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| Rob Williams - Cabernets and Blends | ||
Rob's "Wine of the Week" Archives So here is my wine review for the week of August 5th... SPRING VALLEY VINEYARD URIAH 2004
Description: 20 years ago, as Napa Valley was taking off, Washington state wines were an embarrassment. For most of the 1990’s, only Chateau Ste Michelle produced any consistently above average wines from the region. All has changed in the past ten years as the area has exploded and produced great wineries from the always consistent Ste. Michelle, to the above average for its’ price Columbia Crest, to this week’s entry, Spring Valley Vineyard found in Walla Walla. The Uriah is a red wine blend made up of 60% merlot, which caught my eye. Most meritage’s boast a majority of cab, softened by merlot. This wine is anchored by merlot and then “kicked up” by 31% cab Franc, an enormous red wine grape. How and when I drank it: Monday afternoon, July 30 beginning at 1pm I opened the bottle. I ultimately had a glass with dinner, a tomato basil pasta How to get it: It’s available at some grocery stores, BevMos, some wine merchants, on-line, and at the winery in Washington, although as this is written the Uriah is nearly sold out due to critical acclaim. How Much:At the winery, about $50 per bottle My Thoughts: The nose on the wine is both fruit and misleading. At first pour, this wine almost makes you worry that it will be too fruity, caused by the abundance of merlot. Once the wine is poured and opens just slightly, the influence of the cab franc becomes apparent and very welcome. The wine has a nice soft fruit texture to it, mainly comprised of dark berries, cherry and some smoke flavors, but is balanced very nicely by understated tannins (provided no doubt by the franc) and a very nice subtle vanilla finish, which I would guess would really explode after a few years of cellaring. Overall Score: This is a very nice surprise from a winery I knew little about before trying this bottle. Their labels are both unique and odd, affixed with portraits of the wines’ namesake, but don’t let that fool you; this is no “Marilyn Merlot!” This is a serious red wine blend that is very good now and shows all the makings of being great by 2010. Grab some if you can, try a bottle now and lay a few down for a few years as well. Also, be alert for the 2005 release soon….I’ll be looking for it! For $50, it isn’t quite a perfect bottle, but it’s worth the price! 4 vines
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