Jade went on KGW for just this topic.  Wines for Winter Meals.  Or let’s face it  Wines for long winter nights. Case in point the walk from the car to the studio was blustery and freezing and it snowed overnight!

Watch the clip and keep reading for more details.

Wines for Winter Meals

2015 Big John Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon from H/H Estates Coyote Canyon Vineyard in Horse Heaven Hills (Prosser WA)  $42 – Actually named for a great big prize winning bull, from back when the family raised cattle instead of grapes. This is  big Cab Sauv you want with your steak or pot roast. Tart red fruit, evergreen notes, big structure Note 2015 was tasted, 2013 pictured below. See our review of the 2010 H/H Estates Big John

2015 tasted

2015 Idiot’s Grace Cabernet Franc from Columbia Gorge  $32 – Ahh the other Cab… Cabernet Franc is Cabernet Sauvignon’s daddy so to speak and is one of my favorite grapes from one of my favorite wineries in the Columbia Gorge. I want this with a lamb and veggie stew because it has so many complex layers.  Savory with the vegetal notes expected from Cab Franc, a burst of Marionberry, and a finish of black pepper and orange oil. 

And finally from one of my all time favorite Horse Heaven Hills wineries … I like every bottle I’ve tried from Alexandria Nicole.

2015 Alexandria Nicole Cellars Block 7 Syrah from Destiny Ridge Vineyards in Horse Heaven Hills  (Prosser WA) $28–  This is the wine that will get you through the winter.  Wild and luxurious it is like purple velvet.  Pair with pork or duck with a berry compote or even a decadent grilled cheese. $28 (note 2011 pictured)

2015 Block 17 Alexandria Nicole Syrah was tasted

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I love Cabernet Sauvignon from Washington. If you aren’t buying Washington Cabernet Sauvignon you are missing out on great price points for all styles.

Here I am on KGW Portland Today with 3 Cabs under $30.  Keep reading for more details.

I chose these Washington Cabernet Sauvignons because:

1. It is almost Labor Day. I need delicious friendly wines I can enjoy at a BBQ
2. Washington is my neighbor and whether $20 or $100 you can find Washington Cabernet Sauvignon that delivers.
3. Each of these wines has a personality and story.
4. They are available pretty much anywhere you buy good wine.

Barnard Griffin Columbia Valley Washington Cabernet Sauvignon $15

Lot of cheerful cherry and floral notes.  Bright, intensely fruity, youthful and easy to drink. If you want a Cabernet Sauvignon to sit around with friends and wait for the grill to heat, this is a great choice.  Rob Griffin has been making wine for 40 some odd years and it shows.

Find in Fred Meyer and New Seasons

Intrinsic Wine Co Cabernet Sauvignon $22

Find in major grocery stores

I love this Washington Cab so much.  It is blueberry and lavender and pretty.  The label, inspired from street art, is just like the wine alluring and approachable but complex.  Anyone could be proud to present this as a gift for a host.

For the geekier among you the reason this wine is unique for a Cabernet Sauvignon is they don’t use a lot of new oak and ferment some of the wine in cement.  And half the juice stays on the skins 9 months. It is just soaks up those really sultry fruit flavors.

H3 Cabernet Sauvignon from Columbia Crest $15

Find in major grocery stores.

I remember when I learned that H3 stood for Horse Heaven Hills I thought I uncovered the secret code.  Horse Heaven Hills is a region in Washington (around the town of Prosser)  that grows lovely cab. Something about the combination of the sun and wind there makes silky wines with fresh fruit.

I chose this wine for people who like that combination of fruit and oak.  It is raspberry, boysenberry and vanilla.   Big and juicy with some oaky flavors and a little sassafras on the finish. A very traditional style Cabernet and at unbelievable price.

Read more about what makes Horse Heaven Hills so special.

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Samples were provided. Notes were taken blind and are unbiased.  Our group consisted of wine writers, wine sale professionals, sommeliers, and their interested significant others.  Let’s face it. The significant others always have more interesting notes.

Not everyone liked every wine because this is the real world.  Since you too will be drinking in the real word take our comments into consideration and try some of theses wines for yourself. Click the links to see complete reviews. There are some lovely options.

Click for review. 2013  Mercer Estates Horse Heaven Hills Sharp Sisters Red Blend – 47% Merlot, 41% Syrah, 10% Cabernet Sauvignon, 1% Sangiovese, 1% Petit Verdot ~ $21

Click for review. 2012 Unbroken Horse Heaven Hills Blended Red – 43% Cab SAuv, 27% Merlot, 19% Malbec, 11% Cab Franc ~ $28

Click for review. 2010 H/H Estates Reserve Big John Cab, Coyote Canyon Vineyard – 85% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Mourvedre, 2.5% Cabernet Franc, 2.5% Malbec ~ $42

Click for review 2012 Chateau St. Michele Canoe Ridge Estate Horse Heaven Hills Cabernet Sauvignon ~ $36

Click for review 2013 Alexandria Nicole Quarry Butte Destiny Ridge Vineyards Estate Grown Horse Heaven Hills Red Wine 56% Cabernet Sauvignon, 22% Merlot, 10% Cabernet Franc, 6% Malbec, 4% Syrah, 2% Petit Verdot ~$26

Click for review. 2013 Mercer Estates Horse Heaven Hills Cabernet Sauvignon  ~$28

Click for review. 2012 Mercer Estates Horse Heaven Hills Cavalie Reserve – 52% Merlot, 27% Cabernet Sauvignon 17% Malbec, 4% Petit Verdot ~$42

Click for review 2012 Mercer Estates Horse Heave Hills Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve 79% Cabernet Sauvignon, 12% Malbec, 5% Syrah, 4% Petit Verdot ~$42

Horse Heaven Hills is a fascinating agricultural mecca producing record amounts of cherries, hops, and of course fine wine.  See A Swag Bag of Potatoes for the real story on Costco’s baby carrots. To learn more about the founding families and the wine history of the area Discovering Treasure in Horse Heaven Hills.  Information on wineries this line up  – Mercer Estates, McKinley Springs, Alexandria Nicole Cellars, Coyote Canyon Winery, Chateau Ste. Michelle

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Big John was an award winning bull and the name hails back to the days when the Andrews family raised cattle instead of grapes. That’s right, Coyote Canyon is yet another property where Andrews descendants are still producing agricultural products, this time that come to us in a wine bottle.

This was a favorite of the group.  Mark and I revisited it over the course of several days and it just kept getting better – a sign that you could enjoy now or reap an even bigger reward in about 5 years.  It has such a descriptive profile that I kissed Mark and immediately said, “You’ve been tasting the Big John.”  The nose is a little shy but expect red fruit, cinnamon, savory and sweet herbs – rosemary, thyme, stevia, basil.  Silky on the palate but it means business with earthy notes and lots of black pepper. Like the bull, this wine gets it done.

Click Call a Cab: Horse Heaven Hills Cabernet Sauvignon for the full story and more tasting notes.

Sample. H/H Estates Coyote Canyon Winery.

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The entire tasting group liked this wine and two people loved it. Kind of masculine with rich, smoky, leathery notes.  Like you should sit in a dark wood paneled den to enjoy this savory wine.  It reminded one person of flannel – so there is something cozy in this glass. Spice, licorice, root beer, dried herbs, and black fruits – black raspberry, black cherry, and blackberry.

Click Call a Cab: Horse Heaven Hills Cabernet Sauvignon for the full story and more tasting notes.

Sample. Mercer Estates

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Produced by McKinley Springs this wine is a tribute to the pioneering spirit of families farming in Horse Heaven Hills. A fitting theme given that the owners are part of one of the oldest and most prolific farming families in the area – the Andrews.

A hit with our tasting group who found this wine to be just what Goldilocks would want if she drank “just right”.  Delicate, light pretty and fruity we found bright red fruits like cherry and raspberry along with floral notes we described as “purple(y)”.  Inviting warm clove spice and just enough acid, tannin, and oaky vanilla.

Click Call a Cab: Horse Heaven Hills Cabernet Sauvignon for the full story and more tasting notes.

Sample.

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This blend was named for Carma Sharp -Mercer and her 5 sisters and is supposed to be “fun forward and meant to be enjoyed among family and friends” just like these party gals would have wanted. The winemaker chose to use a combination of French and American oak – the latter known to add more dominant flavors.   It met with mixed reviews from our group.  For some it was in their top 2 of the night. Others found it to be too oaky.    Expect a soft wine with a wide array of fruit – red bramble fruits, plum, cherry, black cherry, and blueberry popping up on the finish.  Lots of vanilla from that oak and alcohol that isn’t exactly subtle.  Acid keeps it bright.

Click Call a Cab: Horse Heaven Hills Cabernet Sauvignon for the full story and more tasting notes.

Sample. Mercer Estates

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A mix of sweet cherry, plum, blueberry that shows more on the palate than the nose.  Sweet spices,  a tannic backbone, and burst of something mid palate that can only be described as purple.

Click Call a Cab: Horse Heaven Hills Cabernet Sauvignon for the full story and more tasting notes.

Sample. Mercer Estates

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This is why there is more than one wine.  Not everyone in our tasting group loved this but it was the fave or at least in the running for most.  The bottle is no longer here so someone liked it well enough to offer it a new home.

Our tasters found a mix of red fruit, black olive, “serious cinnamon”, “deep cherry”, black pepper, and some savory, umami, meaty notes.  Most loved the nose and found it to be bright and balanced.

Click Call a Cab: Horse Heaven Hills Cabernet Sauvignon for the full story and more tasting notes.

Sample. Mercer Estates

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The one thing everyone in the group agreed on was this wine was a bit hot.  Then the reviews depended on whether or not that floated your boat.  Standing out as the fave of the taster who rated everything according to his own “Big Red Scale” – this was a 9.5 on a 10 point range.  And for those who didn’t love it just in the glass, pairing with smoked meats or cheese allowed the enjoyment of  pleasant  flavors – plum, fresh fig, cinnamon, chocolate, and leather.

Click Call a Cab: Horse Heaven Hills Cabernet Sauvignon for the full story and more tasting notes.

Sample.  Chateau Ste. Michelle

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