Horse Heaven Hills Red Blend: A $15 Winner

This is an easy drinking, crowd-pleasing wine.  I initially looked for the 2016 Cabernet, yet found this lovely bottle at my local grocery store.  This wine is ready now with plush fruit flavors and soft tannins.  This is the 2014 Horse Heaven Hills Red Blend Les Chevaux from Columbia Crest.

Horse Heaven Hills is the AVA (American Viticultural Area) where the grapes come from that go into this wine.  This is the 3rd largest AVA (based on the acreage planted with vines) in Washington State, and many of the highly rated wines of Washington come from this area.

This wine is a blend of 63% Syrah, 33% Merlot, and 4% Viognier. It’s aged for almost 20 months in a combination of American and French Oak, with 40% being new oak.

This is a wonderful wine for mid-week or for your next party.  I have frequently found the wines of Columbia Crest very approachable and very drinkable for a modest investment.

If you cannot find the 2014, I would look for the 2016 Cabernet.  Wine Spectator just awarded the wine a score of 90 points, and the price makes it a real bargain

Enjoy!