Wine Peeps is an independent wine blog dedicated to helping you get the most bang for your buck in wine. We do this through blind tastings of wine from around the world and calculations of 
A Wine for Tonight: 2008 Columbia Crest Grand Estates Amitage Red Blend
By Kori ~ May 3rd, 2012.
Would you like a quick suggestion for a good wine to drink tonight (or this weekend) that won’t break your budget and is widely available? Many of our readers have said this is something they would like, so here is this week’s selection, the 2008 Columbia Crest Grand Estates Amitage Red Blend from the Columbia Valley of Washington State.
Our selection criteria include:
- A very good Quality rating of >=3.5 stars (out of 5)
- A price tag of <=$20
- Must be widely available
Columbia Crest, located in Paterson, Washington, has been one of our favorite sources of value wines for many years. Last year, Juan Munoz Oca took over as head winemaker from Ray Einberger. Einberger had been at the helm since 2002 when he took the reins from Doug Gore who had been the winemaker since Columbia Crest was founded in 1983. The Columbia Crest winemaking team has produced more 90+ scoring bottles of wine than any other winery in the world. For those of us who live in Washington State, it is nice to have such a consistent, affordable producer in our own backyard.
“This complex red exhibits layer flavors of blackberries and plums with a subtle spiciness and silky mouthfeel that leads to a long, elegant finish.†–Winemaker Juan Munoz Oca
2008 Columbia Crest Grand Estates Amitage Red Blend (Columbia Valley, Washington): 64% Merlot, 19% Syrah, 7% Cabernet Franc, 4.5% Malbec, and 5.5% Cabernet Sauvignon. Deep, dark red. Aromatic with creosote, black fruit, and smoke on the nose. More black fruit and smoke as well as leather come through on the palate. Medium to full-bodied with lively acidity, and medium to high, dry tannins. Well-balanced with a long finish.
Quality: 4 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 5 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: Received as sample, suggested retail $12; Available elsewhere, $7 to $13
Filed under: A Wine for Tonight, American Wine, Five-Bangs For Your Buck Wines, Red Wine, Washington State Wine, Wines Under $15, Wines Under $20, Wines Under $25
