Terra Blanca Winery 2008 Signature Series Merlot, Red Mountain, $40
Keith Pilgrim’s showpiece winery and estate vineyards overlooking the Yakima Valley helped transform Red Mountain a destination in the 1990s. The fruit for his Signature project gets more hangtime than his Arch Terrace line, and that’s evident in this bottling that opens with dense aromas of black cherry, chocolate, black pepper and porcini mushroom. On the pour are flavors of cherry cola and a pleasing plumminess, backed by smooth tannins and juicy acidity. This earned a silver medal at the 2014 Seattle Wine & Food Experience Wine Competition, and look for these wines at Terra Blanca’s on-premise Cafe Orsa as well as Spokane’s Nectar Tasting Room.
Rating: Excellent
Production: 580 cases
Alcohol: 13.5%
I would like to add that the 2011 Columbia Crest Grand Estates Merlot is also outstanding, especially at its price point.