Reserve Chardonnay
⏳ Drinking Window
2021 - 2025
🍽️ Food & Wine Pairings
Roasted chicken, creamy mushroom risotto, seared scallops
✨ Technical Specifications
Columbia Crest's Reserve Chardonnay represents the pinnacle of the winery's white winemaking, showcasing the unique terroir of the Columbia Valley, particularly the wind-swept, sun-drenched vineyards of the Horse Heaven Hills. Historically, Washington State's dramatic diurnal temperature shifts allow Chardonnay grapes to develop rich, ripe tropical fruit flavors while retaining a vibrant, crisp acidity. This Reserve bottling is crafted using traditional Burgundian techniques, including barrel fermentation in French oak, extensive sur lie aging with regular stirring to build a creamy, luxurious texture, and malolactic fermentation. The result is a sophisticated, layered expression that balances rich buttery notes with bright, structured fruit, standing as a testament to the vision of Washington wine pioneers who proved the region could produce world-class white wines.
🍾 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
Chardonnay
🍷 ABV
14-14.5%