Review: Wines of Columbia Winery, 2018 Releases
Woodinville-based Columbia Winery is a reliable producer of affordable but well-crafted wines from the Washington wine world. Today we look at Columbia’s 2018 releases, including three reds and a white, all well under 20 bucks a bottle.
2016 Columbia Winery Chardonnay – Mild on the whole, this chardonnay shows notes of vanilla, light coconut, and a hint of mango, before diving into a melon-heavy body that lingers well into the finish. That alone makes the wine a bit exotic for a chardonnay, particularly one at this price point. B+ / $10
2015 Columbia Winery Merlot – Semi-sweet, a fresh berry note here complemented by mild florals. A brown sugar character lingers on a simple but approachable finish, tinged just so with violet notes. B / $12
2015 Columbia Winery Cabernet Sauvignon – The best red in this mix, this is a relatively classic yet youthful cab, with plenty of bright red fruit, a hint of chocolate, barrel-driven vanilla, and some spice. An earthier influence takes hold late on the game (though you can catch it on the nose), though the finish sees an unfortunate bit of canned green bean character. B+ / $14
2015 Columbia Winery Red Blend – A heavy syrah blend (plus merlot, cabernet, and malbec), it’s thick with smoky meat notes, but not overbearing, coming across more as a brush fire than a pyre built for a barbecue. The fruit that hits is a bit restrained: currants, mixed berries, and a little orange peel, with hints of red apple on the finish. Better with red meat. B / $10
2015 Columbia Winery Cabernet Sauvignon
$14
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