RED MOUNTAIN | WASHINGTON STATE | $25
Balanced fruit and savory flavors with raspberry, boysenberry and some red cherry up front and nutmeg, cigar box and leather providing an earthy counterweight. Very pleasant with a heavyish satin texture and a satisfying finish. 38% Cabernet Sauvignon, 31% Merlot, 22% Syrah, 9% Cabernet Franc. Really a good wine at a very good price. (Reviewed 5/4/12)
Filed under $21 to $50, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Washington State
COLUMBIA VALLEY | WASHINGTON STATE | $14
Medium bodied delivering soft red cherry with dark berries and a wisp of nectarine. Subtle woody spice, cola and forest floor backnotes. Focused, direct and easy drinking. This wine could redeem modest-priced American Merlot. A good wine. (Reviewed 4/7/12)
Filed under $20 and less, Merlot, Washington State
WASHINGTON STATE | $10
Crisp green apple with notes of lemongrass, grapefruit and young honeydew. Vibrant minerals and acidity make this a refreshing slap on the palate. Chardonnay, unoaked. A good wine and great value. (Reviewed 3/24/12)
Filed under $20 and less, Chardonnay, Washington State
COLUMBIA VALLEY | WASHINGTON STATE | $20
Ripe blackberry and red plum, earth and spice. Once brash and intense, now mellowed with bottle age. Soft and obese, the non-traditional blend’s complexities fully display. A bit of everything here: 23% Zinfandel, 16.5% Cabernet Sauvignon, 14% Cabernet Franc, 13% Syrah, 11% Merlot, 8% Blaufrankisch, 8% Sangiovese, 4.5% Petite Sirah and 2% Malbec. A very good wine. (Reviewed 10/16/11)
Filed under $20 and less, Washington State, Zinfandel
HORSE HEAVEN HILLS | WASHINGTON STATE | $24
Medium-bodied boysenberry fruit with hints of plum, blueberry and rhubarb. Notes of sandalwood, bay and chalk come through mid-palate. Satin texture and well-balanced tannins. A very good wine. (Reviewed 6/12/11)
Filed under $21 to $50, Cabernet Sauvignon, Washington State
WASHINGTON STATE | $14
Lush dark berry, black cherry and purple plum with flavors of cola, coffee and nutmeg. Finishes with camphor and fennel. Medium to full bodied, nicely structured. This one hits all the notes, stays on pitch, but lacks the voicing and timbre required for the big stage. Enjoyable, but not a prize. A good wine at a great everyday-wine price. (Reviewed 2/1/12)
Filed under $20 and less, Cabernet Sauvignon, Washington State
WASHINGTON STATE | $12
Medium- to big-bodied, fruit forward with lush berries and red plum. Organic undertones with wood and spice notes and modest tannins. Clean, easy finish. Not a complex effort, but a good wine, and a tremendous value at $12. Not unlike a great-fitting pair of Levi’s in a world of 7 for All Mankind-Joe’s-Miss Me-True Religion. (Reviewed 12/21/10)
Filed under $20 and less, Cabernet Sauvignon, Washington State
