Coyote Canyon Vineyard Reserve Red Blend
⏳ Drinking Window
Typically best enjoyed 5–12 years from the vintage release, as its robust structure and oak integration develop beautifully with cellar aging.
🍽️ Food & Wine Pairings
Grilled ribeye steak, roasted rosemary lamb chops, braised beef short ribs
✨ Technical Specifications
Hailing from the wind-swept slopes of the Horse Heaven Hills AVA, the Coyote Canyon Vineyard is a prized site with a rich viticultural heritage, originally planted by the pioneering Andrews family. This rugged terroir, characterized by intense solar radiation, dramatic diurnal temperature shifts, and persistent winds, forces the vines to struggle, resulting in small, thick-skinned berries with exceptional flavor concentration and structured tannins. Columbia Crest's Reserve Red Blend from this vineyard represents a meticulous selection of the finest blocks, typically combining classic Bordeaux or Rhône varieties that thrive in these basalt-rich soils. Crafted using small-lot fermentation and aged in select French and American oak barrels, this wine is a powerful yet velvety expression of Washington State's unique high-desert landscape, balancing bold dark fruit flavors with a distinct mineral backbone.
🍾 About the Producer
Established in 1982 by Ste. Michelle Wine Estates, Columbia Crest was the pioneer winery founded within what is now the acclaimed Horse Heaven Hills AVA of eastern Washington. Situated along the benchlands above the Columbia River, the estate takes full advantage of a semi-arid, rain-shadowed microclimate marked by intense summer sunshine, constant river breezes that deter frost and pests, and fast-draining, wind-blown Warden silt loam soils. Initial plantings in 1978 and early winemaking under founding cellar master Doug Gore established the winery's benchmark status for reliable varietal purity and commercial scale. The production regimen bridges large-scale precision with small-lot barrel fermentation and French and American oak aging. Columbia Crest cemented its reputation when its 2005 Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon won Wine Spectator's Wine of the Year. Today, the estate produces tiered selections ranging from the everyday Two Vines and Grand Estates labels to vineyard-driven Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay expressions.