Columbia Rediviva is the name of the ship Captain Robert Gray sailed on the Columbia River while exploring the Northwest Passage in 1792. The Columbia has great influence on grape growing, not only as a source of irrigation water, but also as a moderator of heat in summer and freezing temperatures in winter. The wine, a 60%-40% blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah, respectively, comes from the the Beightol family’s Phinny Hill Vineyard, among the warmest sites in the Columbia Valley. Thus, the wine is ripe and opulent, yet well-mannered, with juicy wild red-berry character and sturdy tannins that suggest cellaring for a few years.
Buty, Horse Heaven Hills (olumbia Valley, Washington) 2008
By Linda Murphy