Vivacious Vicky 2001 Merlot
Last week I stopped by Kiona Winery on Red Mountain. It was a pleasant tasting.
Their Chenin was Granny Smith apple tart and crisp - really good. Twenty years ago, there was a lot of Chenin being made in Washington State, now only a few wineries still make it. Kiona is doing a great job - I’m told it’s one of the winemakers favorites.
And lest I forget, their ice wine was sweetly adorable - think pear syrup from a can, but so much better.
The big surprise of the tasting, drum roll… was the Vivacious Vicky 2001 Merlot. I know that this is not their main label, so I’ve avoided it. Shame on me. The Vivacious Vicky 2001 Merlot is a monster Merlot. I was shocked at how packed full of goodness this wine is - it’s instantly delicious when you open it and huge in the mouth, with great structure, firm tannins and keeps on delivering into the finish. If you leave any for the next day, it’s just as good.
A real bargain at $20. I had a good time and took some Vivacious Vicky home to enjoy later.
Cheers!
Columbia Crest Grand Estates 2006 Merlot
Review below.
* I had some feedback on waiting 4 hours for this wine to open up.
“…It took four hours, but this wine finally opened up. Cherry with vanilla on the nose, with dark fruit and a mocha hello in the mouth…” (The rest of the post is down the page).
Of course you can open and drink any wine. But, this wine really showed off after 4 hours of air contact. You might be able to speed up the process by decanting, which I did not. The fact that 4 hours later, this wine really shined, implies that there is life in this bottle, so you can cellar it for a few years if you want to stock up. Not a bad idea my friends.
Columbia Crest Grand Estates 2006 Merlot
This is one of the “signature” Washington State Merlots.
It took four hours, but this wine finally opened up. Cherry with vanilla on the nose, with dark fruit and a mocha hello in the mouth. Pleasantly dry, and a lip smacker. At first opening, the wine seemed thin, tart and not very appealing. After a wait of four hours, bring out the “boy howdy!” now it’s a crowd pleaser. Good tannins, lingering flavors. Yup it’s good, but you have to wait four hours to get there.
Great deal for 10 bones, recommended.
Cheers!
Jacob’s Creek 2007 Chardonnay
Enjoying a white wine from Australia tonight. Found it locally for $6, good price and good wine. No obvious flaws, easy to drink and sure to please casual wine drinkers. I like the honey on the nose and in the mouth, golden color, medium body. This wine does not have the body or acidity needed for food, so best serve this one before or after dinner.
This would be a good entertaining wine - your white wine drinkers are sure to enjoy it. I might suggest pairing with crusty bread and olive oil to dip. Hmmm, some soft goat cheese would work too. For $6 you won’t go wrong with this one.
Cheers!
You’ll find I’m very into wine. I post to Facebook and several other blogs. While I’m biased towards Washington wines, I do live in Washington State, I love wine from any part of the world. So check out my posts. Cheers!
Owen Roe 2006 Syrah
A subtle and well crafted Syrah. The Lenore Syrah is made from 95% Syrah and 5% Grenache. The fruit comes from Erickson Vineyard, in the Columbia Valley, and Six Prong Vineyard, in the Horse Heaven Hills.
About the Winery
Owen Roe winery has been working to produce exceptional wines from Oregon and Washington. since 1999. The winery is named after Owen Roe O’Neill, a 17th century Irish Patriot from County Cavan, where winemaker David O’Reilly was raised. O’Neill dedicated his life to upholding the highest principles of political equality and freedom.
More wine reviews at http://wild4washingtonwine.blogspot.com
