10/20/2005 Columbia Crest 2001 Grand Estates Merlot, #52 Of Wine Spectator 2004 top 100 wines

Columbia Crest 2001 Grand Estate Merlot
Columbia Valley, Washington
WS: 90
”Number 52 on Wine Spectator Top 100 Wines of 2004!”
Price: $6.91
Dealer: Costco

Contect Info:
85% Merlot, 10% Cabernet Franc,
5% Cabernet Sauvignon
Total acidity 0.53 g/100 ml
pH 3.65
Alcohol 13.5%

Official Comment:
“Blackberry and threads of raspberry and cocoa aromatics continue onto the palate. Velvety soft in the mouth, the Grand Estates Merlot offers a complex, seductive balance of fruit and toasty oak on the lingering finish.”

WS comment:
Consistently warm temperatures July through September yielded Merlot brimming with ripe, concentrated varietal character. Lots were crushed and destemmed, then each was fermented separately on the skins for five days. Certain lots then were designated to undergo extended contact with the skins to extract additional color, flavor and tannin. The wine was racked by gravity flow to predominantly new French and American oak barrels for malolactic fermentation and 16 months aging. During this time, barrel to barrel racking was done every three months with biweekly topping. After aging, the winemaker sampled each component wine and created a master blend featuring 60% of all fruit initially harvested for the Grand Estates program. A small amount of Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc also were added to the blend to broaden flavor complexity. The wine offers a chewy raspberry-blueberry core that is cloaked in toasty coconut. A structure of medium-plus tannins presents a velvety texture on the middle palate.

Personal Comment:
First of all, this merlot is at ranking 52 in the 2004 WS top 100 wines. Eventually it must provide certain degree of performance. It was opened under a very proper temperature condition. Without any further decanted, the aroma is already full of raspberry and bluerry flavor. Since few amount of Cabernet Savuignon and Cabernet Franc were mixed during the blending, the taste gives us sweet but slightly crisp, and velvety texture. So far, as I concern, it is a medium-body wine. Also the low price is represented as a part of good qualities for this merlot. Thus, I will recomment to buy now and drink it more …Cheers….
這是一款2001年份的Merlot是WineSpectator 2004年top100的第52名, 也是我進來喝過最清新可口又果香味充足的Merlot, 非常容易入口, 所以在喝完第一瓶後, 隨即就去Costco買了六罐回家, 作為招待親朋好友的紅酒, 現在就來談談品嚐的經過.
當天的氣溫很適合品嚐紅酒,軟木塞”啵”的一聲,隨即帶來滿室芬芳的強烈感受,注入杯中之 後,石榴般的紅寶石色,給予新鮮亮麗的色澤感,新鮮的果香裡,包含著藍莓(Blueberry)的香氣,且帶著些微的煙薰味,含在口中那少少的單寧隨即地 發揮作用,使得豐富的甜味變變得更加的爽口,而不會膩,這款酒整體的層次上不複雜,非常容易入口,在喝完一罐,朋友馬上又慫恿再來一罐,真是越喝越過癮, 簡直是欲罷不能.
兩天過後, 把整瓶喝完, 原本燻烤的味道更加的濃郁了, 而果香依舊仍然存在, 真是一款不錯的Merlot.


飲葡萄酒的歷史, 又翻開新的一頁...