Powers Cabernet-Merlot 2004 Columbia Valley
Here’s another good wine from a local Tri-City winery. Powers/Badger Mountain Winery is only a short five mile drive from my home. It's close enough and far enough away, that I often forget their label. And I haven't gone wine tasting there in 5 years. Once again my wife surprised me with a bottle of wine, “I would not have bought” the 2004 Powers Cabernet-Merlot. Wow! Have I been missing out. Amazingly I enjoyed this wine over 3 days and it was very good, ALL three days. This wine really has some life in it. You can enjoy it now or leave it in the cellar for a few more years. This wine is no longer listed on the winery web site, but it can still be found at grocers around the Tri-Cities (and reasonably priced too).
The Powers/Badger Mountain Winery tasting room is nestled on top of Badger Mountain in a residential area. When you are ready to go looking for them, don't give up hope, they are at the top of the hill, just down the road surrounded by homes. About the time you think you missed them, you'll see the sign to the winery on the right side of the road - bring your GPS just in case. Their facility has a park like area perfect for a spring/summer picnic.
Cheers!
Winemaker's Notes: This is always an interesting wine to put together, and 2004 was no exception. The year provided excellent, balanced fruit quality in all of the reds. The blend is 51% Cabernet Sauvignon from our Estate Vineyard, Badger Mountain, and 49% Merlot from Milbrant Vineyards in the new Wahluke Slope AVA. The Cabernet lots were fermented with Prise de Mousse yeast to emphasize fruit, and Merlot with D254 yeast to give bigger mouth feel, depth of fruit, and smooth tannin structure. The wines were in barrels (French oak, 40 % new, and American oak) for about 19 months. The blend was assembled at that point, and the wine was back in barrels for about 4 months before bottling in January of 2006. 700 cases made.