crowd pleaser from Columbia Crest! Lots of dark fruit aromas coming from the glass; plums, cherry, spice, and oak notes along with a medium finish. IMO more of a sipper but would probably be a good burger or barbecue wine.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Nice color. I will skip to the point; this is as ordinary and neutral a wine as I have had in a while. No complexity, weak finish with really nothing there. I dumped 1/2 a bottle while grilling and used the glass I was drinking for sauce. Absolutely not a re-buy.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Perfect middle of the weeker. Love this wine. Every vintage is a little different but never fails to impress. Great QPR. Better on day two than day one which leads me to believe it could use a couple of years. More earthy notes / bordeaux qualities than Cali merlots (or even other Wash merlots), but good big dark fruits on the nose and mid palate, hint of chocolate, graphite, cassis on the finish.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Rich, well-balanced and easy drinking. Very nice nose, with blackberries, plums, currants and blueberry syrup, some vanilla and a spearmint note; luscious, almost sweet, dark fruit flavors, a bit of mocha and smooth well-integrated tannins; nice fruity finish. A great sipper, not bad with food, and a likely crowd pleaser.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
12/6/11 (89) A Medium bodied with garnet hue, the Columbia Crest H3 Merlot has a nose of rich blackberry aromas, oak and a hint of cloves. Plush in the mouth with tastes of ripe blackberry, cedar and tea notes. There's tannins with decent structure on the medium finish with blackberry, minerals and a hint of mocha at the end, that lingers on with pleasing tenacity.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Very dark and purple. A vanilla explosion on the nose, only after 1-2 hours did this dissipate and transition over to ripe dark fruit. Solid and active tannins, substantial acidity too, with reasonable fruit balance on the back end.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
An easy-drinking merlot. Plum, floral, with a hint of earth on the nose. Upon tasting, lots of fruit with a moderate length simple finish. The wine paired very well with butternut squash ravioli and broccoli. A solid daily drinker, but nothing more.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
I loved this H3 Merlot in 2007 & 2008. Was one of the regular purchases. Would have given those years a 90+ rating. Such a great QPR at $15. Chocolate, cocoa bean/coffee, brown sugar, caramel, & black fruit. Yum. BUT the 2009 is just not doing it for me & is all that is available. Same flavors but so sweet & overpowering it makes my teeth hurt. Jammy. Have tried decanting, not much change. Don't know if it needs more time in the bottle or it's just a lesser year.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Excellent QPR. Full bodied and fruit forward with very good balance. Nice note of ripe red plum, black cherry and chocolate liquor. Pleasant finish with lively acidity.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Dark purple color. Nose of dark fruit and vanilla. Sweet blackberry and cherry on the palate, with chocolate, caramel, and brown sugar. We get at least one bottle of this every trip to the wine store. Very good effort, especially for the price.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Spice and blackberry on the nose.Tastes include blackberry and black currant with a slight dusty earthiness, nicely balanced with the tannins and acidity. Finishes with velvety cocoa and dark berries.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Outstanding QPR. A little bit of a fruit bomb on the attack with a flood of blackberry and blueberry, but nicely tempered with some earthy, forest floor aromas and taste. The tannins are mild and well integrated allowing some secondary flavors, notably chocolate and something akin to pickling spice, to be noticed. A decent 20+ second finish, very unexpected for a $11 bottle. Screams house wine as it has something for everybody.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Dark red color. Nose has some nice fruit, ripe plum, blackberry, taosted oak. The palate is a little thin, tannic and some alcohol is coming through. I like the mid palate on this, but it is a little disjointed at the end. If this comes together it could get better Had this at a restaurant so no idea where this was at.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
An enjoyable wine, and not in the vacuous way I'd anticipated. There's a very Washington smell to the cedary nose. I love the blueberry palette and elegant texture. There's enough tannin here to keep it from crossing the border into insipid cheap Merlot land. Am going to the store to get more right now.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Nose: Fresh nose with cherries and a hint of white chocolate.
Taste: Deep fruit, big mouth feel, chocolaty. Moderate to weak tannins that are nicely integrated.
Finish: The tannins show up on the finish with a splash of dryness throughout the entire back palate that lasts about 30 seconds.
In conclusion, I found this to be a good and well balanced Washington merlot. This wine reminded me a lot of the 2005 and 2006 vintages and seemed to have a lot of the same traits common to those two years, particularly the dark chocolate notes that were not entirely apparent in the 2007 and 2008 vintages.
I think at the $12 I paid, this works, but I would drink this now as I don't think the weak tannins warrant a long cellaring period (maybe 1-2 years), but who knows....
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
3/16/2023 - Kento61 Likes this wine: 89 Points
Drinking well
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
6/2/2015 - PJRobins Likes this wine: 82 Points
A little late to drink but was still okay. Chocolate, acid very short finish.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
7/3/2014 - csillabu wrote: 85 Points
Just okay. Received this bottle as gift recently. Aging has helped this wine, as my previous tasting note indicates, we didn't care for it all that much. Even though it improved, there are still better choices out there at this price point.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
6/4/2014 - slubgob wrote: flawed
Corked.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comments (2)
4/11/2014 - corkscrews Likes this wine: 88 Points
Still good. www.winelx.com
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
3/31/2014 - BigWhiskey Likes this wine: 88 Points
Very smooth drinking right now.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
3/23/2014 - ibglowin Likes this wine: 88 Points
PNP. Lots of oak. Tannins were still harsh and not well integrated. Not one of the best H3 wines but still better than 99% of the schlep at the local Kroger.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
2/28/2014 - cknibb wrote: 90 Points
Great QPR.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
1/6/2014 - Janstan Likes this wine: 88 Points
Cherries, dark fruit, easy to drink. Had with baked salmon
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
9/8/2013 - corkscrews Likes this wine: 90 Points
Easy drinker. www.winelx.com
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
8/26/2013 - PSPatrick wrote: 90 Points
Flight 2, USA, Wine 7 (blind): The wine was dark ruby in colour and offered dark berries, blackberry and noticeable oak on the rather tight nose. On the palate the full-bodied, meaty wine showed dark berries, blackberry, dark cherry, some plum, spices and an interesting leafiness adding to the overall complexity, paired with medium-level acidity, medium-plus ripe, very fine tannin and very good length. Very good QPR. Drink now.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
7/6/2013 - The Kokopelli wrote: 87 Points
It's an inky purple wine with a medium body. The nose is surprisingly non-descript, with blackberry, earth and tea notes. Wow! This is definitely soft and lush, with tastes of highly extracted blackberries, tea, a pronounced spicy pepperiness and oak and earth lurking more as deep undertones. The blackberry and pepper hang in there on the finish, braced by the oak. Ultimately, it's too much of a fruit-bomb to hold your attention much beyond the first glass, unless you are a fan of that style.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
6/30/2013 - Janstan Likes this wine: 87 Points
Vanilla, coconut which laid down after about 30 minutes. Cocoa. Had without food. Salmon or pork with balsamic cherry glaze.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
5/9/2013 - tastark Likes this wine: 88 Points
I really love this wine for the price. Delicious.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
2/16/2013 - Tednitka wrote: 87 Points
Mid range for full body little follow thru on pallets
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
2/7/2013 - phillyboyP wrote: 88 Points
solid after a little air, the oak blew off a bit. solid for $11. 88
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
1/27/2013 - CarlCP Likes this wine: 89 Points
This is a big taste wine.
Nose is chocolate, strawberry, cherry, earthy
Taste is big and jammy with chocolate and strawberry, little earthy finish.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
1/20/2013 - tigerpaw75 Likes this wine: 87 Points
Good weeknight drinker...smooth, plenty of dark fruit and oak. I tend to like Washington Merlot better than typical Cali merlot. Not especially memorable, but well made and good QPR for $13.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
1/20/2013 - flgman Likes this wine: 86 Points
As I drink my fourth bottle from the same vintage, I realize my first experience was by the far best. Every subsequent bottle has lacked the soft, smooth, and well balanced finish that I first observed. Nevertheless, this wine remains a good QPR.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
1/16/2013 - Delli Likes this wine: 89 Points
Pleasant surprise. Rich purple color with medium to full body. Nose is floral but I can't place the flower - something dense with a fairly long bloom. Palate Is very rich in vanilla with medium mouth feel and modest earthy tannins. Medium vanilla finish. 5+12+15+7=89
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
1/11/2013 - flgman Likes this wine: 88 Points
Nose was pleasant - chocolate, blueberries, some dust, and oak. On the palette - heavy, coating, somewhat simple extracted dark fruit with a very smooth vanilla derived from the noticeable oak. The finish was very smooth with hints of chocolate. This wine is not particularly complicated, it is a bit over-extracted, slightly sweet, but finishes very smooth, and has enough tannins to keep it interesting. In its class, it is very good and is very easy drinking. I do not detect earth, violets, minerals, leather, or anything associated with a more complex and sophisticated wine. Nevertheless, it's delicious and a great QPR. I will certainly keep several of these on hand.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
1/2/2013 - poochies Likes this wine: 89 Points
nice balance of fruit, tannin and some acidity. A little earthiness which I like. Not the fruit bomb I was expecting. considering the price, and excellent value.
The wine looks Violet colored. The legs are Slow. It smells like Dust, Flint, Plum, Medium Toast, and Lead Pencil. The body is Medium/Full. The wine has Silky texture. The wine finishes Medium.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/21/2012 - chcook wrote:
PNP. Color dark garnet. Nose simple berry fruit with spice and some alcohol. Swishing reveals decent acid structure with soft tannins and monolithic fruit that seems a touch sweet. Sipping gushes fruit with more fruit than structure and medium length finish. Easy to drink
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/3/2012 - LSMay wrote: 86 Points
- Flavours of smokey.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/30/2012 - districtin Likes this wine: 90 Points
Nose: spices, blackberry jam. Aroma dominated by sweet oak after opening up for a few minutes.
Body: medium body, smoother than the nose suggests. Velvety spiced chocolate and cherry with an extra grind of spice going into the finish. Lingering tart cherry. Finish is slightly too 'puckery' for me, but still enjoyable.
Delicious wine! A very good deal. Went surprisingly well with a freshly sliced tomato, and then goat cheese spinach sandwiches.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/29/2012 - Mary's cellar wrote: 89 Points
Wonderful spicy, yet smooth with great body.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/22/2012 - _miles wrote: 97 Points
First H3 wine I've had. Wonderful subtle flavor of spice, vanilla and fruit. Will most definitely be searching this stuff out in the future.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/22/2012 - _miles wrote: 94 Points
Velvety vanilla, with lots of subtle flavor. Great with smoked Gouda.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
11/14/2012 - wjochim wrote: 88 Points
GREAT QPR!
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/4/2012 - michigan dogs wrote: 88 Points
greAT value, great for big parties, consistently very good
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/1/2012 - Skully wrote: 86 Points
Another interesting and great buy from Columbia Crest. Enjoyed the complexity of this merlot at this price point. With it's earthy base combined with notes of blackberry, spices and a nice finish, makes this an excellent everyday drinker. Nice smooth tannins while not being overly fruity make this a well balanced and uniquely different merlot that should be drank now.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
10/19/2012 - jcbrand wrote: 88 Points
Good qpr
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
10/4/2012 - daniel.jay wrote: 88 Points
Great mid-week wine, less over-oaked than the cab.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
10/4/2012 - mhondo17 wrote: 86 Points
Decent value, good solid Merlot, plenty of fruit with enough structure to carry it through.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
9/28/2012 - bajayngo wrote: 86 Points
Really good value for $8.99. Picked up for a red wine reduction sauce and was enjoyable to sip on it's own too. Lots of chocolate, black and blue fruits, an herbal edge and good balance. Not a thinker but enjoyible for what it is.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
9/27/2012 - Dagalaifus Likes this wine: 90 Points
Popped and poured. Dark ruby. Medium-bodied, with plum, cherry, vanilla, caramelized oak, chocolate and nicely integrated tannins. Finish comes up a little short. Still, this is a solid 90 and is slightly better and with more structure and complexity than the more extracted 2008 vintage. At under $12 a bottle, the QPR is outstanding. Tasted multiple bottles in 2013 with consistent notes.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
9/25/2012 - loc4me Likes this wine: 88 Points
Phenomenal wine for the price. Great smooth finish. Hints of spice and cocoa. Blackberry aroma.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
9/21/2012 - plechazunga wrote:
De-de-de-de-canted and nothing but oak. Boom. Lots of sweetness. Astringent on the back end. Nose was hot and unappealing.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
8/27/2012 - LeChapeau wrote: 86 Points
Fruit bomb. If you like intense wines, this may interest you. For me, it was over-extracted and in your face. Not what I'd consider a typical Merlot. On the other hand, this would certainly stand up to grilled meats and strong flavors. Might make an excellent picnic wine.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
8/23/2012 - The Kokopelli wrote: 86 Points
The Columbia Crest H3 Merlot is a purple, teeth- staining wine with a medium body. It's highly extracted, you feel that with the first sip as it coats your palate. The nose has blackberry, a little peppery zing, and mere hints of oak. Deep tastes of blackberry, rich and nearly cloying, and a little sour berry that tries to counter the predominant blackberry, and is ultimately insufficient for the task. The finish features blackberry, but it can get overwhelming beyond the first glass. The deep extraction of the fruit leaves it unbalanced, as there is nothing to hold it in check.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
8/21/2012 - JoeSisal wrote: 90 Points
Recommended as a "real merlot" it delivered dark fruit, strong vanilla at first that diminished later. Good dark red, astringent fruit, maybe sour cherry. Good body, drinkable now, but enough tannins to last a bit.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
8/19/2012 - isaacjamesbaker wrote: 88 Points
Dark purple color. Classic merlot aromas of plums, chocolate, a bit of licorice. It's very lush on the palate, with sweet tannins, jammy plum fruit, along with flavors of toast, mocha and a bit of earth. It has a lot more depth than the Grand Estates or Two Vines merlot bottlings. With an hour or so of air, the wine got even softer and more elegant, showing a bit of cassis flavor as well. Val really liked the smoothness of this wine. Drink or hold til 2014.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
8/5/2012 - michigan dogs wrote: 89 Points
incredible value, great party wine
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
8/3/2012 - corkscrews wrote: 89 Points
Similar to first notes, a great value.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
7/22/2012 - corkscrews wrote: 88 Points
Similair notes to last time, very good QPR.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
7/15/2012 - GA_Seattle Likes this wine: 87 Points
Nice all around wine, good fruit, nicely balanced, great price. Very respectable every day drinking wine.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
7/14/2012 - cmr Likes this wine: 88 Points
Good qpr, simple straightforward oaked Merlot that's just plain tasty.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
6/23/2012 - corkscrews wrote: 89 Points
A nose of cherry and spice, dark garnet in color. A medium to full bodied Merlot, with blackberry, cherry, dusty chocolate and spice on finish, a very good QPR.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
6/20/2012 - chuckreece wrote: 89 Points
A very solid wine. It tastes purple — not in a grape koolaid way, but like if you took all the stuff you love that has a tinge of purple in it, and mixed it together.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
5/26/2012 - DTWOB Likes this wine: 90 Points
Very approachable and drinking very nice
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
5/17/2012 - Kento61 wrote: 89 Points
Great wine for the price. It lacks the depth of a (fairly priced) more expensive wine, but carries a boat load of flavor.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
5/8/2012 - michigan dogs wrote: 90 Points
you can't beat this for the price, CC makes great, affordable wines
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
4/29/2012 - qwerty2 wrote: 88 Points
The cumulative ratings on this wine are brought down by those who apparently didn't care for it at all. Ignore them. This is a nice, solid Merlot, with an excellent bouquet, and all the chocolatey that a Merlot ought to have. I couldn't resist the sale price (it was $11), and picked it right up.
It's an excellent wine for two or three times that price.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
4/22/2012 - aagrawal wrote: 84 Points
WSET Intermediate Course (San Francisco): deep clear ruby; clean, medium intensity, red cherries, baked plum, ripe, vanilla/oak; dry, medium acidity, medium ripe tannins, medium body; blackberry jam, black pepper, raspberry, some heat, short finish; good. 84
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
4/17/2012 - golfwine wrote: 88 Points
Let's get something straight: this is no mind-blowing, out of this world wine! What it is, is a very nice, moderately complex, interesting and so, at the price point, a fantastic QPR. Crimson purple in color with slight opacity. The aromatics are a tad non-descript but pleasant. For the first time in my life, I'm sensing prominant hints of chocolate/cocoa powder in the flavor profile; more so towards the transition between the mid-palate and the finish. Not quite as impressive as the Cab but every bit as amazing a QPR. This winery's doing a lot of things right! And so, I'm a fan.
(note: deserving of a couple extra points for its value but withheld to reflect my overall impression; price not considered)
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comments (1)
4/12/2012 - jonysan Likes this wine: 88 Points
Nice drinking Merlot. Excellent QPR.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
4/11/2012 - Lightcatcher Likes this wine: 90 Points
Great value.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
4/7/2012 - Tri Wine wrote: 88 Points
Solid QPR; never fails to please. Always a better bottle on night 2 which is a testament to CC's ability to make a mass produced wine well. Smooth tannins lead way to cinnamon spices, mocha, and dark fruits which dominate the mid-palate...nice medlum length earthy finish.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
4/1/2012 - csillabu wrote: 78 Points
Drank over two evenings. Found it to be just fair and rather uninteresting. The first evening the wine was rather unbalanced, its finish too acidic. On evening two it mellowed out somewhat, but it was still just lackluster and nothing special. Will not buy again.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
3/11/2012 - Boom Baby! wrote: 86 Points
Soft, fruity, nice plum blueberry notes. A bit toasty, almost too much acid but that should mellow with a good strong chesse or stew. Food will help this wine reach it's true potental.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
3/9/2012 - johnncassie wrote: 81 Points
Jammy bold fruit aroma. Mellow bodied merlot.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
3/3/2012 - green-steve wrote: 87 Points
Another crowd pleaser from Columbia Crest! Lots of dark fruit aromas coming from the glass; plums, cherry, spice, and oak notes along with a medium finish. IMO more of a sipper but would probably be a good burger or barbecue wine.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
2/20/2012 - Tri Wine wrote: 89 Points
Love it. Great daily drinker. Can't go wrong here.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
2/20/2012 - wayne47 wrote:
Way too light and not a good value
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
2/16/2012 - RDHudak wrote: 82 Points
Nice color. I will skip to the point; this is as ordinary and neutral a wine as I have had in a while. No complexity, weak finish with really nothing there. I dumped 1/2 a bottle while grilling and used the glass I was drinking for sauce. Absolutely not a re-buy.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
2/5/2012 - Tri Wine wrote: 88 Points
Perfect middle of the weeker. Love this wine. Every vintage is a little different but never fails to impress. Great QPR. Better on day two than day one which leads me to believe it could use a couple of years. More earthy notes / bordeaux qualities than Cali merlots (or even other Wash merlots), but good big dark fruits on the nose and mid palate, hint of chocolate, graphite, cassis on the finish.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
1/26/2012 - wahoo70 wrote: 88 Points
Rich, well-balanced and easy drinking. Very nice nose, with blackberries, plums, currants and blueberry syrup, some vanilla and a spearmint note; luscious, almost sweet, dark fruit flavors, a bit of mocha and smooth well-integrated tannins; nice fruity finish. A great sipper, not bad with food, and a likely crowd pleaser.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
1/14/2012 - Tarmus wrote: 82 Points
Jammy. Smooth cocoa after-taste. Lots of blackberry and some spice.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/27/2011 - yeti575rider wrote:
Not bad for $12 bucks. Fairly standard merlot profile. I pick up chocolate on the finish. No score.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/6/2011 - The Kokopelli wrote: 89 Points
12/6/11 (89)
A Medium bodied with garnet hue, the Columbia Crest H3 Merlot has a nose of rich blackberry aromas, oak and a hint of cloves. Plush in the mouth with tastes of ripe blackberry, cedar and tea notes. There's tannins with decent structure on the medium finish with blackberry, minerals and a hint of mocha at the end, that lingers on with pleasing tenacity.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/5/2011 - winetennis wrote:
Very dark and purple. A vanilla explosion on the nose, only after 1-2 hours did this dissipate and transition over to ripe dark fruit. Solid and active tannins, substantial acidity too, with reasonable fruit balance on the back end.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/9/2011 - GoBlue2002 wrote: 88 Points
An easy-drinking merlot. Plum, floral, with a hint of earth on the nose. Upon tasting, lots of fruit with a moderate length simple finish. The wine paired very well with butternut squash ravioli and broccoli. A solid daily drinker, but nothing more.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
10/30/2011 - JenXH wrote: 85 Points
I loved this H3 Merlot in 2007 & 2008. Was one of the regular purchases. Would have given those years a 90+ rating. Such a great QPR at $15. Chocolate, cocoa bean/coffee, brown sugar, caramel, & black fruit. Yum. BUT the 2009 is just not doing it for me & is all that is available. Same flavors but so sweet & overpowering it makes my teeth hurt. Jammy. Have tried decanting, not much change. Don't know if it needs more time in the bottle or it's just a lesser year.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
10/25/2011 - johnnyo wrote: 89 Points
Excellent QPR. Full bodied and fruit forward with very good balance. Nice note of ripe red plum, black cherry and chocolate liquor. Pleasant finish with lively acidity.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
10/16/2011 - tjdripper wrote: 89 Points
Dark purple color. Nose of dark fruit and vanilla. Sweet blackberry and cherry on the palate, with chocolate, caramel, and brown sugar. We get at least one bottle of this every trip to the wine store. Very good effort, especially for the price.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
9/28/2011 - gman1868 wrote:
Spice and blackberry on the nose.Tastes include blackberry and black currant with a slight dusty earthiness, nicely balanced with the tannins and acidity. Finishes with velvety cocoa and dark berries.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
9/6/2011 - yasha wrote: 89 Points
very good wine, every h3 taste very good
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
8/27/2011 - pmilne wrote: 89 Points
Outstanding QPR. A little bit of a fruit bomb on the attack with a flood of blackberry and blueberry, but nicely tempered with some earthy, forest floor aromas and taste. The tannins are mild and well integrated allowing some secondary flavors, notably chocolate and something akin to pickling spice, to be noticed. A decent 20+ second finish, very unexpected for a $11 bottle. Screams house wine as it has something for everybody.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
8/19/2011 - rocknroller wrote: 87 Points
Dark red color. Nose has some nice fruit, ripe plum, blackberry, taosted oak. The palate is a little thin, tannic and some alcohol is coming through. I like the mid palate on this, but it is a little disjointed at the end. If this comes together it could get better Had this at a restaurant so no idea where this was at.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
8/12/2011 - DaddyNeedsPow wrote: 90 Points
An enjoyable wine, and not in the vacuous way I'd anticipated. There's a very Washington smell to the cedary nose. I love the blueberry palette and elegant texture. There's enough tannin here to keep it from crossing the border into insipid cheap Merlot land. Am going to the store to get more right now.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
7/31/2011 - bothellwineguy wrote:
Nose: Fresh nose with cherries and a hint of white chocolate.
Taste: Deep fruit, big mouth feel, chocolaty. Moderate to weak tannins that are nicely integrated.
Finish: The tannins show up on the finish with a splash of dryness throughout the entire back palate that lasts about 30 seconds.
In conclusion, I found this to be a good and well balanced Washington merlot. This wine reminded me a lot of the 2005 and 2006 vintages and seemed to have a lot of the same traits common to those two years, particularly the dark chocolate notes that were not entirely apparent in the 2007 and 2008 vintages.
I think at the $12 I paid, this works, but I would drink this now as I don't think the weak tannins warrant a long cellaring period (maybe 1-2 years), but who knows....
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment