H3 Cabernet Sauvignon
⏳ Drinking Window
Typically best enjoyed 3–7 years from vintage release.
🍽️ Food & Wine Pairings
Grilled ribeye steak, roasted lamb chops, portobello mushrooms
✨ Technical Specifications
The 'H3' designation pays homage to Washington State's spectacular Horse Heaven Hills AVA, a terroir steeped in local lore. Legend has it that in 1857, pioneer James Kinney gazed upon the wind-swept, bunchgrass-covered ridges and declared it 'horse heaven.' Today, this rugged landscape, framed by the Columbia River, provides a dramatic home for Cabernet Sauvignon. The region's relentless winds thicken the grape skins, yielding wines of deep color and robust structure, while the sandy loam soils and intense solar radiation create concentrated dark fruit flavors. Columbia Crest crafts this Cabernet to showcase the wild, powerful spirit of the hills, balancing bold tannins with a velvety, approachable texture derived from careful oak aging.
🍾 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
14.0-14.5%