Drink the Bottles

  The Red Mountain AVA of Benton County, Washington produces some of the finest grapes of the region, cultivating into wines that have unique expressions and Old World charm.  The  2019 Hedges Family Estate La Haute Cuvée is a fine example of terroir and the feel of a wine that could be cellared for 15+ years.  Winemaker Sara Goedhart has nearly 10 years as head winemaker at Hedges Family Estate and her twenty plus years in the business is evident in the bottle we have today. Gorgeous, deep eggplant color that oozes to the edge of the glass.  This wine was not decanted but it was provided about twenty minutes of air time in the glass prior to tasting.  The first thing we noticed about this wine was how herbaceous it is and not the fruit bomb we may have been expecting.  Again, Old World style here all the way.  Fresh blackberries, dark chocolate shavings, pencil lead, mocha and leather blended effortlessly, each trying to take their turns to shin...

I do not drink many French wines for one reason or another, so when I tasted this 2015 Betz Family Winery Heart of the Hill Cabernet Sauvignon I was incredibly pleased and surprised by what I found.  I did absolutely no research on this wine before decanting and tasting it, and this wine immediately moved me to a quaint cafe, sipping this gem with good friends along the Champs Elysees under a mid day sun.  This medium to dark purple wine has very balanced aromas of blackberry pie, campfire smoke, seeping tea and cocoa powder, and none of these are overpowering.  This wine is an eyebrow raiser for sure and the flavors of blackcurrant, blueberry, smoke, dark chocolate-covered coffee beans and hints of grilling spices all combine for a velvety, savory broth-like feel that fills the mouth and lingers for many moments.  This wine was such a lovely surprise to taste and could end up as a "perfect" wine with a few more years under its belt in the cellar.  Yo...

Oh what fun this gem is!  The 2013 Hedges Family Estate Red Mountain Blend is made up of a myriad of popular wines.  Very dark in the glass all the way to the edge and the well balanced acidity provides for a tart beginning to a semi-sweet, solid finish on this medium bodied, well rounded wine.  A lot of dark fruits are popping through here and they are balanced with the herbs and leathery goodness that come through on the nose and in the mouth.  This wine would pair extremely well with a French Onion Soup or a beautiful bone-in ribeye.  This has been in bottle for nearly 4 years and you could drink this in 5 years and be just as satisfied, if not more.   The makeup on this wine is Cabernet Sauvignon (59%), Merlot (28%), Cabernet Franc (5%), Malbec (4%), Petite Verdot (2%) and Syrah (2%).  Did I mention that I love the color? ABV:  13.5% Red Mountain, Washington Suggested retail price:  $28.00 Drink The Bottles sc...