Skip to main content

Hedges Three Vineyards 2006

Red Mountain

I've enjoyed Hedges wines for many years. You can find their signature Red and White CMS wines all over the state of Washington.

Two years ago, we enjoyed a private "Star Party" at the beautiful Hedges Family Estate chateau. The head winemaker Pete Hedges and his wife were enchanting hosts. They provided food and libations into the evening, after sunset, we were joined by the Tri-City Astronomy club for a night of star gazing. It's so dark on Red Mountain, it seems as if you can almost touch the heavens. A truly one of a kind experience.

Hedges also makes a fantastic Rose wine. Crisp, dry and fruity, the way I like it. The 2008 vintage should be seeing the light of day soon. Look for it if you live in King county (alas, not much of a market for it in SE Washington). Locally you have to purchase the Rose from their Red Mountain winery. But this post isn't about Rose.

Yesterday, I cracked open a bottle of Hedges 2006 Three Vineyards. This is a robust Red Mountain fruit red wine. I needed something after a day of packing. This wine is coming together, but there's still a hint of tartness. Tart is not bad, it should go great with food and implies that *time will smooth it out further. The Red Mountain fruit stands out in this full bodied red, there's 51% Merlot in this blend, you can tell by the rich, round fruit in the mouth, the 38% Cab Sav helps with the tasty finish, completed by 7% Cab Franc and 4% Syrah, which add flavors of violets. Oh, and the great tannins add to the structure. I like it. It will be interesting to try this one again in two years when I'm back in Washington.

*note: Day two, tartness gone, just smooth and rich. Oh yeah, a lot of life in this wine, either let it breath for several hours or stash it away and open in a couple of years. A huge wine.

Web: http://www.hedgesfamilyestate.com/

Not much I can do about the quality of the photo - my digital camera is packed away for the move, so I'm getting by with my cell phone camera.

Cheers!

Popular posts from this blog

Review: Sho Chiku Bai, Unfiltered Sake

Last month in Seattle, I purchased a bottle of Nigori sake at Uwajimaya. Uwajimaya is one of the largest Asian grocery retailers in the Pacific Northwest. I’ve been visiting Uwajimaya for almost 40 years. When I was much younger, I’d buy model ship and plane kits, Japanese comic books (manga) and I never left without at least one steaming Humbow in hand. Today I buy the manga for my son; while I still enjoy the tasty steamed Humbows, now I never leave without at least one bottle of Sake in hand. Uwajimaya has a terrific selection of imported sake. This most recent visit, I left with a bottle of Sho Chiku Bai Nigori sake. Nigori sake is generally the sweetest of all sakes, with a fruity nose and a mild flavor, making a great drink to complement spicy foods or as a dessert wine. Typical sake is usually filtered to remove grain solids left behind after the fermentation process; however Nigori sake remains unfiltered, resulting in a cloudier beverage. Before serving, the bottle must

My Current State of Wine

"Do I still work in the wine industry?" Like many of you, the Covid pandemic altered my life trajectory. Today, I am going to re-cap where I am in the wine industry. My story will bounce back and forth for context. Remember, I like to connect the dots. The Walter Clore Wine and Culinary Center in Prosser, Washington. First, everyone asks me, what happened to the Walter Clore Wine and Culinary Center (Clore Center)? Good question. The Clore Center, located in Prosser, Washington, birthplace of Washington wine, opened in 2014 as a not for profit. The primary mission of the Clore Center was to promote " Washington state wine ." I began working at the Clore Center in October 2015. My last title was, Wine Education Coordinator . We finally, sadly, closed our doors in November 2020.  It was my sincerest pleasure to work at the Clore Center for five years. I made many friends in the industry and in the community. I met many people from around the country and from around th

A Special Oregon Pinot Noir with Eastern North Carolina Inspired Ribs #OTBN #winePW 10

Open That Bottle Night - A great excuse for a Wine Pairing Weekend.  February 28th was Open That Bottle Night - I selected a bottle of wine I helped blend using barrel samples of Pinot Noir from R. Stuart winery in McMinville, Oregon. I was saving this bottle for a special occasion and knew it was likely time to open and drink. I hoped it had improved. "Blending wine is no task for mere mortals."   - William Pollard Jr.  Our Wine Pairing Weekend group decided Open That Bottle Night would be an appropriate occasion to pair our selected bottle of wine with something special as well. After some consideration, I decided North Carolina ribs would likely pair well with my special bottle of Oregon Pinot Noir. For this post I'll review the wine first, then provide the recipe, and wrap up with the results of this wine + food pairing. *Note: What is Open That Bottle Night? Wife and Husband columnists Dorothy J. Gaiter and John Brecher invented Open That Bottle