Though the Wine Advocate has been bellowing it for years, it is worth repeating: Columbia Crest is the source of some of the finest values in the world. I am awestruck that winemaker Ray Einberger and his team can produce such quality in industrial-size quantities. Spices, blackberries, and cassis are found in the nose of another extraordinary value, the 2002 Cabernet Sauvignon Grand Estates (97,000 cases). Medium-bodied and satin-textured, it offers impressive concentration and depth to its blackberry-dominated character. It should be consumed over the next 2-3 years.
Tel. (509) 875-2061; www.columbia-crest.com