The first wine in question, the Snoqualmie Whistle Stop Red, is a pleasant Cabernet (70%) and Merlot (30%) blend that retails for about $10-$13 when available. I picked up the bottle at Total Wine and More in Newport News, VA for $11.99.
Initial Impressions: Overall the wine has surprisingly great color, especially for the pricepoint. It has a great dark garnet color and is pretty much opague. The density of the color is great, barely having any color change when tipping the glass. Overall, it is great showing for the pricepoint.
Nose: A little tight, the nose is showing some nice hints of plum, red fruit, a little hint of milk chocolate, dark chocolate and a little alcohol. Its a pretty simplistic nose overall, with nothing being too hard to find and the nose not evolving all that much with time in the glass. It is certainly attractive, albeit simple, and on par with a lot of offerings in the $10-$20 spectrum.
Taste: Overall a nice amount of strawberries, red currant, cherries, and some faint hints of chocolate and mocha. Its a little hollow on the mid palate, tapering off with the strawberry flavors, then coming on strong with a lot of red fruit and some mild acidity. The finish is not terribly long, tapering off after about 15 seconds or so. There are no real tannins or structure to speak of, showing that this wine would probably fall apart after a few years. Not by any means complex, but it is a very fun wine and not offensive by any means.
Overall: This is a very nice simple wine, not something that will change your life or make you fall in love, but again I don't really expect it at this pricepoint. It is certainly a very pleasant wine, albeit a little boring. I would definitely pick this one up again, especially for parties, as it will be a nice inoffensive red for guest and those just getting into wine. 86 Points
Next up on the list is the Columbia Crest H3 2005 Merlot. H3, standing for Horse Heaven Hills, is a value priced Merlot from one of the more famous growing regions in Washington. This particular vintage picked up an 88 from Wine Spectator, quite high for the price point. I picked up the bottle for $12.99 at Total Wine and More in Newport News, VA.Initial Impression: Much like the Snoqualmie, this wine is rocking with the color. It has a beautiful, opaque, blackish garnet color, that is nice and dense. This is a great initial impression for a wine at this pricepoint to make. There is not much of an initial nose, just a nice hint of plum and dark chocolate at the front end.
Nose: This nose is very, very attractive, on par with a lot of $30 efforts that you will see out of California and Washington. There is a beautiful plum component, with nice layers of chocolate, cassis, and faint spices coming through. There isnt a huge amount of complexity, but definitely a lot more than you would think for something at this pricepoint.
Taste: Much like the Snoqualmie, this is a very pleasant tasting wine, albeit with a more tannins and structure to hold it up. There is a great red fruit component, with cassis, mocha, and asian spices bringing up the rear. It is pretty straightforward, with not a huge amount of complexity or layers to it. There is a bit more structure when compared to the Snoqualmie, but not so much that I would think this could last much longer than two years. It is definitely something you want to drink now.
Overall Impressions: Much like the other wine, this is a very nice, pleasant, racy wine that gives the drinking a good amount of satisfaction, staying inoffensive across the entire experience, and an easy drinker. This is not something to put away for a special occasion, but a great overall choice for an everyday wine. 87 Points
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