Columbia Crest

Following the completion of its winery and guest center, Columbia Crest released its first wine in 1985: a medium-dry blend of Riesling, Gewürztraminer and Muscat Canelli from the 1984 vintage. In 1988, the winery released its first Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot varietal wines produced from the 1984 vintage. Columbia Crest Winery is a wholly owned subsidiary of Ste. Michelle Wine Estates. Columbia Crest’s vineyard holdings consist of approximately 2,500 acres planted with a variety of grapes, including Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Riesling and Syrah. Today, Columbia Crest’s portfolio of wine is produced by Winemaker Juan Muñoz Oca and includes Grand Estates, H3, Reserve and Two Vines. Previous Columbia Crest reviews have demonstrated the winery’s great reputation, including Wine Enthusiast Magazine conferring its Editors’ Choice designation on the 1998 Reserve Red Blend, 1998 Reserve Chardonnay and 2006 Reserve Syrah. Wine Enthusiast also gave the 2002 Grand Estate Shiraz the number-one best buy on its Top 100 Best Buys of 2006 list.

Sort By:

points

Columbia Crest 1998 Reserve Ice Wine Sémillon (Columbia Valley (WA))

Price $28

Thick, viscous wine, with a rich butterscotch center and layers of tropical fruit. Rich, ripe, hot and heavy; a stunning success. — P.G. (6/1/2000)

points

Columbia Crest 1996 Reserve Syrah (Columbia Valley (WA))

Price $20

Rich, dark and plummy black fruit, accented with smoke and pepper. No rough edges; it’s polished, smooth and seamlessly complete. — P.G. (9/1/2000)

points

Columbia Crest 1999 Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon (Columbia Valley (WA))

Price $28

The nose is big, fat and forward, showing plenty of plush vanilla and sweet cream, matched with ripe black cherry fruit. Oodles of rich fruit, fat, creamy, buttery oak and a silky, unctuous mouthfeel coat the palate. This is a consumer-friendly, forward, ripe and luscious style of wine. —P.G. — P.G. (9/1/2002)

points

Columbia Crest 1999 Cabernet Sauvignon-Merlot (Columbia Valley (WA))

Price $30

It’s made from small lots, cordoned off in the winery and ultimately selected for the final blend, in this year 51% Cabernet and 49% Merlot. The nose has a pleasing texture; along with the fruit, there are hints of mineral, sandalwood, anise and a suggestion of cilantro. Seamless and surprisingly soft, it’s back-loaded with fruit flavor and plenty of oak. —P.G. — P.G. (9/1/2002)

points

Columbia Crest 2009 Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon (Columbia Valley (WA))

Cellar Selection
Online Exclusive

Price $45

An outstanding Reserve, this opens with potent aromas of spice and cacao, which lead onto a muscular, sleek and stylish palate that shows terrific depth of black fruits. The wine has exceptional structure, and it remains nuanced, with details of earth and stem. — P.G. (4/1/2013)

points

Columbia Crest 1998 Reserve Red Wine (Columbia Valley (WA))

Editors' Choice

Price $32

The top of the line for Columbia Crest, this powerful, classy blend is a very polished effort. It leads with rich, textured scents of ripe red and black fruits, accented with toast and vanilla. There are some lovely spices—pepper and fines herbes—that add welcome interest. Overall it’s lush and mouth-filling, built to age but delicious right away. — P.G. (12/31/2001)

points

Columbia Crest 1998 Reserve Syrah (Columbia Valley (WA))

Editors' Choice

Price $28

Jammy, with blueberry, cream and soy notes, the nose of this ripe, dark wine is a veritable creme de Syrah. It's full-bodied, with good structure and grape, cedar and dried-spice flavors. Ripe for drinking now, this will hold through mid-decade, maybe longer. — W.E. (11/1/2001)

points

Columbia Crest 1998 Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon (Columbia Valley (WA))

Price $28

The price to quality quotient of this winery never fails to amaze. Here is top of the line treatment for a mid-level price. Supple, silky and delicious, the wine smells and tastes of mint, chocolate and vanilla, wrapped around seamless red fruit. Spicy and crisply defined, it is long and satisfying. — P.G. (12/31/2001)

Most Reviewed Designations

Estate Series Grand Estates H3 H3 Les Chevaux Red Wine Reserve Reserve White Blend Stone Tree Vineyard Reserve Two Vines Two Vines Vineyard 10 Red Wine Walter Clore Private Reserve Walter Clore Private Reserve Red Wine

Most Reviewed Varietals

Bordeaux-style Red Blend Cabernet Sauvignon Chardonnay Gewürztraminer Merlot Merlot-Cabernet Pinot Gris Red Blend Riesling Sauvignon Blanc Shiraz Syrah

2009 Russian River Vineyards Estate Grown

Rich flavors of cherries, persimmons, cola, anise and oak flood the…

(Sponsored)