|
|
Two Outstanding 'Blended Wines' from Columbia CrestFeb 04 '03 Write an essay on this topic.
Popular Products in Wine
The Bottom Line Red or White... Columbia Crest is setting the table with value-priced performers that taste great!
The hottest trend in wine during the past year seems to have been in producing blends. More and more winemakers are presenting unique blends of red and white varietals -- in some cases, it seems, they are experimenting in an attempt to find a formula to stimulate slackening demand in traditional varietal offerings. In other cases, they are producing wines to convince an "old audience" that some blending is necessary to produce a great tasting experience. This week, I tried two excellent wines from Washington's Columbia Crest Winery. Both are value-priced performers that stand toe-to-toe with challengers from New World producers like Lindemans or Rosemount Estates (Australia). The first wine is an everyday drinker (about $5) that I enjoyed with some freshly-baked chocolate brownies: Columbia Crest Merlot-Cabernet, 2000 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Alcohol: 13.0% by volume. Production: The grapes were harvested from Columbia Valley vineyards and fermented on their skins for five days and the wines then produced were aged in a rotating cycle of barrels that included new-and-one-to-four year old French and American oak (per technical data supplied by Doug Gore, the winemaker). After 12 months of aging, the wines were blended in the following component proportions: Merlot (50%), Cabernet Franc (39%) and Cabernet Sauvignon (11%) Appearance: Dark plum/purple. Aroma: Intense, ripe, dark caneberry fruit. Very Direct. Flavor: Rich blackberry and bright caneberry flavors with a touch of roasted coffee bean, pepper, plum, and soft oak. Round and pleasant; silky tannins, with a medium-long, dark-fruit finish that closes soft and dry. (Dry. Another year of aging might serve this wine well, but it is ready to drink now.) Price and Availability: Purchased for the bargain price of $4.99 at Trader Joe's Market, Whittier, California. Recommendations: The winemaker recommends pairing this wine with a grilled T-bone steak or spaghetti-with-meatballs. You may also want to try it with some chocolate brownies (like I did; very nice). Verdict: 84 Pts. 3¾ stars. A value-priced performer that will appeal to most red wine drinkers. A safe bet; easy drinking. Appearance: 4/5 Aroma: 22/25 Flavor: 34/40 Body: 7/10 Overall Quality: 17/20 ------------------------------ My Score: 84 -- 3¾ stars. -----/----- Now, for a super-easy drinking white, and another value-priced performer (under $5): Columbia Crest Semillon-Chardonnay, 2001 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Alcohol: 12.5% by volume. Production: The Chardonnay and Semillon wines were fermented separately in stainless steel tanks. (Note: Semillon is traditionally/usually blended with Sauvignon Blanc). The Chardonnay wine (and some lots of the Semillon) underwent malolactic fermentation and was/were then aged sur lie (on the yeast) for nine months. The final, blended wine was bottled with the following component proportions: Semillon (70%), Chardonnay (30%). Appearance: Pale straw/gold. Aroma: Pear, melon and a gentle whiff of a sugared-vanilla. Flavor: Light melon, pear and very faint trace of fig. A great wine for warm weather; can almost be quaffed. Price and Availability: Purchased for the bargain price of $3.99 at Trader Joe's Market, Whittier, California. Recommendations: The winemaker recommends pairing this wine with 'Oysters on the half shell and pasta with Gorgonzola cream sauce." I think it an excellent aperitif wine. Verdict: 83 Pts. 3¾ stars. A value-priced performer that will appeal to most every casual wine drinker. Appearance: 4/5 Aroma: 22/25 Flavor: 33/40 Body: 7/10 Overall Quality: 17/20 ------------------------------ My Score: 83 -- 3¾ stars. Both wines Cellared and bottled by: Columbia Crest Winery Patterson, Washington Pros: Inexpensive and easy to find. Cons: For the price paid, I have no complaints. Both of these wines get a "thumb's up" from me.  |
| Read all comments (4)|Write your own comment |
|
Ads by Google
|
