In France, top wineries will “declassify” some of the barrels in their cellars. This allows them to put their best barrels into the top wines, then offer the barrels that didn’t quite make the cut into a lower-priced wine. We see this in Washington with Woodward Canyon, which created Nelms Road for this purpose. Shining Hill is the second label for Col Solare, allowing winemaker Marcus Notaro to declassify some of the barrels that don’t make the cut for the final blend of the flagship wine. What we end up is a beautiful red blend that is heavy on Cabernet Sauvignon (69%) and also includes Merlot, Petit Verdot, Cabernet Franc and Syrah. It’s big, plump wine with ample aromas of cherry, blueberry, chocolate and vanilla, followed by smooth, approachable flavors of boysenberry, blueberry, cherry tobacco and dark chocolate. It’s nicely balanced with solid acidity and ample tannins. We like this wine with flank steak.
Rating: Excellent
Production: 1,000 cases
Alcohol: 14.5%
When is the right time to open 2009 Shining Hill?
Greetings.
Shining Hill is crafted from lots that don’t quite fit the profile for the age-worthy Col Solare tasting room and club wines. The 2009 vintage was solid vintage for Washington state, warmer than the two cooler growing seasons of 2010 and 2011, and Shining Hill tends to be more along the lines of medium bodied than Col Solare wines. I don’t think you’d be disappointed if you opened the 2009 Shining Hill this summer. Let us know how it shows.
Sincerely,
Eric.