Highway 14 Red Columbia Valley 05

The Highway 14 Red is made by acclaimed Oregon winemaker Andrew Rich. Andrew Rich’s Rhone-inspired wines have developed such a following, the wines are largely sold from the winery before release. Luckily, the Highway 14 guys were able to convince him to lend his talents and knowledge of NW Rhone varieties to their project. The resulting wine benefits from slow, steady ripening in the Columbia Valley’s Alderdale area.

According to Andrew, the Rhône varieties in Washington, not unlike their Bordeaux counterparts, show more fruit here than in the Rhône, but they’re not as obvious as California Rhônes. The 2005 Red is richly fruited, spicy, and medium bodied. 70% Syrah, 14% Counoise, 11% Grenache, and 4% Mourvedre.

This wine is part of the NW Vine Project, a group of inexpensive wines made for an Oregon wine distributor. Made by David O'Reilly (Owen Roe, O'Reilly's) and Andrew Rich (Andrew Rich Wines), these are super values and not readily available outside Oregon.