Chateau Ste. Michelle Wines, Pt. 2

Last week I discussed a couple of white wines from Chateau Ste. Michelle labels. This week, it’s two red wines from the Pacific Northwest, a pinot noir from the Willamette Valley, and a red table wine blend from the Columbia Valley.

The Erath, a 2008 Pinot Noir from the Willamette Valley in Oregon, was uncorked first. As you might have noticed — and if you didn’t, the bottle will tell you — Erath is an anagram of both HEART and EARTH. Yep. As the wine’s philosophy of sorts is spelled out on the label, Grapes from the EARTH, wines from the HEART… ERATH. The Estate Selection designation simply means the best grapes were selected from the various Willamette Valley acreage to produce this wine, and it garnered a bit of praise from critics.

I was looking forward to this wine, not because it waxes poetic about the oneness with Nature, but because it’s an Oregon pinot noir, from an American region long revered for its pinots. Aromatically I found it a bit metallic, tannic, but spicy and floral. Overall, this was a solid setup for what promised to be an interesting wine.

Strangely, instead of bursting with red/purple fruit flavors and more of that spiciness, it drank like a malbec: lots of flowery notes up front, peppery but not alcoholic, the barest hints at plum, then… poof! Completely dry and clean by the finish. It doesn’t linger on the palate whatsoever. Maybe because of this, we found that it paired well with whatever we cared to eat with it. Erath pinot, you crazy mixed-up wine, you!

Next, the 2008 Columbia Crest Amitage, a “Red Blend” from the Columbia Valley. I know Columbia Crest, and have enjoyed a couple of their wines in the past based on recommendations from friends. In general, Columbia Crest specializes in reasonably-priced wines that exceed expectations, at least as far as I’ve concluded, and the 2008 Amitage appears to be no exception, garnering a “Best Value” designation from Wine Spectator. It’s a blend of 64% Merlot, 19% Syrah, and the balance Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Malbec.

I poured a glass and let it warm slightly before tasting. It’s a big cloud of spicy dryness, and not just a small amount of alcohol (despite its reasonable 13.5% level). Taking the first few sips, I was mostly struck by the fullness of the mouthfeel compared to that airy nose. Lots of dry blackberry coupled to, yes, a spiciness — a little anise, a little clove — and just a lot of fruit wiping out any possibility of astringency through the finish, which lingers a long while (unlike its predecessor above). I’m rather fond of this wine.

While I can’t compare the two wines directly, if I went by pure hedonistic delight, I’d go for the 2008 Amitage. I like the fullness of this wine, and I could see drinking a lot more of it. While the Erath pinot noir was pleasant enough, I’m just not that into such a dry red, I suppose. You wouldn’t go wrong drinking either wine, however, so depending on your mood, they’re both worth your time.

Please note that Chateau Ste. Michelle and their PR provided products to me without charge. I received no monetary compensation for this review, nor was I obliged in any way to post about this experience, positively or otherwise. This is my own opinion and I feel it was unbiased; you are free to take from this what you will.