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1999
Melange Columbia Valley
NW Palate, March/April 2001 - Ruby color. Lovely
combination of flowery boysenberry and blackberry, with subtle
oak in the background. Both the aroma and flavor show hints
of well managed oak, and good staying power for the fruit notes.
Moderate tannins. Try with pork tenderloin, veal chops,
or pasta with tomato-based sauce.
Rated "Highly Recommended"
1998
Melange Columbia Valley
NW Palate, July/August 2000 - "Brick garnet color.
Currant fruit aroma with graham and spice. Rich and focused
flavors of berry and spice. Well-balanced, with a long,
currant and cocoa finish. Match with grilled steaks. Excellent
value.
Rated "Highly Recommended"
Seattle Post-Intelligencer,
Richard Kinssie - May 3, 2000 - "Waterbrook Winery, one of
the stalwarts of the Walla Walla area, has released its 1998 Melange...the
merlot gives the wine its soft and supple mouth with fruity flavors,
while the two cabernets contribute structure. Together they
make a delicious, straightforward yet complex wine that is ready
to enjoy.
"TIP OF THE WEEK"
1997
Melange Columbia Valley
Wine Spectator, November 1999 - "Smooth, almost silky,
with distinctive overtones of exotic spice and peach to the light
core of black cherry flavor. Finish lingers gently.
Drink now through 2006. 2996 cases made. H.S."
Rated "87"
Seattle Times, October
1999 - "Have you noticed the price of the meritage wines (high-falutin'
blends of Bordeaux varieties). Astronomical, aren't they?
Well, here's a unassuming red from Washington's Waterbrook that
has three Bordeaux varieties along with a dash of sangiovese.
It's smooth, zesty and hints strongly of blackberry, herbs and
even chocolate. Drinkable right now."
Included in "Tom Stockley's 1999 Top 50
Wine Values"
NW Palate, September/October
1999 - "Dark garnet in color. Cedar, chocolate, citrus,
and cassis in the nose. Elegant, with sweet vanillin oak,
black cherry fruit, and a toasty finish. Pair with rare
roast beef. Good value."
Rated "Highly Recommended"
1997
Merlot Columbia Valley
The 1997 Merlot received a Silver
Medal at the 2000 Tri-Cities Wine Festival.
The 1997 Merlot received
a Gold Medal at the Enological Society
Annual Judging in August 2000.
Wine Spectator,
October 31, 2000 - "Fine in texture and delicate in flavor,
offering pretty plum and raspberry notes plus a bit of mocha and
sage on the finish. A stylish wine. Approachable now.
Drink now through 2004.
The 1997 Merlot received
a Bronze Medal at the 1999 Tri-Cities
Wine Festival.
NW Palate, July/August
2000 - "Red garnet color. Bright berry fruit and cedar
spice aroma. Intense berry fruit flavors balance youthfully
harsh tannins. Elegant, focused fruit style; cellar 3-5
years for softer tannins.
Rated "Highly Recommended"
Wine Enthusiast,
June 2000 - "An interesting nose that mingles black
cherry, roasted nuts, leather and smoke. Tart, dark and
tannic, with light, bright fruit shining through. The finish
is clean and pure but fairly light. Very appealing and beautifully
made.
Rated "89"
1996
Merlot Columbia Valley
Wine Spectator, August 31, 1999 - "A little chewy
with tannins, but a veritable spice box of aromas and flavors;
exotic, with cinnamon, allspice and star anise overtones to the
basic black cherry. The finish lingers. Best after
1999."
Rated "89"
NW Palate, May/June
1999 - "Dark ruby color with a brick rim. Complex
aromas of cocoa, blackberry, and faint eucalyptus. Mouthfilling,
juicy flavors of ripe berries, mint and spice. Full-bodied
with bright acidity and a long finish of jammy fruit and toasty
oak Well balanced; cellar 2-3 years, or enjoy now with grilled
red meats."
Rated "Exceptional"
1995
Merlot Reserve
Columbia
Valley
The Washington Post, February 2, 2000 - "A bit more intense
than the outstanding regular Merlot....with considerably more
prominent oak."
Wine Enthusiast,
May 1998 - "Deep blackish ruby. Moderately full-bodied.
Balanced acidity. Moderately extracted. Moderately
oaked. Mildly tannic. Black fruits, brown spices,
minerals. Aromatic and firm with an angular presence on
the palate. Fleshes out toward the lengthy finish."
Rated "92"
The Beverage Testing
Institute recently sent congratulations. The 1995 Reserve
Merlot received a Gold Medal
and a score of 92 points in the World
Wine Championships.
1995
Merlot Columbia Valley
The Washington Post, February 2, 2000 - "An utterly delicious
wine with lovely berry and black cherry fruit and an alluringly
earthy aromatic streak."
NW Palate, July/August
1998 - "Fresh berry in the nose with hints of eucalyptus.
Big, ripe blackberry and chocolate flavors. Soft tannins
for a pleasing finish. Try with roast tenderloin in a Madeira
sauce."
Rated "Exceptional"
Toast to the NW
Festival - "Soft in texture with pretty currant flavors that
gently lingers on the finish."
"Best of Show"
1998
Cabernet Sauvignon Columbia Valley
Wine Spectator - November 30, 2001 - "Ripe and supple,
with pretty plum and currant flavors on a fine-grained background.
Has an earthy edge on the finish, but the fruit echoes nicely.
Drink now through 2004. 3,248 cases made.
Rated "89"
Tri-Cities Wine
Festival - November 2001 Silver medalist.
Beverage Testing
Institute - October 2001 -
Rated "90" & "Exceptional
Enological Society
Annual Judging - August 2001 Bronze
medalist.
1997
Cabernet Sauvignon Columbia Valley
Wine Enthusiast, June 2000 - "There's a lovely sweetness
underlying the smoke, oak and black fruit in the nose, and it
follows through on the palate. The fruit tastes young, almost
soft enough to be called pretty, with cherry and berry flavors
co-mingling; but there's stuffing, thick tannins and spicy oak.
The finish is long, roasty-toasty and altogether captivating."
Rated "90"
Wine Press Northwest,
Summer 2000 - "Nice, fruity flavor with beautiful balance.
Silky and blended components."
Rated "Outstanding"
1999 Tri-Cities
Wine Festival - Silver medalist.
1996
Cabernet Sauvignon Columbia
Valley
Wine Spectator, August 31, 1999 - "A layer of
fine tannins surrounds a core of pretty violet-scented blackberry
and black currant flavors that linger nicely. Deserves cellaring;
best after 2001."
Rated "87"
1995
Cabernet Sauvignon Columbia Valley
The Washington Post, February 2, 2000 - "Not as charming
today as the two Waterbrook Merlots, but still very fine and perhaps
even better in the long run. Bright, intense and well balanced,
with subtle wood and nice blackberry fruit."
Wine Enthusiast,
December 15, 1998 - "Dark ruby with violet highlights.
Medium bodied. Highly extracted. Moderately tannic.
Cassis, spice, vanilla. Youthful, oak spice-dominated aromas
lead a brisk, tightly wound palate displaying intense black fruit
flavors and dusty, dry tannins."
Rated "92"
Wine Spectator,
May 1998 - "Firm in texture, with fine-grained tannins around
a nice core of bright currant and cherry flavors that meld with
spicy oak notes and linger on the harmonious finish.
Rated "88"
NW Palate, January/February
1998 - "A big styled wine that is still developing.
Red currant and oak show on the nose. Flavors suggest black
cherry and cassis. Very complex and full-bodied."
Rated "Highly Recommended"
1998
Red Mountain
Meritage
Columbia
Valley
Beverage Testing
Institute - October 2001 -
Rated "89" & "Highly Recommended"
Enological Society
Annual Judging - August 2001 Bronze Medalist.
NW Palate, March/Aprril
2001 - "Suave nose dominated by Cabernet Sauvignon, with ample
black raspberry and black cherry aromas. This tannic wine
has the essentials - complexity and intensity, balance, mouthfeel,
and length - but in needs time to meld. Cellar 3-5 years
to soften the tannins.
Rated "Highly Recommended"
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