Saturday, March 19, 2022

Tasting 3/19: Columbia Crest Merlot


Name: Columbia Crest Merlot 

Variety: Merlot

Country/Region of Origin: Columbia Valley, Washington, USA

Vintage Year: 2018

Price: $11

Review (from Sean Sullivan at Wine Enthusiast Magazine): "89/100. The aromas start out reductive, with notes of asphalt. Behind that are pleasing notes of raspberry and chocolate. Plump, chocolate filled flavors follow. The velvety feel ups the appeal. Once the reduction clears up, it's delightful."

My Review: We had this wine at room temperature, and we did not have it with any food. When we first opened the bottle, we were shocked at how strongly it smelled. I smelled a cinnamon-like spiciness and very little fruitiness. When tasting the wine, I tasted several different spices, and I thought the wine had an earthy taste to it. Once the wine mellowed out a little more, I also tasted bitter dark chocolate, raspberry, and blueberry. This wine was very dry, pretty acidic, and it had a heavier body. Up until this point I had considered merlots to be one of the sweeter red wine varieties, but this wine kind of changed my opinion on them. But I still really enjoyed the uniqueness of this wine, and I could see myself getting it again, especially to have with food.


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