H3 Red Blend
⏳ Drinking Window
Typically best enjoyed within 3–7 years of vintage release.
🍽️ Food & Wine Pairings
Grilled ribeye steak, roasted lamb chops, hearty beef stew
✨ Technical Specifications
The H3 Red Blend from Columbia Crest celebrates the rugged beauty and unique viticultural heritage of the Horse Heaven Hills AVA in Washington State. The 'H3' moniker pays homage to this distinctive terroir, where wild horses historically roamed the windswept ridges. Defined by intense solar radiation, well-draining sandy loam soils, and powerful winds sweeping through the Columbia River Gorge, the region coaxes concentrated flavors and thick skins from the grapes. The winemaking approach focuses on preserving this vibrant fruit character, utilizing temperature-controlled fermentation and aging in a combination of French and American oak barrels to deliver a velvety, approachable, and structurally balanced red blend.
🍾 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
Syrah, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon
🍷 ABV
14-14.5%