You’ve surely heard the hype about the 2000 Bordeaux wines: the best vintage since 1961; the greatest vintage of the 20th century, if not all time; God in a bottle. And so on.
One problem is that many of the wines that critics and connoisseurs are lavishing such praise upon cost $80 a bottle and up$450 a bottle for the 2000 Château Lafite Rothschild and $1,200 for a 2000 Petrus, to cite two ethereal examples. And you have to cellar them for 10 to 30 years before they will achieve their true greatness. While I’ve not been among the blessed few permitted to taste such godhead Bordeaux, I have tasted a few in the $80 range, and, oh yes, they are great even in their youth.
But you and I don’t live in the realm of 80-bucks-a-pop wine. We have to settle for $20 and under. And, as things turn out, that’s not such a bad thingespecially if you turn your sights east of the Cascades.
That’s because Washington winemakers are turning out some Bordeaux-style blends (i.e., roughly 60 percent cabernet sauvignon to 40 percent merlot, with smaller quantities of other varietials mixed in) that not only rival many of the less-expensive Bordeauxthe garden variety grand vin de Bordeaux you see in stores for around $15but also actually surpass them. The reasons are a bit obscure but revolve around the fact that the Washington blends (often labeled plain old “red table wine” or “meritage”) are more interesting to drink when they are young than are many Bordeaux. As a rule, Washington wines are more aggressive and up-front in character (though packing nothing like the ballistic attack of California reds), whereas the Bordeaux are more restrained and closed (it’s not uncommon for Bordeaux to require a half-hour of breathing before they open up).
I first ran into this phenomenon last fall when I picked up a bottle of the excellent 2000 Isenhower Red Table Wine; at $16 and with a near-perfect balance between varietals, it was a steal. Sadly, Isenhower no longer offers a blend (not enough profit margin, according to the winery), but many others do.
Prime among these is the 2001 Colvin Walla Walla Red ($18). Like many Walla Walla wines, the fruit is intensely ripe, resulting from being grown in such a hot climate, but it’s no fruit bomb. Instead, there are pleasant pepper, cassis, and leather overtones, with the rough tannins thoroughly in check.
Another good choice is the 2001 Seven Hills Planing Mill Red ($16), although this offering blends syrah, merlot, and cabernet franc. As you might expect, it’s mellower than a cabernet sauvignon-based blend, but it’s so nicely balanced between acids and tannins that you’ll never care. Also of note is the 2001 Rock Island Red from Ryan Patrick Vineyards ($18).
But if you simply must have a Bordeaux, here’s some advice: Don’t buy it from a supermarket (unless it’s Metropolitan Market or its equal), as they usually only offer one or two Bordeaux, often of dodgy quality. Proceed directly to a local wine store; a good one will have a much broader selection of both Bordeaux and Washington blends than your QFC or Safeway.
