Columbia Crest spotlight
The official Columbia Crest Winery channel presents the house that founded Horse Heaven Hills winemaking, the same producer behind this Founders Series Cabernet.
2021 Columbia Crest Founders Series Cabernet Sauvignon, Horse Heaven Hills, USA
Guy Barnes's Founders Series Cabernet from Horse Heaven Hills, earthy vanilla and dark red fruit, a 2021 you can open at ten dollars.
The 2021 is 98.5 percent Cabernet Sauvignon with Petit Verdot from Horse Heaven Hills: toasted vanilla, dark red fruit, and a lush close, now $10.
The founding winery of Horse Heaven Hills, priced like a Tuesday
Columbia Crest was the first winery in the Horse Heaven Hills AVA. Founders Series is the line that wears that fact: estate fruit plus local family farms, Guy Barnes in the cellar. The 2021 Cabernet is 98.5 percent Cabernet with a splash of Petit Verdot. Wine Enthusiast found blueberry, sandalwood, and plump tannin. Ten dollars against a $20 typical retail.
The house
Columbia Crest opened in 1983 beside the Columbia River and remains the founding winery of Horse Heaven Hills. Ste. Michelle is the parent. This bottle is the house Cabernet line.
The wine
98.5% Cabernet Sauvignon, 1.5% Petit Verdot. 14.5% ABV. Estate vineyards and family farms in a rugged AVA.
The scores
Wine Enthusiast 89: blueberry scone, sandalwood, violets, blackberry, chocolate, fennel, plump tannin.
The drinker
Serve near 62 F. A short splash of air. Pepper-crusted filet or roasted vegetables.
Dark fruit, vanilla, then plump tannin
The winery sheet is earthy toasted vanilla and lush dark red fruit. Wine Enthusiast added blueberry scone, sandalwood, violets, blackberry, dark chocolate, and fennel on sturdy, plump tannin.
A bold, balanced Washington Cabernet year on this site. Drink it now. The tannins are already plump.
Dark red fruit, blackberry, blueberry, toasted vanilla, sandalwood, violet.
Medium body, 14.5% ABV, plump tannin, a lush close.
Chocolate and fennel. Serve 60 to 64 F. A short splash of air.
Almost all Cabernet, a little Petit Verdot
On the Columbia Crest Founders Series sheet the 2021 is 98.5 percent Cabernet Sauvignon and 1.5 percent Petit Verdot, 14.5 percent alcohol. Guy Barnes's brief is the best of the vintage from estate vines and local family farms.
Horse Heaven Hills is wind, basalt, and a long season. Cabernet likes that. Petit Verdot is a drop of color and spice, not a second wine.
Serve near 62 F. This is a drink-now Cabernet with enough tannin for a pepper crust.
Named for a mountain, founded for an AVA
Columbia Crest takes its name from the highest peak on Mount Rainier. The winery itself is the first one in Horse Heaven Hills.
Since 1983 the house has farmed a large Horse Heaven Hills estate and bought from family growers. Founders Series exists to bottle that heritage.
Guy Barnes is head winemaker. The brief is vineyard selection that delivers the vintage, every vintage.
This 2021 Cabernet is that idea at ten dollars: Washington Cabernet with an AVA address and a Tuesday price.
Pepper-crusted beef and roasted roots
The winery pairing is roasted vegetables and pepper-crusted filet. Plump tannin wants a crust and a little char.
Two plates. One pepper-crusted filet. One tray of roasted root vegetables. Both can take Horse Heaven Cabernet.
Serve 60 to 64 F. No long decant. A splash of air is enough.
Pepper-Crusted Filet Mignon
A pepper crust and a tender steak for vanilla, chocolate, and plump tannin.
Why it works: Pepper and beef fat meet dark fruit. The wine's tannin has somewhere to land.
View Recipe for pepper-crusted filet (opens in a new tab)
Roasted Root Vegetables
Caramelized roots, the winery's other pairing for this Cabernet.
Why it works: Roasted sweetness echoes toasted vanilla. Earthy vegetables match the wine's savory line.
View Recipe for roasted root vegetables (opens in a new tab)Put this Horse Heaven Cabernet in the cart
Founders Series, Guy Barnes, Horse Heaven Hills. Ten dollars.
Put it in the cart. This is Washington Cabernet from the AVA's founding winery, priced to open tonight.
