Varietal:  59% Cabernet Sauvignon; 19% Cabernet Franc; 11% Malbec; 6% Merlot; 5% Petit Verdot
Region:  Napa, California – USA
Cost:  $40 (SRP)

Winemaker’s Notes:  Rich garnet color goes perfectly with the holiday season and it’s aromas of toasted hazelnut and winter spices make this wine the perfect gift for anyone on your list.

My Review:  Another of the bottles that I received just before the end of the year, and on an unseasonable warm day on Sunday (pushing 70 in Virginia? Really?) my wife and I decided to throw a couple of steaks on the grill and a bottle of red wine sounded like the perfect pairing.

While there are some violet streaks going through the wine, it was a nice deep red in the glass and I picked up aromas of spice and dark berry. In the mouth there was a ton of fruit, but it was by no means a “fruit bomb”. By that I mean there was plenty of body and depth to the wine that allowed the wine to present nuanced fruit flavors and have a bit of complexity and a medium-smooth finish.

Paired with some steaks, baked potatoes, and asparagus it was great. The body of the wine held up to the steak and the fruit flavors managed to go well with the veggies (potatoes are a vegetable dammit). What I really liked about the wine is that even with the body to hold up to the steak, the fruit flavors were dominant enough to make the wine enjoyable all by itself.

If the wine isn’t available near you and you want to give it a try, you can follow this link and have it shipped directly to you.

Related posts:

1. Veritas Vineyards Claret 2008
2. Blackstone Sonoma Reserve Rubric 2007
3. Waterstone Cabernet Sauvignon 2006

Varietal:  88% Cabernet Sauvignon; 5% Syrah; 3% Merlot; 2% Petit Verdot; 1% Malbec; 1% Cabernet Franc
Region:  California – USA
Cost:  $11 (SRP)

Winemaker’s Notes:   The wine has a smooth texture and sweet, red fruit character that distinguishes California’s finest Cabernet Sauvignons, along with smoky oak, vanilla, and roasted nut accents to invigorate the palate and provide a lengthy finish. Enjoy with standing rib roasts, grilled steak, roast duck, spareribs, lasagna, or flavorful hard cheeses.

My Review:  An evening where my wife was out and I was home alone with the dog to fend for myself on dinner usually only means one thing – steak, a baked potato, and a bottle of red wine to be enjoyed. There are worse ways to spend an evening. I’d been sitting on this sample until I could get around to cooking up a steak, and as tends to be the case, I’m glad I did.

There’s a line where a line goes from having good fruit to being a fruit bomb. Don’t ask me exactly where that line is, because I think that it’s different for every wine, but the 2010 Robert Mondavi Private Selection Cabernet Sauvignon did a good job of walking the line between fruity and fruit bomb.

On the nose I got dark fruit notes with a touch of roundness to it. In the mouth I got plenty of nice tart fruit, with raspberry and some blueberry being the most prevalent to me. The finish on the wine was surprisingly smooth, though with the extra varietals blended in that should come as less of a surprise than it was.

Paired with a ribeye I picked up at the local store it was a nice simple wine that didn’t try and do too much, but was more than adequate before, during, and after the meal. As value wines go, particularly for a California Cabernet, this is a good choice if you’re looking for something that’s easy to drink, and will make a good choice as a red wine option during the holiday party season thanks to the price.

Related posts:

1. Robert Mondavi Private Selection Pinot Noir 2010
2. Robert Mondavi Private Selection Sauvignon Blanc 2010
3. Robert Mondavi Private Selection Chardonnay 2010

Varietal:  90% Pinot Noir; 6% Petite Sirah; 3% Syrah; 1% Merlot
Region:  California – USA
Cost:  $11 (SRP)

Winemaker’s Notes:  Reflecting the character of a cool vintage, which fostered the development of classic varietal aromas and flavors in our Pinot Noir grapes, this vivacious red wine’s hallmark is fresh, vibrant fruit. On the nose, lovely rose petal, violet, and red cherry aromas mingle with complementary scents of smoky vanilla and nutmeg. Very soft and round with good length and richness on the palate, the wine displays supple, silky berry and cherry jam flavors. Enjoy this delectable Pinot Noir with grilled salmon, herb-roasted chicken, baked ham, or lighter pork dishes.

My Review:  So remember yesterday when I talked about the bottle of 2007 Biltmore Blanc de Blancs exploding all over my kitchen? Well, since my wife and I were making salmon to go with that, and since exploding wine meant I was really going to need a drink, we decided to open up this bottle of 2010 Robert Mondavi Pinot Noir that I had received as a sample.

A light to medium red in the glass, with hints of some rust coloring, I got aromas of cherry and spice on the nose which lead into a very smooth, almost juicy wine with flavors of berry and a touch of a cola finish that I’m finding more and more on Pinot, and that I’m finding myself enjoying quite a bit.

Paired with the salmon the wines richness was a nice compliment to the fatty fish, making the entire meal just a wonderful, rich experience. For the price this was a surprisingly robust Pinot Noir, and if you’re looking for a budget wine to put out with your Thanksgiving dinner, this is certainly a good choice.

On the off chance you can’t find this wine in your local store, you can follow this link and get some shipped directly to you.

No related posts.

Varietal:  100% Merlot
Region:  Virginia – USA
Cost:  $18

Winemaker’s Notes:  A nose of chamomile, toasted marshmallow, and campfire entice the nose. Hints of red plum, dried apricots, anise, and soft cedar combine for a smooth, lingering finish.

My Review:  I don’t think it’s any secret that I’m a big fan of Blenheim Vineyards and the wines that their winemaker, Kirsty Harmon, is making. So it should probably come as no surprise that during my last visit to the vineyard while hitting some vineyards with my wife that I grabbed a couple of bottles, including the 2009 Seven Oaks Merlot.

In the glass the wine was a medium light color, pushing on being garnet in color. On the nose I got an herb note that I enjoyed, and that I would find again on the palate. In the mouth I got the red plum flavors, some cedar, and a eucalyptus note on the finish that I really enjoyed, which surprises me since I’m not usually a fan of eucalyptus in anything – bad childhood memories.

Paired with a dinner of some seasoned chicken it was light enough to match up well with the seasoning I used, but had enough body that it didn’t disappear against the food either. After the food was gone, the medium-light body on the wine made it great for sipping on while watching some TV and relaxing after a long week at work.

I’d be lying if I said you shouldn’t just go out and buy everything that Kirsty is making, and I’m not quiet about trumpeting my enjoyment of their wines. If you’re in the area I recommend stopping in at their beautiful tasting room, and if not, you can visit their website at BlenheimVineyards.com and order some to have shipped to you.

Related posts:

1. Blenheim Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon 2009
2. Blenheim Vineyards King Family Merlot 2004
3. Blenheim Vineyards Meritage 2005

Varietal:  Zinfandel, Merlot, Syrah
Region:  California – USA
Cost:  $14 (SRP)

Winemaker’s Notes:  The 2009 Apothic Red reveals intense fruit aromas and flavors of rhubarb and black cherry that are complemented by hints of mocha and vanilla. The plush, velvety mouthfeel and smooth finish round out this intriguing, full-bodied red blend.

My Review:  Around this time of year I start getting samples offered with Thanksgiving and Christmas not too far away. I have to say that this is the first year of writing this website that I was offered a sample for Halloween. I’d seen the various bottles of wine on shelves that were obviously trying to appeal either to the Halloween drinking crowd or goth kids too stupid to buy something that didn’t have a vampire or other creature of the night, but I’d never picked one up myself, so when I was offered a sample of the 2009 Apothic Red with Halloween coming up, I was interested since I’ve never really done a Halloween feature on here.

First of all, a talk about themed wines – in general, I don’t buy into them. That’s not to say that I don’t appreciate a cleverly named or labelled bottle that is appropriate for a specific event, but when planning my wine offerings for an event, I try not to limit myself to what’s on the label and more to what’s in the bottle to make sure it suits what food is out and also the crowd that will be drinking it.

Now, all of that being said, if I was going to put out a themed bottle of wine for a Halloween party, I could do a lot worse than the 2009 Apothic Red. Nice and dark and purple in the glass with aromas of berry and a touch of spice, in the mouth I got mostly dark, juicy fruit and a cola finish that was smooth. Like really smooth. Like this may be the smoothest finish to a wine I’ve ever  had.

This wine was incredibly easy to drink, and will appeal to most palates in a non-critical wine drinking environment (read: drinking without paying much attention to what you’re drinking). There’s nothing particularly fancy about the wine, but I didn’t find it disappointing in any way, and it went well enough with a couple of frozen pizzas that my wife and I cooked up, something I imagine would be offered up at Halloween parties this weekend.

If you’re looking for a themed bottle of wine to put out for your Halloween party, I can honestly say I’d go with this one. It should be available in most of your local stores, I’ve seen it in mine, but if you can’t find it, and you’re not in a rush to try the wine, here’s a link where you can order it for yourself.

Related posts:

1. Cupcake Vineyards Red Velvet 2009
2. Ingleside Vineyards Blue Crab Red
3. CMS Red 2008

Varietal:  36% Cabernet Sauvignon; 33% Merlot; 14% Syrah; 11% Cabernet Franc; 6% Malbec
Region:  Washington – USA
Cost:  $25

Winemaker’s Notes:  Flagship wine of the estate, the HFE Red Mountain consistently displays dense color, firm tannins, and well-defined acidity. Always a majority blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, this wine is suitable for drinking upon release, but will reward those with the patience to age it. This wine represents all vineyard blocks farmed within the Hedges Family Estate vineyard portfolio. A true chateau-production bottling, the HFE Red Mountain is the epitome of classic style, and one that represents the Terroir of the Red Mountain AVA in a pure and elegant form.

My Review:  Oh big red wines, how I enjoy you. A couple of weeks ago the folks over at Hedges Family Estates sent me a sampling of their portfolio to check out, and included in that was two bottles of the 2008 Red Mountain. On my wife’s recent trip to South Carolina with her parents to visit her brother and his wife I sent one of those bottles with her to share with her brother. Her early report was that it was a steak wine, so the other night we grilled up some steak and lobster tails and popped open the other bottle.

I was immediately struck by how dark the wine was. Holding it up to light let pretty much none of it through and the only way I was able to really pick out any streaks of purple were from the small bubbles that resulted from the pouring.

On the nose I got dark fruit which carried through to the palate with just a hint of tobacco/smoke on the finish as well. The finish on this wine was silky smooth, like far smoother than I was expecting and maybe the smoothest finish I’ve had on a red in a long time. with the dinner of steak, lobster tails, and baked potatoes it was great. The big, bold dark fruits held up great against the grilled steak, but the smooth finish was perfect for the more delicate lobster.

I really enjoyed this wine, and it’s a great value for such a big wine that will make any steak lover happy. If you want to try it and can’t find it in your local store, you can either order it directly from Hedges Family Estates, or you can follow this link and order it.

Related posts:

1. Hedges Family Estate CMS Sauvignon Blanc 2009
2. Home Grown Farms Family Harvest Red 2008
3. Santa Rita Reserva Cabernet Sauvignon 2008

So a few weeks ago Wine Country Gift Baskets reached out to me about reviewing one of their gift baskets. I hesitated for a moment before responding, not because I wasn’t interested, but because I honestly had no idea how to go about reviewing something like a wine gift basket. In the end I replied that I was like to review one of their baskets, and I’m really glad I did.

Maybe it’s just me, but my initial reaction to the thought of wine gift baskets was something akin to how most people react when presented with a Rose’ – they see pink wine and instantly think of cheap white zinfandel. I’ve only been exposed to a few wine gift baskets in the past, and they were, honestly, kinda cheap. Because of this, I was impressed when the Steeplechase gift basket showed up.

I’d had a bit of an idea of what to expect ahead of time thanks to a link sent to me showing which gift basket was being sent my way, but there’s something about a semi-stock image on a website that doesn’t always do the real thing justice. The packaging was both visually appealing and practical – instead of a true basket, the entire package was cradled in a metal tub with some scroll work on it that, quite frankly, my wife and I plan to reuse.

The wine and all the foods were arranged in a way that made them easy to see, but also kept them in place. All in all it was a great packaging and it looked high quality, which I think is half the way to actually being high quality.

My wife and I committed to going through the gift basket together this past weekend, as we always enjoy a lunch of small munchie-type foods and after cleaning out admittedly dirty house, we were going to need some wine. The gift basket contained a wide assortment of spreads, crackers, and even some candies, but there were a few that really stood out and that I feel need some mention.

Of the foods, both the cheese dip and the cheese spread are noteworthy. The cheese spread because instead of your standard processed cheddar spread, it was an Asiago cheese spread which wasn’t revolutionary, but I appreciated having something in there that was different than the standard cheddar. The cheese dip, which was powdered and combined with some cream cheese, was just great. So great in fact that we didn’t finish the whole thing and it’s covered in my fridge to be enjoyed later. I didn’t want to throw it away, it was that good.

Of the more dessert type foods, I have two complaints. The walnut shortbread cookies were amazing, like I wanted to bathe in them amazing. Put more in the basket because they are spectacular. The caramel chocolates were kind of a let down. I should qualify that by pointing out that I am not much of a chocolate person, and neither is my wife, but we both tried one and only one. The other caramels, however, were quite tasty.

“But George, what about the wines? You’re a wine writer afterall.”. Good point. The wine selection is what I figured it would be – a Chardonnay, a Merlot, and a Cabernet Sauvignon. They were, however, better than I was expecting.

The Chardonnay had a little oak to it, but it did this great job of walking a middle ground between being a really full-bodied Chardonnay and being a lighter steel Chardonnay. For a gift basket with a range of foods and as something you’ll send to somebody else who’s tastes you may not know, that’s actually a great thing.

The Merlot surprised me with how good it was. Nice and dark with good fruit and a hint of tobacco made this easily the biggest surprise of the basket for me. Merlot is a grape that I’ve grown to enjoy again after some bad experiences, but I’m still hesitant around it and this one just reaffirmed my decision to keep trying it.

The Cabernet Sauvignon was, well, a California Cab. Fruit forward with a medium body, it wasn’t anything ground-breaking ,but it also was better than your average run-of-the-mill entry level Cabernet.

So, the question really comes down to is this basket worth it. This particular basket retails for $75 (not counting shipping), and honestly, it’s totally worth it. My wife and I both were very impressed with the gift basket, and in fact lamented that we hadn’t shared it with others, though then I probably wouldn’t have gotten as many of those amazing shortbread cookies. I would not in any way be embarrassed to send this to somebody I know, and while I certainly can’t speak to all of the baskets, Wine Country Gift Baskets has definitely jumped up to the top of my list of places I’d go to send one.

Related posts:

1. Wine Gifts Baskets: Sharing and Caring
2. A Memorial Day Weekend Trip to VA Wine Country
3. The Foodie Guide to Pairing Wine and Cheese

Varietal: Cabernet Sauvignon; Merlot; Syrah
Region: Virginia – USA
Cost: $12

Winemaker’s Notes: Our top-selling wine! Spice and fruit in the aroma give way to a soft, slightly sweet finish in this versatile red wine. Also great with BBQ and for picnics.

My Review: I’d nearly forgotten I had picked this bottle up at the Virginia Wine Expo back in February until this past weekend when my wife and I were looking for something to sip on in the evening while relaxing in our basement. Since we’d already started with some red earlier for dinner, we thought it would be a good idea to stick with it and popped this bottle open.

A good medium-dark red in the glass, the Ingleside Blue Crab Red offered up aromas of red fruit that carried through to the palate which was soft and fruity, though not overly fruity, with a hint of sweetness on the finish that was actually welcomed.

While I didn’t pair this wine with any food when drinking it, I agree with the winemaker’s assessment of pairing this wine with some BBQ or even a good burger. Either way, this is absolutely a summer grilling wine and a good value if you’re looking to take something to your neighborhood cook-out. Not overly complex or though provoking, the appeal of this wine is that you can sip it without feeling compelled to invest a lot of time analyzing the aromas or flavors, which was just fine with me.

Related posts:

1. Ingleside Vineyards Blue Crab Blanc
2. Ingleside Blue Crab Blanc
3. Cupcake Vineyards Red Velvet 2009

White Hall Vineyards

We started out our tasting at White Hall, partly because of the area we were looking to go tasting in, they were the first one open, but also because I we hadn’t actually been out to the tasting room in many years. On the Saturday morning we stopped in they were pouring 9 different wines and my wife and I were happy to sample them all.

We started out with two Chardonnays, the 2008 Chardonnay ($15) and the 2008 Chardonnay Reserve ($24). The stainless steel Chardonnay featured all the usual citrus and pear notes I would have expected, but had a smoother finish than I anticipated, though certainly not “oaky”. The 2008 Reserve featured a bit of oaky nuttiness on the nose and while it had the “oaked” finish I would expect, it was subtle and even my wife, who doesn’t usually care for oaked Chardonnay, preferred it to the stainless steel.

Next up was the 2009 Viognier ($17) which offered a good floral nose with rose and honeysuckle in the mouth with just a hint of sweetness on the finish. This is a great summer wine and my wife and I did actually bring a bottle of it home with us. Following the Viognier was the 2008 Pinot Gris ($17) which didn’t have much nose to it but was a nice dry wine with a good minerality on the finish. Our final white was the 2008 Petit Manseng ($16) which like the Viognier had a floral nose with tropical notes in the mouth. The best way to describe this wine is as a less floral and more sweet Viognier. A good dessert wine though.

Moving on to the reds. We started with the 2008 Merlot ($15) which had a smoky nose but was lighter in the palate with raspberry flavors. I really enjoyed this one and we made sure to grab a bottle to bring home. Following that was the 2009 Touriga ($18) with a jammy nose and soft tannins. The 2008 Petit Verdot ($20) was a stand-out for me. It was a dark reddish-purple in the glass with smoke and pepper on the nose that carried through to the palate to mix with raspberry and a nice soft tannic finish. This was arguably my favorite wine of the tasting and we made sure to grab a bottle to bring home.

We finished up the tasting with the 2007 Soliterre ($17), a dessert wine with floral and apricot notes on the nose and candied fruit on the palate. With 6% residual sugar you had better make sure to pair it with something, but I will say that had I not known how much residual sugar was in the wine I might have guessed less as it certainly wasn’t syrupy.

Our tasting complete and some wines purchased we moved on to our next stop.

Mountfair Vineyards

I’d be lying if I didn’t mention that Mountfair was a big reason we headed out to do some wine tasting. Everybody in Virginia that’s been there has nothing but good things to say about it, and what’s not to love about a vineyard that specializes in small-batch red wines?

We started off our tasting with a few sparkling wines from Thibaut-Janisson, the Blanc de Chardonnay and the Virginia FIZZ. Mountfair sells these wines for them as they don’t have their own tasting room. They were both enjoyable, one a champagne style and the other a prosecco style.

As for the actual Mountfair wines, we started off with the 2009 Merlot ($20) which is a blend of 80% Merlot and 20% Cabernet Franc. With a peppery nose I expected more of it in the palate, but the Merlot does a good job of smoothing it out and makes this a great wine for just sipping on. We grabbed a bottle of this as well, bringing our Merlot total up to 2 in as many vineyards. Next was the other of their single varietals, the 2009 Cabernet Franc ($20) which is the opposite of the Merlot at 80% Cabernet Franc and 20% Merlot. The wine was heavier in the mouth than I expected with a subtle pepper and smoke finish with good cherry notes leading the way in. We didn’t buy this one, but mostly because it lost the coin toss against the Merlot.

Next was the 2008 Indigenous ($25) a blend of 50/50 Petit Verdot and Cabernet Franc with a velvety pepper nose and a tart finish that I attributed to the Cabernet Franc. Finally we sampled the 2009 Engagement ($25) a blend of 60% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Franc, 10% Petit Verdot, and 10% Cabernet Sauvignon. This is a great wine for grilled food with a lot of the Cabernet Franc notes coming through, but with more body thanks to the Petite Verdot, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Merlot.

I really enjoyed Mountfair and before we left my wife and I even signed up for their wine club so that we’ll get shipments of their wine as their released. If you visit Mountfair or have at least tasted their wines I certainly recommend it as it’s a great value and a good way to get their signature wine, the Wooloomooloo, which pretty much sells out as soon as it’s released.

Pollak Vineyards

My wife and I had visited Pollak a few years back just after they opened their new tasting room (which is beautiful and has a patio and deck area perfect for a picnic lunch), but wanted to head back now that the new vintages were out, especially since I enjoyed what of them I was able to taste back in February at the Virginia Wine Expo. We started out with the 2009 Chardonnay ($19) which had a creamy nose with citrus and vanilla notes on the palate and a soft, light oak hint on the finish.

Next was the 2010 Viognier ($20) with a nose of honey and peach and floral notes on the palate. This was a light wine that will be good on a hot day. Next was the 2010 Pinot Gris ($18) which was so light in the glass as to be nearly clear. This was a medium dry wine and the only thing I can really say about it is that it was so-so, and nothing to get too excited about. Next was the 2009 Durant White ($16) a blend of 60% Chardonnay, 30% Viognier, and 10% Pinot Gris. With a subtle floral nose and good tropical flavors this was easily my favorite white of the tasting and the only reason I didn’t grab a bottle to bring home is that I already have one.

Moving on to the reds we started with the 2009 Durant Red ($12) which is a 50/50 blend of Merlot and Cabernet Franc. Light red in the glass with pepper and a “meaty”, smoky aroma and a tart finish this is a good value wine, especially for those big cookouts that come up this time of year. Our next wine was the 2008 Cabernet Franc ($20) with a nose of pepper and generic red fruit with cherry on the palate.

Next was the 2008 Cabernet Sauvignon ($24) with a nose full of dark fruit and a juicy palate with soft tannins on the finish. This wine is just begging for a grilled steak and I bought a bottle to take home for just that reason. Our final sample was the 2008 Meritage ($25) a blend of 44% Cabernet Franc, 43% Merlot, and 13% Petit Verdot that has a lot of dark fruit on both the nose and the palate with a nice smooth finish. It’s very “petit verdot-y” (according to my notes) and another great steak wine that we only didn’t buy because we decided to go with the Cab Sauv.

After staying at Pollak for a bit to eat some lunch on their deck area, it was on to our final stop.

Veritas Vineyards & Winery

Behind the Veritas tasting bar

I always have a soft spot in my heart for Veritas as my wife’s brother got married there and we had, quite frankly, one helluva time. Veritas lets you select either a white tasting or a red tasting, but since my wife and I were both there, we picked one of each and shared, starting off with the whites.

First was the Scintilla ($30) a French style brut sparkling wine with apple on the nose, big bubbles and a nice dry finish. Next was the 2010 “Saddleback” Chardonnay ($18) which is done in the Chablis style and has lots of tropical notes as well as some vanilla and apple. Following up that was the 2009 “Harlequin” Chardonnay ($25) which has spent 6 months in French oak. With a buttery/oak nose I was almost surprised at how much acid I found on the palate, though it certainly wasn’t a lot. That being said both my wife and I liked the “Harlequin” much better than the “Saddleback”.

Next we tasted the 2010 Viognier ($20). Floral and honeysuckle notes on the nose with peach on the palate and a slight hint of sweetness on the finish (.7% residual sugar) made this a very typical, but very enjoyable, Virginia Viognier. The 2009 Petit Manseng ($25) had kiwi on the nose and even with 10% residual sugar was sweet without being syrupy. The 2009 Kenmar ($35) is an ice wine style made from Traminette and offering rose aromas on the nose with honey and rose water on the palate. This is a very sweet wine, but a good dessert wine if paired correctly with something like pound cake.

Moving on to the reds, we sampled the Mousseux ($30) a sparkling wine using Merlot grapes with notes of strawberry and a tartness that I actually found rather refreshing. The 2010 Rose’ ($14) is made with 46% Cabernet Franc and 54% Merlot and features .5% residual sugar. A medium-light pink in color with a strawberry nose and a dry, slight pepper/spice note on the finish that makes this a good summer wine for pairing with something like grilled chicken.

The Red Star ($18) is a blend of 37% Cabernet Franc, 37% Merlot, and 26% Chambourcin. A nose of dark fruit and pepper and a palate of smoke and cherry make this a good wine to pair with burgers. The 2009 Claret ($18) is a blend of 55% Merlot, 30% Cabernet Franc, and 15% Petit Verdot. The petit verdot really came through on this wine, with a nice juiciness to the wine and aromas of smoke and pepper that will make this another great wine for drinking with some gourmet burgers off the grill – which is why my wife and I grabbed a bottle.

Finally, the 2009 Vintner’s Reserve ($25) a blend of 40% Merlot, 40% Cabernet Franc, and 20% Petit Verdot that spent 18 months in mostly new French oak barrels. A smoky aroma with tons of dark fruit notes on the palate a nice soft tannic finish makes this a great wine to pair with a steak.

My wife and I had a great time tasting all these wines, and everybody that we dealt with at the vineyards was incredibly pleasant, knowledgeable, and friendly. If you have the chance to visit any of these vineyards I highly recommend it, and I’m already looking forward to another trip out to Virginia Wine Country to visit some other vineyards and taste some more wines.

Related posts:

1. Virginia Wine Country Day 2
2. Virginia Wine Country Day 1
3. California Wine Country Day 1 – Napa Valley

Varietal: 92% Merlot; 5% Cabernet Sauvignon; 3% Cabernet Franc; “kiss” of Syrah
Region: Washington – USA
Cost: $13

Winemaker’s Notes: Entices the nose with aromas of blueberry, cassis, and hints of tobacco and spice aromas. The silky and sweet mid-palate introduces slight dusty, earthy, and rich berry notes with cumulate in the long and concentrated finish.

My Reviews: During a grocery run to Costco (a brand new one no less, stocked like I’ve never seen), my wife’s eye was caught by the label of the 2008 Horse Heaven Hills Merlot and since I’m always one to try new things, I encouraged her to add it to our cart. While putting away said groceries we threw a pizza in the oven and opened up the bottle we had just purchased since it was a Thursday night and such things call for a glass of wine.

In the glass the wine was a deep, opaque red with slashes of purple throughout. On the nose I got some of the tobacco and spice, but mostly just a generic berry aroma. In the mouth the wine was dusty, a trait that I’m finding more and more appealing as I come across wines that exhibit it. Notes of cherry on the finish, along with a slight tartness were a good finish from the earthiness of the front of the wine, and all together made it a good pairing for a pizza with basil and tomatoes for a topping.

For a wine that Wine Spectator gave 90 points (yes, I avoid those scores like the plague, but I’m trying to give some context for people that care about such things), the fact that it can still be had for around $13 makes this a great value wine, and a Merlot that I would definitely drink again. If you can’t find it near you, you can follow this link and have it shipped to you.

Related posts:

1. Blackstone Merlot 2008
2. Concannon Conservancy Merlot 2007
3. Pollak Vineyards Durant Red 2008