Shaw Red Mountain Vineyards Reserve Merlot
⏳ Drinking Window
Typically best enjoyed 5–15 years from vintage release.
🍽️ Food & Wine Pairings
Grilled ribeye steak, roasted rosemary lamb chops, aged Gouda cheese
✨ Technical Specifications
Hailing from the sun-drenched slopes of the Red Mountain AVA, the Shaw Vineyard is legendary for producing some of Washington State's most powerful and structured red wines. Columbia Crest's Reserve Merlot from this acclaimed site showcases the dramatic terroir of one of the Pacific Northwest's warmest microclimates. Swept by persistent winds and defined by high-calcium, gravelly soils, the vines yield small, concentrated berries with thick skins. This results in a Merlot of remarkable depth, boasting robust tannins and intense dark fruit character that challenges the traditional soft perception of the varietal. The winemaking team employs meticulous barrel selection, aging the wine in premium French oak to seamlessly integrate its bold structure with refined complexity, honoring the pioneering spirit of Washington viticulture.
🍾 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