| Summary: H3 is a new label launched by Columbia Crest. The name stands for Horse Heaven Hills, one of the new appellations in Washington state. Indian Wells is a vineyard on the Wahluke Slope – another new appellation. These three wines are all good value wines. The final wine listed, Col Solare, is a collaboration of Chateau Ste. Michelle and Italian winemaker Marchese Antinori. The winery recently built a multi-million dollar facility on Red Mountain. | |||
| Wines: | |||
| Score | Name | Notes | $ |
| + | Columbia Crest H3 Merlot 2005 | Strong vanilla and oak. Smooth. Good, full table wine. Some might say over the top. | $13 |
| + | Columbia Crest H3 Cabernet Sauvignon | A little earthy. Black pepper. Lighter on the palette. A little oaky. Good. | $13 |
| * | Ch Ste Michelle Indian Wells Cabernet Sauvignon 2004 | Good. Well made. A little Bordeaux quality to it. Spice. Vanilla. Not overwhelming but quite good. | $15 |
| * | Col Solare 2004 | Spice. Chocolate. A little smoky. A little earthy. Beautiful, rich nose. Good finish. | $65 |
| Summary: Nota Bene is a small winery located in south Seattle. du Cheval. | |||
| Wines: | |||
| Score | Name | Notes | $ |
| + | Nota Bene Kestrel View Estates Vineyard 2004 | Black pepper. Cedar. Smoky. Good up front. Thinner on the middle. 52% Cabernet; 24% Merlot; 12% Cab Franc; 12% Malbec. | $28 |
| . | Nota Bene Miscela 2004 | Black pepper. Baked bread. A little cassis. High spices. Light bodied. Good overall. Miscela is Italian for “blend”. 40% Merlot; 36% Cabernet; 24% Cab Franc. | $28 |
| . | Nota Bene Miscela 2003 | A little smoky. Maple. Wheat. Black peppercorn. Sharp on taste. | $28 |
| + | Nota Bene Miscela 2002 | A little earthy. Boysenberry. A little spice. Oak. A very interesting, big wine. Somewhat tannic.
| $28 |
| + | Nota Bene Abbinare 2004 | Cereal. A little smoky. A little green pepper. Somewhat sharp. Name means “linked together”. | $27 |
| + | Nota Bene Abbinare 2003 | Wheat. Cinnamon. Spice. A nice medium bodied wine. Cinnamon feel on the taste. A little puckering. | $27 |
| + | Nota Bene Abbinare 2002 | Blackberry. A little anise. A good nose but a little off on the shape of the wine. | $27 |
| * | Nota Bene Syrah 2004 | Smoky. Classic Washington syrah nose. A thick, rich wine. 78% Syrah; 22% Cabernet. | $28 |
| Wines: | |||
| Score | Name | Notes | $ |
| + | OS Winery Red Table Wine 2005 | Earthy. Diesel. Blueberry. A little dusty. Cassis. Medium bodied. Lots of rich, gripping tannins. | $20 |
| * | OS Winery M Klipsun Vineyard 2004 | Rich. Spicy. Boysenberry. Again, gripping tannins. Strong cassis. Black cherry. Medium bodied. 70% Merlot; 30% Cabernet. | $30 |
| + | OS Winery Syrah Dineen Vineyard 2005 | Spicy. Vanilla. Clove. Anise. Excellent mid-palate and opens up beautifully but the finish is a little empty. | $35 |
| * | OS Winery R3 2005 | Lots of black cherry. Light anise. Baking spices. Rich on the body. Nice extended finish that sails on and on. 45% Cabernet; 35% Merlot; 20% Cab Franc. Named after the three red wines it is composed of. | $35 |
| + | OS Winery BSH 2004 | Dusty. Strong cassis. Good up front. Not as even on the back end. Clove. Black cherry. A good wine. 68% Cabernet; 12% Cab Franc; 10% Merlot; 10% Petit Verdot. BSH stands for “Brick Shit House.” | $35 |
| + | OS Winery Cab Franc Champoux Vineyard 2004 | Gripping, sharp wine. Light black cherry. Light cassis. Puckering. A bit more subtle on the nose than others. | $30 |
| ** | OS Winery Ulysses Sheridan Vineyard 2004 | Earthy. Spicy. A dark wine. Cassis. Leather. Beautifully structured with an excellent finish. A dynamite wine. | $50 |
| + | OS Winery Petit Verdot Meek Vineyard 2005 | Strong anise. Clove. Spice. Light earthiness. Plum. More up front than the others tasted. | $45 |
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Editor
Sean P. Sullivan is the editor of Washington Wine Report. He has been writing about and reviewing Northwest wine since 2004. Read a full biography on the About page. All articles written by Sullivan unless otherwise indicated.