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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!
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