I just got back from a vacation in St. Thomas where everything, including wine, is obscenely expensive.  As I was standing in the  aisle of the local supermarket, Food Center, the wine I picked without hesitation was a Columbia Crest Chardonnay.  Sure, it was 150% the cost of the same wine here in the U.S. but even at that price it was still absolutely a great value.

Such is the case with nearly all of Columbia Crest’s wines and year after year the Cabernet Sauvignon from Horse Heaven Hills, labeled “H3″ is a standout among standouts.  Napa needs to watch its back because a trojan horse (or rabbit), called Washington’s Columbia Valley, is making wines that are every bit as good, though different, and much less expensive.

The 2009 Columbia Crest H3 Cabernet is one of those incredible values and at $9.95 it’s a strong contender for wine value of the year.  A compelling nose of blackberry, French oak (40% new), and earth leads to a beautifully structured wine with a notably silky texture and a palate of balanced fruit and acid.  The lengthy finish completes a wine that is easily worth 3x its single digit price tag.

LA Wine Co. has managed to keep the price below $10 despite the 90 point Wine Spectator score.  At that (or even St. Thomas’) price, it’s a case-worthy value.

Buy Here: Columbia Crest “H3″ Cabernet Sauvignon $9.95

Wine Spectator 90 points

“Focused, refined and appealing for its open-weave texture around a generous core of plum and currant fruit, finishing with hints of coffee and dark chocolate. Drink now through 2014. 69,000 cases made.”

Tonight I made a three course spread culminating with short rib bolognese and homemade pappardelle pasta.  That pasta needed a big but elegant wine, and I picked the right one tonight.

Technically someone else picked it since last time I was in L.A. Wine Co. Steve told me I had to try this wine. He was absolutely right.  Efeste’s (pronounced F S T) ‘Big Papa’ is made from old vine Cabernet, with vine age averaging 32 years.  That’s impressive for Cabernet, which is usually replanted after 25 years due to significantly decreased yields.  The older vines make the wine more concentrated and naturally complex, lessening the need for intricate winemaking techniques.

Everything about this wine is textbook Cabernet from the beautiful deep ruby color to the complex creme brulee (read: new oak) influenced nose.  On the palate it’s medium to full bodied, with sweet, broad tannins suggesting the wine will age very well, though it drinks great today.  This wine makes a strong argument for  non-interventionist winemaking techniques as it’s perfectly balanced without giving up concentration or texture.  In fact, the texture is particularly nice, with silky, mouthcoating flavors peaking into a 20+ second finish.

This is the best Washington Cabernet I’ve tasted in recent memory and for the price tag, that’s saying a lot.

Buy Here: 2007 Efeste Big Papa Cabernet Sauvignon $39.95

Wine Spectator 93 points

“Rich, dense and focused, delivering an explosive mouthful of currant and plum fruit accented by wet stone and wet earth nuances as the finish races on without apparent weight. Deftly done—and impressively so. Drink now through 2017. 700 cases made.”

*of note, this wine also received 91 points from Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate and Stephen Tanzer’s International Wine Cellar.

Have you discovered Washington wine yet?  If not, you are missing out on the United States’ second largest and, arguably highest value wine region.  Cabernet seems to be firmly planted as the premier grape but Syrah is not far behind in terms of quality, if not popularity.  Doyenne, the Rhone blend label of Delille Cellars, has created a wine that’s the best of both worlds, blending 35% Cabernet with 61% Syrah and a splash of Mourvèdre.

Vineyards rule in Washington as winegrowers have chosen to focus on building the reputation of the places the grapes are grown almost more than the brand of the wine.  Over half of the grapes in Doyenne’s Aix Proprietary Red come from the famed Ciel du Cheval vineyard in Washington’s Red Mountain AVA.  That pedigree certainly comes through as this wine pours a dense deep red, almost black color in the glass.  Syrah and Cabernet lovers alike will enjoy this one, with the Cabernet contributing elegance and focus and the Syrah, broad, rich textures and flavors.  Alluring aromas of mocha and smoky beef come through on the nose with the  plush palate featuring dark fruit and nice mineral flavors, so often a trait of Washington wines.

This is a spectacular value at $27 and a wine I will seek out in subsequent vintages.  I’m already seeing the benefits of point one of my New Years Resolutions – more variety.  If you weren’t already drinking Washington wine, I would encourage you to do the same.

Buy Here: 2007 Delille Cellars Doyenne Aix Proprietary Red $26.95

Robert Parker 92 points

“The 2007 Aix is made up of 61% Syrah, 35% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 4% Mourvedre sourced entirely from the Red Mountain AVA. It gives up a splendid, slightly exotic nose of smoke, spice box, lavender, grilled meat, black currant, and plum. Forward, plush, and spicy, this full-flavored, pleasure-bent offering can be enjoyed now and over the next 6-8 years.

Doyenne is the sister label of DeLille Cellars and is used for Rhone varieties. This year only 4 wines were presented (along with a repeat of the 2006 Grand Ciel Vineyard Syrah which was as good as I remembered it).”

After having tasted a couple of outstanding, value priced Washington Cabernet in the last few months (Hogue $21.95 and Chateau Ste. Michelle Indian Wells $11.95), I decided it was time to step it up a notch and drink a highly rated, but still high value example.  So on Friday, it was off to our favorite BYOB, Tin Roof Bistro (which also has a well priced wine list), for some burrata, beef short ribs and this  awesome 2007 Artist Series Cabernet.

None of those disappointed.  I knew good things were to come as soon as our favorite server, Nick, started pouring the deeply hued, opaque wine into the decanter.  I could smell the wine from across the table.  Mocha on the nose leads to rich chocolate complemented by good acidity and well integrated oak.  It’s all brought together by a very lengthy finish.  This is the best Washington Cabernet I’ve tasted this year and one of the best from any region.  Plus it’s $2 cheaper than the next lowest price according to Google Shopping.

Woodward Canyon features a local Washington artist’s work on the bottle every year, which is a risky strategy since buyers can’t remember a specific label.  But I appreciate their dedication to local culture.  Woodward Canyon is doing their part to cement Washington’s place on the U.S. wine map and, as far as I’m concerned, the cement is drying.

Buy Here: 2007 Woodward Canyon Artist Series #16 Cabernet $29.95

Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate 93 points

“The purple-colored 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon Artist Series contains 1% Petit Verdot. The fruit was sourced primarily from the famous Champoux Vineyard in which the winery is a partner and the Sagemoor Vineyard, one of the oldest in the state. The Sagemoor fruit for this wine was taken from vines planted in 1972. The wine delivers a splendid nose of smoke, mineral, Asian spices, violets, black currant, and blackberry. This is followed by a medium to full-bodied wine with a velvety texture, excellent depth, savory flavors, plenty of volume, and a lengthy finish. It will continue blossoming for another 3-4 years and should provide pleasure through its 20th birthday.

Woodward Canyon, one of the pioneer producers of Walla Walla (there were 4 wineries here when I visited in 1990; now there are over 125), remains under the direction of Rick Smalls and continues to be a benchmark against which all others aspiring to the top must be compared.

Sunday is leftover wine night at this household and tonight we have a third of a bottle of 2007 Columbia Crest Grand Estates Cabernet and the same amount of 2007 Caymus Cabernet.  The Columbia Crest has been open since Thursday and it has only gotten better each day I’ve tasted it.  It’s very rare for an entry level Cabernet to get any better after the first day, let alone the fourth, but that’s why Columbia Crest isn’t making average wines.

Much has been said about Columbia Crest on these pages in recent posts, so I will keep this relatively short.  The 2007 Grand Estates Cabernet is aromatic and pours a dark purple/red.  It’s almost thick in the mouth- a great texture for a wine in this price range.   It has a little tannic bite that would suggest it will actually get better with a couple of years of bottle age and the lingering finish is indicative of a wine 3x this price, at least.  Speaking of age, Wine Spectator, who is notorious for (overly) conservative drinking windows, says drink through 2015.  Impressive for a wine in this price range.

I’m going to finish the Caymus next and it’s going to be much better than this wine.  But 7.5 times better?  I’ll try not to think about that as I enjoy the Caymus.  Sometimes it’s hard to quantify value when it comes to wine, especially when it gets to the quarters, or even dollars per sip range!  At those prices, it’s less about the actual value and more about the enjoyment and experience.  With the 2007 Columbia Crest Grand Estates Cabernet, you don’t have to think too hard about that.  It’s enjoyable, cheap, and shows as well as other wines multiples of its price.  Enjoy!

Wine Spectator 89 points

“Supple and surprisingly complex, this is generous with its meaty currant and blackberry flavors, remaining polished and finishing with clarity. Drink now through 2015. 170,000 cases made.”

Columbia Crest Grand Estates Cabernet Sauvignon 2007- LA Wine Co. $7.99

I definitely drink more red wine than white.  But, I like to keep a bottle of white open either to start the evening or to drink with fish or chicken.  The great thing about white wines is you can readily find great values, under $10.

Chateau Ste. Michelle, in Columbia Valley,  is the second largest winery in Washington with production in the hundreds of thousands of cases.  It’s fun to find great wine deals from small production wineries, but some smaller wineries lack consistency- great wine one year but when you try the next year, something is missing.  I’ve found that a lot of the big guys are big for a reason.  Beringer and Robert Mondavi in Napa and Chateau Ste. Michelle and Columbia Crest in Washington come to mind as huge wineries that consistently produce great wines and great values.

The 2008 Chateau Ste. Michelle Chardonnay is bright and aromatic on the nose with a nice floral scent and a hint of vanilla.  This is a buttery but smooth Chardonnay that has lightly integrated oak without being over the top like some Chardonnay.  Washington, along with Santa Barbara County and Monterey, make some of my favorite Chardonnay because of their cooler climates.  If you are shopping for Chardonnay, check out those areas first.

LA Wine Company has the lowest price in the country at $7.99.

Wine Spectator- 90 Points

Bright and jazzy, with pretty pineapple, grapefruit, elderflower and spice flavors that lingers on the finish without excess weight. This just floats on for a while. Drink now through 2012.

Chateau Ste. Michelle Chardonnay 2008- LA Wine Co. $7.99,