Saturday, October 22, 2016

2012 Columbia Crest Walter Clore Private Reserve

Happy Saturday!  I have to admit, I didn't really do much today, and it feels kind of nice to spend a Saturday relaxing, watching football and of course opening a bottle of wine to enjoy.  Tonight I've decided to open a bottle I bought a few weeks ago at Costco, the 2012 Columbia Crest Walter Clore Private Reserve Columbia Valley red wine, a blend of Merlot (80%), Cabernet Sauvignon (8%), Cabernet Franc (6%) and Malbec (6%).  So let's see how this one stacks up!


The wine is an inky indigo at the center, with bright ruby along the edges.  The nose presents aromas of leather, blackberry, cassis with just a hint of dusty limestone.  The taste is classic Columbia Valley Bordeaux-style blend, with a subtle buildup of black fruit at the outset, blackberry, plum and currant that transition almost imperceptibly to some winderful mineral notes of graphite and basalt midpalate.  The tannins are young but well structured to support the wonderfully long, smooth and very dry finish.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 8.5, it's a solid effort for a more mass produced wine (6,000 cases) but a great value at just $27.  This would be an ideal grilled meat wine, but it would also be great with firmer cheeses.  Tonight I am pairing this one with a rare grilled filet mignon with a baked potato and some wonderful grilled cauliflower.  Cheers!

2 comments:

  1. If you're not familiar, Walter Clore was a well known pioneer of the Washington wine industry.

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  2. Yes, thank you for bringing that up, you are absolutely correct. In fact, the State of Washington officially recognized Dr. Clore as the "Father of Washington Wine" in 2003, shortly after his passing.

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