J. Bookwalter Winery Foreshadow Columbia Valley Merlot 2012, Washington State

It’s time for some Merlot on this #MerlotThursday. Here’s a nicely aged one from Washington State.

Ruby in color with a wide reddish/brick rim.

Fruity nose of blueberries, cherries, currants, oak, spices, chocolates, peppercorn, dark coffee, tobacco leaf, earth and herbs.

Full bodied spicy and smooth with medium plus acidity.

Dry on the palate with blackberries, black currants, plums, cooked cherries, oak, vanilla, licorice, spices, chocolates, tobacco, herbs, earth, dark coffee, wet leaves and peppercorn.

Spicy finish with fine grained tannins.

This 9 year old Merlot from Columbia Valley is very tasty now. Showing nice complexity with a soft, smooth mouthfeel.

Spicy and elegant. Tangy and interesting. Tastes like an aged California Cabernet.

Wine Enthusiasts 90 points.

Good right out of the bottle and better with some air time.

Thank you Wendy for sharing this with me.

Good by itself or with food. I paired it with a charcuterie board of meats and cheeses.

A blend of 92% Merlot, 5% Syrah and 3% Cabernet Franc. Aged for 20 months in French oak barrels.

14.9% alcohol by volume.

91 points.

$40.

Long Shadows Vintners Chester Kidder 2016 Columbia Valley, Washington State

Inky in color with a short purplish rim.

On the nose plums, black currants, blackberries, cedar, licorice, light alcohol, vanilla, light earth, chocolates, espresso, wildflowers, violets, tobacco and peppercorn.

Full bodied and smooth with medium acidity and long legs.

Dry on the palate with blackberries, black plums, cherries, cedar, licorice, spices, peppercorn, coke, black olives, coffee, chocolates, tobacco and beef jerky.

Medium plus on the finish with fine grained tannins and tangy raspberries.

This is a beautiful red blend from Washington State. Nicely balanced and good by itself, as a sipping wine. Showing nice complexity with a nice mouthfeel.

This 4 year old is still young and will age nicely in the next 5 to 10 years, but already delicious.

Showing a really interesting nose. Tasty, rich and elegant.

Better after a couple of hours of airtime, but good right out of the bottle, too.

A blend of 58% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Syrah and 12% Petit Verdot. Aged for 30 months in (80% new) French oak barrels.

14.9% alcohol by volume.

92 points.

$60.

L’Ecole No 41 Winery Sémillon 2019, Washington State

Lemon in color with a green tint.

On the nose green apples, earth, grapefruits, herbs, spices and light green vegetables.

Medium bodied with medium plus acidity.

Dry on the palate with grapefruits, limes, lemons, green apples, bitter herbs, spices, vegetables and white pepper.

Short finish with bitter almonds.

This is a nice Sémillon blend from Washington State.

Crisp and refreshing. Earthy with a white Bordeaux feel.

A good food wine that I paired with cheeses and crackers.

A blend of 88% Sémillon and 12% Sauvignon Blanc. Fermented and aged in neutral French Oak barrels for 5 months.

13.5% alcohol by volume.

87 Points.

$15.

Long Shadows Vintners Pedestal Columbia Valley Merlot 2016, Washington State

Time for a good Merlot on this #MerlotThursday. Here’s a delicious one from Washington State.

Deep purple in color with a short purplish rim.

Nose of black plums, cedar, chocolates, coffee, cooked cherries, leather, light vegetables, earth, licorice, black tea, tobacco and black pepper.

Full bodied with medium acidity and long legs.

Dry on the palate with blackberries, black currants, plums, cherries, chocolates, oak, vanilla, licorice, spices, tobacco, light vegetables, pencil lead and peppercorn.

Medium plus on the finish with round tannins and tangy raspberries.

This is a very tasty Merlot from Columbia Valley. Nicely balanced with a great mouthfeel. Another delicious wine from Michel Rolland.

Still young, but already tasty. Drinking very nicely now, and will continue to age nicely in the next 5 to 10 years.

Good by itself or with food. Good right out of the bottle, but better after an hour of airtime, as the complexity comes in. Showing nice complexity already.

Wine Enthusiast 89 points.

Tangy and interesting. A Delicious wine.

A blend of 75% Merlot, 21% Cabernet Sauvignon and 4% Petit Verdot. Aged for 22 months in (85% new) French Oak barrels.

14.9% alcohol by volume.

92 points.

$65.

L’Ecole No 41 Columbia Valley Merlot 2017, Washington State

It’s time for some Merlot on this #MerlotThursday. Here’s a nice one from Columbia Valley.

Dark ruby in color with a nice reddish rim.

Light nose of blueberries, black plums, cedar, light vanilla, earth, chocolates, pencil lead and black pepper.

Full bodied with medium acidity.

Dry on the palate with blackberries, black currants, plums, cooked cherries, cedar, vanilla, spices, chocolates, tobacco, coke, light vegetables and peppercorn.

Medium plus on the finish with round tannins and tangy raspberries.

This is a very tasty Merlot based Bordeaux blend from Washington State. Showing mild complexity with a nice mouthfeel.

Good by itself and with food. Nicely balanced and tangy.

Still young, but already enjoyable. Would be Interesting to see how this evolves in the next couple of years.

I’ve had the 2012 vintage a couple of years ago and I like this vintage better.

Wine Enthusiasts 92 points.

Needed 90 minutes in the decanter to open up properly, so give it time.

I paired it with a charcuterie board of meats and cheeses. Really nice with the extra fatty Brie cheese.

A blend of 81% Merlot, 14% Cabernet Franc, 3% Malbec and 2% Petit Verdot. Aged for 18 months in Oak barrels (30% new).

14.5% alcohol by volume.

91 points.

$24.

Gordon Estate Columbia Valley Merlot 2013, Washington State

Time for some Merlot on this #MerlotThursday.

Pretty color of dark ruby with medium plus intensity and a wide brick rim.

Great nose of blueberries, cherries, licorice, light wood, earth, wet leaves, peppercorn, bitter herbs, spices, vegetables, black tea and violets.

Medium bodied with medium plus acidity. Soft and smooth.

Dry on the palate with tart cranberries, cherries, raspberries, light wood, earth, wet leaves, bitter vegetables, Mediterranean spices, herbs and light chocolates.

Short finish with no tannins and tangy cranberries.

This is an interesting Merlot from Washington State.

This 7 year old is past its peak, but it’s still drinkable. Really nice nose, though, that I kept smelling on. Nose is better than the palate.

Feels like an Italian wine, to put it in prospective. Not what I expected from a Washington Merlot.

A good pizza wine, actually. I paired it with a charcuterie board of meats and cheeses, which was phenomenal.

Aged in French and American oak barrels.

13.7% alcohol by volume.

87 Points.

$20.

Château Ste Michelle Indian Wells Cabernet Sauvignon 2015, Washington State

Here is my #FridayCabernetfix for this week.

This Washington State Cabernet Sauvignon is always enjoyable. Big and fruit forward with nice complexity and a great mouthfeel.

Showing black fruits with wood, earth, vanilla, licorice, spices, espresso, chocolates, tobacco, mocha, coke and peppercorn.

Full bodied with medium acidity.

Nice length on the finish with fine grained tannins.

This 5 year old is drinking very nicely now. Peaking now, and will be good in the next couple of years.

Good by itself or with food. Good right out of the bottle, and better after an hour of airtime.

A great value wine, if you are patient enough. Very tasty and delicious.

I had it all by itself by the beach.

14.5% alcohol by volume.

91 points.

$18.

Columbia Winery Cellarmaster’s Riesling 2008 Columbia Valley, Washington State

#AgedWineTuesday

A very interesting color of yellow, with an orange tint.

Strong nose of over ripen apples, Indian spices, melons, minerals, honeysuckle, white pepper and cooked lemons.

Medium plus in body and buttery, with medium plus acidity.

Medium sweet on the palate with ripened citrus fruits, lemons, honey, yellow apples, apricots, tropical fruits and white pepper.

Nice length on the finish with spices and limes.

This is a nice surprise. A delicious 12 year old Riesling from Washington State. Rich and expressive.

Nicely balanced with enough acidity to balance the sugars. Delicious by itself and the tangy finish makes it interesting.

Although it is still very enjoyable, it is on the decline now, and was probably better a few years ago.

Thank you David and Elvira for sharing this with me. Tasty and delicious.

I paired it with a charcuterie board of meats and cheeses.

10% alcohol by volume.

93 points.

Tranche Estate Pape Estate 2017 Columbia Valley, Washington State

Dark purple in color with a wide purplish rim.

Fruity nose of blueberries, bing cherries, sweet strawberries, wood, licorice, spices, dark chocolates, dried figs, tobacco leaf, earth, leather, pencil lead and peppercorn.

Full bodied with medium acidity and long legs.

Dry on the palate with blackberries, plums, cherries, currants, oak, vanilla, licorice, spices, tobacco, chocolates, light earth and peppercorn.

Long spicy finish with fine grained tannins and tangy raspberries.

This is a very tasty Syrah based Rhone blend from Columbia Valley. Nicely balanced with a nice mouthfeel.

Good right out of the bottle, but better as it opens up and shows the tannins and structure. Would be nice to revisit it in a couple of years.

Fruit forward with nice complexity. A good quality wine. Spicy, tasty and tangy.

I paired it with a beautiful view, but was even better with the Brie cheese.

A blend of 51% Syrah, 30% Mourvedre and 19% Grenache. Aged for 22 months in French oak barrels.

14.9% alcohol by volume.

90 points.

$35.

Château Ste Michelle Winery Ethos Columbia Valley Reserve Chardonnay 2015, Washington State

Light golden in color.

Strong nose of lemons, citrus, yellow apples, light oak, spices, black pepper and light vanilla.

Full bodied and buttery with medium acidity and long legs.

Dry on the palate with limes, grapefruits, citrus, red apples, melons, pears, herbs, vegetables, earth, wood, spices, vanilla and white pepper.

Nice finish with spices and almonds.

This is a very nice, slightly aged, Oaky Chardonnay from Washington State. Showing a nice mouthfeel with mild complexity. Rich, yet refreshing. Feels like a Napa Chardonnay.

Wine Enthusiasts 88 points. Wine Advocate 90 points.

This 5 year old is good by itself or with food, and better nicely chilled. Would be interesting to see how it evolves in the next 3 years.

I paired it with cheeses and crackers.

100% Chardonnay grapes were aged in French oak barrels (34% new) for 10 months.

14.5 % alcohol by volume.

89 points.

$40.