Wednesday, February 25, 2009

Wine Review: 2005 Columbia Crest Cabernet Sauvignon H3

Name: 2005 Columbia Crest Cabernet Sauvignon H3
Producer: Columbia Crest
Region: USA, Washington, Columbia Valley, Horse Heaven Hills
Classification: N/A
Type: Red Wine
Variety: 80% Cabernet Sauvignon, 14% Merlot; 6% Cabernet Franc
Year/Vintage: 2005
Bottle Size: 750ml
Purchased: $12.99 (Gift, 12/2008)
Date Logged: 02/25/2009
Pairing(s): Pork sausage and kraut
My Rating: 3 Stars

My first impression of this wine was that it seemed a little round and soft for a cabernet. I don’t drink a lot of cabs from Washington, though, so I didn’t dwell on it. A little more research, though, and I found out that it’s blended with merlot and cab franc…so there you go, first impressions do mean something.

That being said, this is a pretty nice wine. The nose is nice and spicy, with black pepper and blueberries dominating. There was also a touch of Testors model paint aroma hiding in the background that seemed to fade after being open for awhile. The palate was simple but good…very much fruit-forward, with blueberry and cherry cola flavors hitting first, followed by a little bit of a rare red meat taste that took awhile to figure out, but paired up really well with the pork sausage and kraut combo. The back end is supple, with a mild tannic finish and a slight coffee-ground aftertaste.

I noticed that the area that this wine comes from is nearly the same latitude as Bordeaux. It’s not quite as interesting as your typical Haut Medoc offering, but at $12.99 it’s a great value and well worth seeking out.

1 comment:

Wine on the Way said...

Have you had a chance to try the 2007?
We just reviewed the Columbia Crest H3 Cabernet Sauvignon 2007 ourselves.. and I have to say, I was pretty dern impressed! Soooo smooth....

With a Wine Spectator Rating of 90 and a sale price of $13.00, Columbia Crest’s H3 is worth stocking up on suicne you also enjoyed the 2005! I think we going to see loits of great things coming with the H3 lable.