A Taste of a "Quiet" Wine

So not one week after pegging Columbia Crest as one of the weaker wines tasted at our "meeting of the wine minds" the other weekend, I find out that Chateau Ste Michelle, the producers of Columbia Crest (among many others), has signed on to be a sponsor of my theater. Looks like I am destined to give these Washington wines a chance.

My co-worker then tells me that the Chateau Ste Michelle Riesling is excellent. Okay, I tell her, I will have to give it a try. That same day, Danny tells me that my former secretary has given him a bottle of wine to try. Behold! It just happens to be the Chateau Ste Michelle Riesling, a 2006. How weird is that.

So we (or shall I say I) decided to open it last night. It was quite nice - peachy, with a hint of sweetness and very mild. Definitely a lot less sweet than your typical Riesling. I think I'm starting to get what Rich means by non-overpowering Washington wines. I would say this wine fits in exactly with that description. I very much got the "chill" vibe from this wine - very laid back, "hey, take it EZ man" libation. So interesting. Now I can't wait to try more and see if that character is consistent among all WA wines.

Danny did mention a slight bitterness to the wine, which I barely noticed. And I guess I should mention that the reason Pam gave the wine to Danny in the first place was because she didn't like it. I, however, give it a thumbs up. Definitely worth a taste, especially for appx. $8.99/bottle.