Head For The Hills Part Deux

At the same tasting where I tried the two new H3 wines discussed in my last post, I also tried the new vintages of two of the "old" H3 wines - the Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. I found the new vintages remarkably like I remembered. Just like before, they were both quite good, and certainly worthy of the 90+ ratings they consistently receive. And just like before, I liked the Merlot better.


The Cabernet Sauvignon had a nose of simple red fruit, and like previous vintages, I was surprised to find the flavors predominately vegetal, with green bean, cedar and resinous herb, like Rosemary. It's surprising because those are charactaristics I normally associate with cool-climate Cabs, and the Horse Heaven Hills are one of the hottest vineyard sites in the state. Also like usual, the finish had a distinctly gamey, roast-beefy finish, and the tannins were assertive without being too aggressive. I love a good reliable, consistent wine.


Date: 6/29/2010


Wine: Columbia Crest H3 Cabernet Sauvignon
Grapes: 89% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8% Merlot, 3% Cabernet Franc
Vintage: 2008
ABV: 14.5% (on a Cab? Jeezy Creezy)
Origin: Horse Heaven Hills, Washington State
Color: violet-red
Nose: cherries
Palate: more herbal - rosemary, roast beef, cherry, cedar
Price: $13



The Merlot had a slightly more complex nose of cherry and cassis. Mouth-coating, utterly velvety tannins fill the palate with the slightly dusty fruit flavor I like to call "brambly blackberry." It's more like a blackberry you just picked off the side of a dry gravel road that hasn't seen rain in a week or more, as opposed to the just plain "blackberry" flavor of a clean, ripe berry. And of course, a nice lengthy finish with hints of mocha. Probably tobacco, too - I couldn't quite put my finger on one other flavor (gotta love those palate-bombarding big tastings) and the winemaker notes on the sell-sheet say that's the only one I missed. So there you go.

Date: 6/29/2010

Wine: Columbia Crest H3 Merlot
Grapes: Merlot, 5% Cabernet Sauvignon, 3% Cabernet Franc, a Kiss of Syrah (this is direct from the sell-sheet)
Vintage: 2008
ABV: 14.5% (again! I expect this sort of thing from a Syrah, but wow. Must have been a hot summer)
Origin: Horse Heaven Hills, Washington State
Color: deep brick red with purple highlights
Nose: cherry, cassis
Palate: Brambly blackberry with mocha
Price: $13

These are both very good wines, well worth their 90+ scores, so if you put them in your face you will be very happy. Personally, for the same price, I think I'd rather drink the Rattlesnake Hills Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon in the Kennedy Shah series by Woodhouse Family Cellars. I'm adding this not to hate on the H3 series in any way, which I absolutely adore, but because I'm concerned that my penchant for focusing on the positive might make you beautiful readers think I just love absolutely everything the most possible OMG BEST WINE EVAR!!!!1 When the truth is, I really just tend to find something about everything that someone would like, and if I can't, well ... Momma always said if I can't say something nice, I shouldn't say anything at all.


But I digress, the point is, I love H3, but personally do slightly prefer Kennedy Shah in the same price range. However, Woodhouse Family Cellars is a relatively small winery in Woodinville Wine Country, and if you live outside of WA, you're unlikely to find it. So buy all means, wherever you live, whenever you see it, buy the H3 wines, put them in your face, and enjoy!

Head For The Hills (Horse Heaven, That Is)

Columbia Crest is one of the most successful wineries in Washington State. They have produced more 90+ scoring bottles than any other winery in the world, including last year's Wine of The Year (the 2005 Columbia Crest Reserve Cabernet. If you didn't get yours, so sorry, mine are nestled snugly at the bottom of my closet where they shall stay until 2020, as per instructions given to me personally by their fabulous winemaker, Ray Einberger).  They will always hold a special place in my heart, as the very first wine I ever tasted - the wine which made me the woman I am today - was one of theirs. The 1998 Walter Clore Reserve Red is embedded permanently in my mind. But I'm not here to talk about that one. Instead, I'd like to tell you about two new additions to the Crest lineup this year: the H3 Pinot Gris, and the H3 Les Chevaux Red Blend.

If you know Crest, you've probably seen the H3 series before. The Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Chardonnay came first, and each has received 90+ scores multiple vintages running. H3 stands for Horse Heaven Hills, the hottest vineyard site in Washington State and source of the ripest grapes with the lushest fruit flavors.

The H3 Pinot Gris certainly lives up to that standard. The nose is deceptively simple, suggesting honey with floral undertones. But the palate is surprisingly complex! For a mid-range white, there's a lot going on here. The palate leads off with the honeysuckle from the nose, and is then packed full of sunny cintrus: orange, lemon, grapefruit, lime! The gang's all here, with a hint of minerality on the finish, like a nice Alsace. I ahd it with goat cheese on crackers and it was heavenly.

Date: 6/29/2010

Wine: Columbia Crest H3 Pinot Gris
Grapes: 92 % Pinot Gris, 8% Pinot Blanc
Vintage: 2009
ABV: 13%
Origin: Horse Heaven Hills, Washington State
Color: pale straw
Nose: honey, honeysuckle
Palate: surprisingly complex! honeysuckle, citrus circus, lemon, hint of minerality
Price: $13


Les Chevaux is the new red blend in the H3 herd. "Chevaux" is French for - you guessed it - "horses." The nose of cherry brandy, vanilla, and clove is nothing short of seductive. The palate is built upon a framework of structured, spicy blackberry, with more brandy on the finish, licorice midpalate, and lovely vanilla tones from the oak, shaded by graphite and cedar. The intense flavor of this wine is seamlessly integrated with the balanced acid and firm but gentle tannins. Yet another triumph from the amazing team at Crest. Put this one in your face for sure!

Date: 6/29/2010
Wine: Columbia Crest H3 Les Chevaux Red Blend
Grapes: 34% Merlot, 30% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Syrah, 8% Cabernet Franc, 8% Malbec
Vintage: 2008
ABV: 14.5%
Origin: Horse Heaven Hills, Washington State
Color: violet-red
Nose: cherry, vanilla, brandy, clove
Palate: structured blackberry with vanilla and brandy on the finish. Kinda Spanish. Licorice, graphite, and pepper, oh my! Oaky reds for the win.
Price: $13

(Don't) Hold Your Horses!

There is no question that 14 Hands is one of the most sought-after labels in the Washington wine industry today. Part of it s popularity is due to its rarity. 14 Hands, you see, is a restaurant-only brand. So people buy a glass, fall in love, and can never find it again.

But no more! In response to the massive pressure put on them by consumer demand over the past few years, 14 Hands has finally released two new blends, a white and a red called Hot To Trot, that are retail-only wines. That’s right, I said RETAIL only. Eat it, restaurants. Pun intended.

The nose on the white leads off with rich melon aromas and a lingering note of lemongrass. The palate is loaded with lots of luscious fruit up front. Juicy peach and apple become tropical honeydew and cantaloupe, which then give way to a grassy, herbal finish with a gentle wisp of palate-cleansing acidity.

This versatile wine, with its flavors of fruit and hay, is so much like a summer picnic itself, perhaps that’s’ why I think it the perfect choice for such outings. It would pair fabulously with such summer fare as grilled chicken, fresh seafood, and salads of all types – fruit, green, potato, or pasta.

Date: 6/29/2010
Wine: 14 Hands Hot To Trot White
Grapes: Chardonnay, Pinot Gris, Rousanne (percentages unknown)
Vintage: 2009
ABV: 13%
Origin: Columbia Valley, Washington State
Color: light gold
Nose: melon! Honeydew, cantaloupe, floral, lemongrass
Palate: light fruit up front with honey, but grassy, herbaceous finish. Gentle acid.
Price: $10


The Hot To Trot red blend is every bit as approachable as the white. With a nose of blackberry chutney, bourbon and tobacco, this wine smells for all the world like an old vine Zin. But surprisingly, there is no Zinfandel in the blend. The Syrah shows first on the palate, frontloaded with heavy spice. But it isn’t too peppery. More like cinnamon, cardamom, and clove, applied liberally to juicy blackcurrant. The Mourvedre comes through on the finish, with flavors equal parts fruit and game, like cherry-glazed roast beef.
This wine is so approachable, so lush and easy to enjoy (Menage a Trois lovers take note – this is right up your alley!), it would be a stellar choice for your backyard barbecues this summer. It would go great with everything from burgers to steaks to ribs – even pizza. Or nothing. Its great, and its only 10 bucks, so put it in your face and enjoy!
Date: 6/29/2010
Wine: 14 Hands Hot To Trot Red
Grapes: Syrah, Merlot, Petit Verdot, Mourvedre (percentages unknown)
Vintage: 2008
ABV: 13.5%
Origin: Columbia Valley, Washington State
Color: ruby with violet highlights
Nose: spicy blackberry jam, bourbon, tobacco. Zin???
Palate: lots of spice! Peppery cinnamon, blackcurrant over cherry-glazed roast beef
Price: $10