Columbia Crest

H3 Horse Heaven Hills Merlot

8.7123 ratings
8.47 pro ratings
Horse Heaven Hills, Columbia Valley, Oregon/Washington, USA
Merlot
Beef, Venison, Salami & Prosciutto, Chili & Hot Spicy, Potato, Exotic Spices, Lamb, White Rice, Baking Spices, Herbs, Pasta, Chicken, Mushrooms, Pungent Cheese, Turkey, Tomato-Based, Soft Cheese, Pork, Beans & Peas, Hard Cheese, Duck, Onion, Shallot, Garlic
Top Notes For
John Howard

Harvest production at Hirsch and Cobb Wineries

8.0

Fruit bomb first day, prune fest the next.

Fruit bomb first day, prune fest the next.

4 people found it helpfulOct 18th, 2014
Eric Hwang

Whoa! Pucker factor. Great tobacco aromas and black fruit flavors, but, wow, grippy tannins. Could use some bottle age...or a blender. Ended up doing the MollyDooker shake to aerate the wine.

Whoa! Pucker factor. Great tobacco aromas and black fruit flavors, but, wow, grippy tannins. Could use some bottle age...or a blender. Ended up doing the MollyDooker shake to aerate the wine.

3 people found it helpfulOct 2nd, 2014
Whit McCullough

I'm pleasantly surprised by this H3 merlot! Chewy tobacco notes. Will def buy again!

I'm pleasantly surprised by this H3 merlot! Chewy tobacco notes. Will def buy again!

2 people found it helpfulAug 16th, 2014
Sean Trapani

Founder/Educator Wine Fluent, Consultant ABC Fine Wines & Spirits

8.7

A jammy, walk-around Merlot with a dusting of soft tannins, bramble, and clay in a med (-) body.

A jammy, walk-around Merlot with a dusting of soft tannins, bramble, and clay in a med (-) body.

1 person found it helpfulOct 18th, 2015
Paul Weil

Rich and thick, fully of blackberry and boysenberry flavors, this Merlot would probably go really well with gamey meat such as lamb or venison, but is just average as a cocktail wine; at this price point I would recommend the Charles Smith Velvet Devil Merlot.

Rich and thick, fully of blackberry and boysenberry flavors, this Merlot would probably go really well with gamey meat such as lamb or venison, but is just average as a cocktail wine; at this price point I would recommend the Charles Smith Velvet Devil Merlot.

Jan 13th, 2015
Renato Hoyle

Soft, good value

Soft, good value

Sep 11th, 2014
Quinn McCord

Tad of sweetness smooth

Tad of sweetness smooth

May 26th, 2017
Jeremy Reuling

Stop hating on Merlot!
Lush and balanced, if lacking in finish and overall depth. Still went well with steak though.

Stop hating on Merlot!
Lush and balanced, if lacking in finish and overall depth. Still went well with steak though.

Feb 8th, 2017
Robert Sherman

Smooth merlot, velvety tannins. Overall a pleasant wine. Enjoyed it

Smooth merlot, velvety tannins. Overall a pleasant wine. Enjoyed it

Oct 17th, 2016
Aylin Ulku

Nice merlot. Easy to drink.

Nice merlot. Easy to drink.

Jan 24th, 2016