Monday, March 30, 2009

Columbia-Crest, Two Vines Merlot-Cabernet, 2005 ($7)

Washington State

Earlier last year I had the “Two-Vines Vineyard 10" which I thought was very nice and an affordable red blend, so I decided to try the Merlot-Cabernet blend. For the price, I couldn't go wrong.  Guess what, I’ve been back to snatch up more before the price heads north! I found it at my local Albertsons grocery store in Florida.

Aromas of raspberries (maybe even strawberries) blend with a light oak, woody scent.  It didn’t seem like the aromas were overly complex; which kept things simple.  The first taste always fools me so I’ll go with what I tasted on the second sip.  By the way, that can be true with many 1st sips.  Don’t judge too quickly and on that 2nd sip think about what you taste for 30-60 seconds, after the wine has left your mouth.  You’ll be surprised from the different flavors that hang on.

With the second taste, the fruit flavors were definitely prevalent with blackberry and vanilla supporting this light bodied, low acidity, silky blend. Flavors of cocoa and spice with a slight earthy hint (no not dirt!) rounded out the finish.

This blend is a mix of 60% Merlot, 38% Cabernet Franc and 2% Cabernet Sauvignon aged in oak barrels. Overall this is a flavorful blend everyone will enjoy and it won’t break the bank!

4 comments:

  1. Good Pick!

    I am new at drinking wine, but I liked this one and went to see what I could find out about it.

    I also tried the Vineyard 10 first.

    Alex
    Port Hadlock, Wa

    ReplyDelete
  2. AnonymousMay 16, 2009

    how long can i keep this after i open it if it is refrigerated?

    ReplyDelete
  3. You can generally keep a wine good for 3-7 days after opening in the refrigerator if you follow some simple steps to protect it from oxidizing. I used to use a Vacu-Vin but now I use Private Preserve. See my recent posting.

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  4. This is a good, all-food wine & for the price, is a no-brainer. It goes just as well with chicken & pork chops as it does with a medium rare steak. I plan on stocking several bottles of this for general get-togethers & parites. Over all, a damn good wine for all occassions.

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