Crowdsourced Cabernet Sauvignon
⏳ Drinking Window
Typically best enjoyed 3–8 years from the vintage release.
🍽️ Food & Wine Pairings
Grilled ribeye steak, roasted lamb chops, hearty beef stew
✨ Technical Specifications
The Crowdsourced Cabernet Sauvignon by Columbia Crest represents a groundbreaking chapter in Washington State winemaking. Launched as an innovative, industry-first digital experiment, the winery invited wine enthusiasts from around the globe to vote on every pivotal decision shaping this wine. From managing the canopy and determining irrigation schedules in the estate vineyards of the Horse Heaven Hills AVA, to selecting the harvest date, oak aging regime, and final blend, the online community directed the hands of head winemaker Juan Muñoz-Oca. This unique collaborative effort yielded a classic Washington Cabernet, defined by the intense solar radiation and cooling winds of the Columbia River gorge, resulting in a rich profile of dark berries, cocoa, and the signature dusty tannins of the region.
🍾 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.
🍇 Grapes
Cabernet Sauvignon
🍷 ABV
14.5%