Chateau Ste. Michelle Merlot Columbia Valley Ethos Reserve

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Coastal Wine & Spirits	USD 28.99 $28.⁹⁹ 750ml
Valley Discount Wine and Liquor	USD 35.99 $29.⁹⁹ 750ml

Chateau Ste. Michelle Merlot Columbia Valley Ethos Reserve 2010

Winemaker's Notes:

My goal with Ethos wines is to showcase the best of Washington for the varietal and the vintage. This wine makes a blending statement with Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah and Cabernet Franc. Merlot blends so well with other varieties for a more interesting wine. The wine offers blueberry fruit with wonderful complexity and rich layers. All of the fruit came from our Cold Creek estate vineyard.

Region: USA » Washington » Columbia Valley

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Winery: Chateau Ste. Michelle

Color: Red

Blend: Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Syrah

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Chateau Ste. Michelle:

You’d be hard-pressed (just like the grapes!) to find a more influential winery than Chateau Ste. Michelle. It’s Washington State’s oldest winery, getting its start when Pommerelle Wine Company and the National Wine Company merged in 1954 to form the American Wine Growers. From there, they created a premium line of vinifera wines in 1967 called “Ste. Michelle Vintners,” under the direction of Andre Tchelistcheff, which is where Ste. Michelle really took off. Their first vines were planted at the now-legendary Cold Creek Vineyard in Eastern Washington in 1972. When a French style chateau was built in Woodinville by Ste. Michelle Vintners in 1976, the winery finally became known as Chateau Ste. Michelle. The terroir is very important for Chateau Ste. Michelle. Columbia Valley isn’t just important because they have over 3,500 acres under vine there - they love the land, and they even helped to make it recognized as an American Viticulture Area (AVA). Columbia Valley produces more Riesling than any other American region, and Chateau Ste. Michelle leads that charge as the leading North American Riesling producer. Chateau Ste. Michelle is known for its award-winning Riesling, Chardonnay, Merlot, and Cabernet Sauvignon, but it didn’t become great magically. They actually have two separate wineries, one for making whites, and another for making reds, which allows them to have complete control of the process. In fact, they’re so serious about the difference that they have dedicated winemakers for each color. While Bob Bertheau is their head winemaker who oversees all wine, Joshua Maloney oversees only the red wines, and Wendy Stuckey cares for the white. This allows Chateau Ste. Michelle to consistently create world-class wines that never fail to surprise judges. Read less

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Editorial Reviews for Chateau Ste. Michelle Merlot Columbia Valley Ethos Reserve

Gregory Dal Piaz

231,032

Vintage: 2006 12/14/2009

This is all dark cocoa, coffee, prune and plum fruit on the nose with a backing of sweet oaky spice, and surprising freshness, considering the aromas. Full, rich and smooth on the palate with nice heft, and lusciously ripe fruit that is well supported by ripe tannins and integrated acidity. The flavors are much like the aromas, a bit on the darker end of the spectrum with the spice tones from the oak being a bit more prominent. The finish shows more of the dark fruit note with cigarbox, milk chocolate, and tobacco notes and a suggestion of sweetness. If the flavors sound appealing this is a nice wine for you. 89pts

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Member Reviews for Chateau Ste. Michelle Merlot Columbia Valley Ethos Reserve

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VegasOenophile

12,198

Vintage: 2008 11/21/2012

Tight nose, still young. Big acid and tannin on the palate. Good fruit, but needs more time to come together. 88 pts. 8/12/11 at Winery

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Eric Guido

190,070

Vintage: 2007 09/22/2012

On the nose, I found plum and blueberry with sweet spices and an underlying dark soil and chalk note that kept it rooted in the earth. On the palate, it was full-bodied with velvety textures, showing excellent balance with a mix of cherry and cranberry, herbs and bitter dark chocolate. The finish showed plums, green pepper and saline minerals with a slight tug of tannin reminding me of its fine structure. (92 points)

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VegasOenophile

12,198

Vintage: 2007 11/21/2012

Nose of dark cherry and dark chocolate. Toasty dark red and black berry fruit on the palate. Also, flavors of cocoa and nice oak influence. Slight earthiness. Very nice wine! 94 pts 8/12/11 at Winery

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jchriswilson

Vintage: 2007 07/16/2011

TASTING NOTES “This is a sculpted wine with weight and complexity showcasing beautiful Washington fruit. The wine delivers concentrated fruit character with leather and chocolate notes. Fruit from our Cold Creek vineyard contributes power and concentration, while fruit from the Wahluke Slope adds a sweet fruit character. Pairings: Try this with steak, ribs or a leg of lamb.” Drinking window: Drink between 2010 and 2014 (based on 3 user opinions)

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Nicki Gig

4,203

Vintage: 2006 12/10/2009

paint varnish and perhaps some cedar underneath is what comes to mind first, a little burnt, the palate is filled with dark berry cherry flavors, some plums, ends more with a tannic finish than the fruit

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solomania9

2,960

Vintage: 2006 12/11/2009

Big dark fruity powdery nose. Lots of ripe fruit and complexity in the mouth with a long powdery black cherry finish. Slightly chalky. Great stuff.

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Philip James

12,553

Vintage: 2006 12/10/2009

Dry, musty nose misleads you, because the wine is very fruity. Strong flavors of cherry, blackberry dominate at first. However, the leather creeps back in and the mid palate is very dry. Finishes on an acute chocolate and kirsch flavor.

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External Reviews for Chateau Ste. Michelle Merlot Columbia Valley Ethos Reserve

Vintage: 2008 02/28/2012

This is a powerful, complex Merlot with layers of rich fruit. More than half of the fruit came from our Canoe Ridge Estate vineyard, showing the evolution of the vineyard.

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Vintage: 2006 03/27/2010

Cold Creek's 30-year-old vines deliver a big, bold Merlot. ThisMerlot is loaded with dark fruit flavors with hints of bittersweetchocolate. We added 22% Cold Creek Cabernet to soften the tanninsand contribute mouthfeel and layers of complexity

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Vintage: 2005 01/07/2010

90 Points - Wine Advocate The 2005 Merlot Ethos contains 10% Cabernet Sauvignon, 4% Petit Verdot, and 2% Malbec in the blend. Opaque purple-colored, it has a fragrant bouquet of pain grille, earth notes, black cherry, and blackberry jam. This leads to a mouth-coating wine with good depth and concentration while retaining a sense of elegance. The balance and length of the finish suggest that this solid effort will evolve for 2-3 years and be at its best from 2011 to 2020. -Jay Miller, June 2008.

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Coastal Wine & Spirits Branford, CT (290 mi)	Chateau Ste. Michelle Merlot Cold Creek Vineyard »	$28.⁹⁹ 750ml Bad price? USD 28.99
Valley Discount Wine and Liquor Ansonia, CT (280 mi)	Chateau Ste. Michelle Merlot Cold Creek Vineyard »	$29.⁹⁹ 750ml Bad price? USD 29.99
International Wine Shop Westport, CT (260 mi)	Chateau Ste. Michelle Merlot Cold Creek Vineyard »	$30.²⁹ 750ml Bad price? USD 30.29
Amity Wines New Haven, CT (290 mi)	Chateau Ste. Michelle Merlot Cold Creek Vineyard »	$30.⁹⁷ 750ml Bad price? USD 30.97
CT Wine Authority Monroe, CT (270 mi)	Chateau Ste. Michelle Merlot Cold Creek Vineyard »	$31.⁹⁹ 750ml Bad price? USD 31.99