COLUMBIA WINERY
MERLOT 2013
WASHINGTON STATE
By: Ed "The Wine Guy"
Featuring the wines of Columbia Winery: Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Red Blend, and Chardonnay, especially the Merlot. In my humble opinion, Merlot grapes grown in the Columbia Valley, Washington State, reach a level of complexity that is attained only by the Bordeaux region of France, and by Tuscany, Italy. Columbia Valley is in the same latitude as some of Europe's best wine-growing regions. The Valley is located on the Eastern side of the Cascade Range, where desert-like conditions prevail: hot, dry, sunny days, and cool, clear nights, with an abundance of runoff water from the Cascades. Ideal geography and conditions for growing complex, flavorful wine grapes. The Columbia Winery Merlot 2013 won the Best-in-Class Award at the San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition. It exhibits enticing aromas and lush flavors of dark cherry, plum, toasty oak, and vanilla, with a hint of mocha. Very, very satisfying.
