1998 Columbia Crest Grand Estates Merlot

[stevebody]

Here in Seattle, selling The Columbia Crest Grand Estates wines is difficult because they're so omnipresent in grocery stores that people think they're cheap plonk. I get people who stare at me as though I were a unicorn when the tell me they want a really great Merlot for under $20 and I hand them the CC. They invariably come back to thank me for the tip.

To Foodie's tip about the Hedges: did you mean the Cab-Merlot or the CMS, the Cab Sauv/Cab Franc/Merlot/Syrah thing? I haven't had the C-M in two vintages but the CMS (that's what it says on the bottle, FYI) is wonderful: big, spicy, balanced and great with all kinds of food.

One other bargain Merlot from WA, too - and I can't beieve I'm saying this - is the Hogue Genesis. I once told gary Hogue on the phone that I never tried to sell any of his wines because I thought they all sucked. I meant that, too. I thought he had gotten too big, too fast and wasn't paying enough attention to making each wine great. We argued this for 45 minutes before finally agreeing to disagree. This Merlot, then, tasted an awful lot like crow to me. It's great juice, rich, bright, jazzy, and beautifully made, and for about $12. Try it if you can find it.