Pheasant Run Vineyard Reserve Merlot
⏳ Drinking Window
Typically best enjoyed 5–12 years from vintage release.
🍽️ Food & Wine Pairings
roasted duck, creamy mushroom risotto, grilled lamb chops
✨ Technical Specifications
Representing the pinnacle of Columbia Crest's artisanal winemaking, the Reserve Merlot sourced from the prestigious Walla Walla Valley showcases the exceptional potential of Washington State Merlot. The Walla Walla Valley, with its unique combination of wind-blown loess soils, warm days, and cool nights, imparts a distinctive structural elegance and aromatic complexity to the grape. In the cellar, Columbia Crest treats its Reserve tier with meticulous care, employing small-lot fermentation and extensive aging in select French oak barrels. This approach yields a Merlot of remarkable depth, balancing lush black cherry and plum flavors with refined tannins, cocoa notes, and a vibrant mineral undertone. It stands as a testament to the region's history, where early viticultural pioneers discovered that the rugged Columbia Basin terroir could produce Merlots capable of rivaling the finest in the world.
🍾 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
Merlot