Columbia Winery Merlot 2007

By Chris and Sherry Hardie

Merlot trails only cabernet sauvignon as the most popular red wine in the United States and is the most planted red wine grape in France.

While primarily still used as a blend in France, the grape became part of the Washington wine world in the 1980s and thrives in that state's growing climate.

This offering from Columbia, one of Washington's oldest wineries, displays the soft, approachable attributes that makes merlot popular. It shows plenty of red fruit but has a strong structure and heft from its year spent in oak barrels. It's 85 percent merlot, 9 percent malbec and a small mixture of four other grapes.

Sherry: "Smooth black cherry and raspberry, with licorice on the finish." 3-1/2 stars

Chris: "Raspberry and cherry flavors with clove and raisin." 3-1/2 stars

Available locally for about $10.

Coming next week: Dry Creek Vintage Chenin Blanc