Columbia Crest's Horse Heaven Hills 2008 Merlot

For $11.99 at your local grocery store (I found mine at Fred Meyer), Columbia Crest's Horse Heaven Hills 2008 Merlot is a full-bodied and yet drinkably smooth merlot. This merlot smells heavily of tobacco and pepper with just a hint of cherry and, at first taste, is fruit-forward (opening with "aromas of raspberries" according to the Columbia Crest website) with a very smooth finish. I paired mine, ashamedly, with pizza and some streaming Netflix - a testament to the drinkability of the wine. Though this wine would likely be delicious with smoky/grilled red meats or even chicken, it is also a great table wine. As a big fan of merlots, this is one of the more full-bodied merlots I have had lately. At the end of the sip, the fullness leaves nothing to be desired, but, perhaps, another glass. Receiving 90 points from the Wine Spectator and consistently appearing on the Wine Spectator's Top 100 Wines list, this wine is a great buy! Columbia Crest's Horse Heaven Hills wines have all earned high ratings in Wine Spectator (between 89-91 points) and come from the prolific Columbia Valley in Eastern Washington state. Though I haven't yet had a chance to taste the rest of the Horse Heaven Hills wines, I would recommend giving them a taste!


Interested in more official information about this wine? Check out the Columbia Crest website: http://www.columbiacrest.com/HorseHeavenHills/release/177.


And look forward to the next post where I'll be sampling and reviewing a Tapeña Vintage 2009 Tempranillo.