According to marketing director Tom Cottrell, Washington Hills
Cellars is, "either the largest small winery in the region, or the
smallest large winery, depending on your point of view." At 60,000
cases a year and growing, this producer is helping bring Pacific
Northwest wines to the broader market they deserve. The Washington
Hills 1998 Merlot is smooth and balanced with lush plum fruit,
smoky notes, and a balanced finish.
ROSEMOUNT ESTATE 2000 CHARDONNAY SEMILLON, AUSTRALIA
($8)
While Chardonnay still continues to bask in the limelight of public
affection, Semillon is a work-horse grape and one of the more
unappreciated white varieties. In Bordeaux, Semillon is blended
with Sauvignon Blanc to make some of the best French whites, but it
has also been widely grown in
Australia, possibly arriving there
from
South Africa. Aussie winemakers use it for both bone-dry table
wines and lusciously sweet late-harvest dessert wines. Earlier
Australian efforts were often misleadingly labeled as Riesling,
Chablis, or white Burgundy, but thanks to truth in labeling,
Semillon now proudly bears its own name on Australian bottles.
Australia's Rosemount has taken a new tack with Semillon, blending
it with the more trendy and showy Chardonnay. Given Semillon's
uncomplaining, accommodating character, the marriage works
beautifully. This juicy and bright Chardonnay Semillon from the
2000 vintage has tangy tones of apple and spice, leading to a long,
clean finish. The price makes it appropriate as a house white for
day-to-day quaffing.
COASTAL RIDGE 1998 CABERNET SAUVIGNON, CALIFORNIA ($7)
In the headlong plunge toward astronomically priced,
limited-edition boutique Cabernets, it's nice to know that someone
is still making Cabs that don't run into three figures. This one
won't even make a two-figure dent in your wallet. The Coastal Ridge
label is the latest creation from Bronco Wines, a large California
producer offering a large selection of good-value bottles. If
you're an enthusiastic bargain-hunter, some other Bronco labels to
round up include Napa Ridge, Hacienda, Montpellier, and Forest
Glen.