Just like the weather's been this past week - we've got some laughter and some tears in the line-up as we wrap up the first quarter. Come one, spring, you can do it!
2011 Columbia Crest Chardonnay Columbia Valley $10
Hoping to strike gold twice in the $10-ish Columbia Valley Chards was too much to ask, I guess. Where the Chateau St. Michelle rocks, this one rolls - downhill. Cheap-tasting. One dimensional and rife with thinly-veiled, big, distorted features that speak of over-manipluation and mass production. Cloying residual sugar lingers like an uninvited house guest overstaying their welcome.
2011 Elizabeth Chambers Cellar Pinot Noir Yamhill-Carlton (Oregon) $32
Exotic spice spills from the glass piquing curiosity. Actually looks like Pinot in the light. Lighter-bodied than 99% of what's on shelves these days, but not the least bit shy on layered, acid-laced flavors that come at you fast. Dried orange peel and fresh tarragon featured prominently on the mid palate. Comforting? No. Exhilarating and thought-provoking? Indeed.
2011 Browne Family Vineyards Columbia Valley "Tribute" $35
Luxurious, bombastic, vanilla-infused dark aromas overflow on uncorking. Despite the corpulence of the nose, the palate somehow manages finesse, unfolding gradually into a fine example of what Washington can do with Bordeaux blends. Lacking in brute force and better for it. A superior product worth the money. 
2012 Oyster Bay Sauvignon Blanc Marlborough $11
Need to jump start your summer-loving spirit? This is your wine. Fresh, succulent flavors of ripe Grannysmith, sunshine, and new grass delivered in lip-smacking clarity. Terrific and a terrific value. Porch time here we come!
