Maryhill Columbia Valley Mixed Case
$157.99 $352.00 55% off List Price
2012 Cabernet Franc, Columbia Valley
2012 Zinfandel, Columbia Valley
2010 Proprietor’s Reserve Syrah, Columbia Valley
2013 Winemaker’s Red, Columbia Valley
2012 Proprietor’s Reserve Merlot, Columbia Valley
2014 Winemaker’s White, Columbia Valley
[GRAPE]
Grape Debater reporting in.
My bride and I tried the following wines Friday night with another couple.
'14 winemakers white
'12 zin
'12 merlot proprietiers reserve
Notes
'14 winemakers White
I generally have enjoyed Washington whites in the past and this was no exception. It’s an enjoyable and somewhat unique blend.
Color: pale straw yellow, clear no sediment. Wine looks to be a bit on the viscous side for how light it is.
Aroma: youthful fruity nose. Mostly stone fruit and melon. Peach & honeydew to be more specific with maybe a bit of cantaloupe.
Taste: the wine is dry, light bodied, crisp, no noticeable tannins. It’s well balanced and tastes great. The same fruit notes in the nose show up at on the palate, nothing additional to add. I didn’t note any oak. The back of the bottle doesn’t give percentages of the varietals. I had guessed it was heavy on viognier and Pinot Gris but it looks like I missed it there. The other 3 people really liked this as well and our 1/2 bottle was quickly gone.
'12 Zinfandel
Appearance: medium clear red, no sediment
Aroma: strong nose of red fruit with a bit of cherry. Some oak treatment but not overbearing. The acidity in the wine seemed to almost be a component on the nose, which is odd to write but I guess it could better be described as a tart fruity nose.
Taste: it’s dry. Medium to full bodied, good acidity, and medium drying tannins. I don’t usually get much in the way of tannins with zin but I did here. The wine is well balanced and very tasty. Red fruit specifically cranberry seemed to dominate the palate with noticeable oak as well. As this wine opened up further it took on some weight as well and color.
'12 merlot proprietiers reserve
Appearance: medium to deep garnet clear of sediment
Aroma: big young nose of plums, some cherry and tart red fruit. No noticeable oak.
Taste: Dry, medium bodied, good acidity, no noticeable tannins, well balanced. Strong flavors of plum, juicy red fruit, and oak. Decent but tart finish. Very solid and distinctive merlot, a lot of times merlot comes across as generic and bland. This bottle had loads of fruit good use of oak and wasn’t over the top either.
For my money the best of the three was the white, but all are worth the price here in this sale.
[labrat]
White: no idea what this is. Kind of generic white nose. Smells kind of like Vio blended with a lighter white or maybe a stainless chard? Kind of weird palate. Heavier than something like an SB but not quite oily like Vio. Has kind of a green acidity that I usually get from CA SB. Maybe some underripe pineapple. I don’t think this saw oak. Not crazy about this but SWMBO really liked it. “I love this.” Guessing it’s like a $10 or $12 blend of heavier and lighter varieties.
Merlot: not a fan of merlot generally. Tends towards too thin and lacks the punch I look for. Haven’t had a single WA merlot, though. Very pretty, candied red bouquet. Smells like sweet fruit. Oak for sure but I like some vanilla in my wine so I ain’t scurred. Kind of astringent on the palate. I get a lot of oak and oak tannin and not much fruit. This is a tough wine for me. A variety I’m not really fond of coupled with (I’m guessing) oak treatment that’s just not my style.
Zin: oak on the nose again with some Zin/brambly fruit lurking behind. Lots of oak on the palate again. The alcohol comes through on this wine, as well. SWMBO said the merlot and the Zin taste relatively similar, which I think is the oak showing on both.
This is a popular style of winemaking, or at least it was when I first got into wine 7 or 8 years ago. It just doesn’t work for me today, though. Too much oak and not enough fruit expression for my palate.
I’m guessing the two reds retail for relatively big $$ (like $30ish each) but I wouldn’t pay half that. YMMV, of course!
Also, I was going to taste these on day 2, but I woke up really congested. So, take my notes with that caveat. 
Really like the winemaker’s descriptions of this offer. Liked both rat reports, even though they differ. Shows palate and personal preferences. I have a TON of wine downstairs, spending $$$$ lately on WW and XMAS gifts, but would like to try some WA wine. I have to really think this one out!!!
Where’s CHIPGREEN when you need some input? PM to him.
I have been congested for a couple of weeks, (kids) and maybe that’s why I didn’t get as much oak in the nose as Kyle but definitely got it when actually drinking the wine. It looks like the white saw a little oak as well which I didn’t pick up.
[grape]
My notes on 2013 Winemaker’s Red when it was offered here on Oct 23:
A bottle of 2013 Maryhill Winemaker’s Red showed up at the house Friday afternoon. 1/2 of the bottle down the hatch last night, the other 1/2 back in the fridge for football today.
Closure is a twin-top agglomerated cork. That is a granulated cork with solid cork disc ends. Who cares right? (had to look that up)
No sediment, poured off to a decanter for a little air. Berries on the nose, touch of cedar, so I’m guessing cabernet sauvignon based.
Color, translucent/medium ruby.
Taste, medium body, easy drinking, spicy, black fruit/berries, fruit is present but wouldn’t say fruit forward. So fruity but restrained. Touch of smoke(from oak?). But not noticeably oaky. Soft but enough acidity to make it food friendly. Tannins, low/little. I’m thinking $15-$20 retail. (and I know Maryhill somewhat so that may have influenced my price guess) and guessing $12 for a woot price. I like this quite a bit. Would drink now but seems it could hold a bit.
Summation after reading the write up here on woot: taste of cabernet sauv, soft like a merlot and little spice from the syrah. I certainly didn’t get jammy.
My initial reaction is to grab 6, but since I have the luxury of having 1/2 bottle left, we’ll determine that for sure halftime of the first game today 
Hope that helps.
http://wine.woot.com/forums/viewpost.aspx?postid=6962660&ref=wn_cnt_odet_jtd
I did purchase fwiw
I think it’s the opposite. I was on the cusp of getting sick and that, for whatever reason, muted the fruit and made the oak so pronounced.
In any case, I think it’s safe to say that if you are really sensitive to oak, this offer is probably not for you. If you like moderate to oaky reds, pretty nice price.
What was the oak treatment on these?
Zin: Aged 18 months in 60% new French oak
Merlot: Aged 18 months in 45% new French oak
Replied. Additional response here…
Tried the '12 Cab Franc and an earlier vintage ('12) of the Winemaker’s Red at a recent dinner at the Wooster Inn, alongside bahwm and ddeuddug. I enjoyed and purchased bottles of both. I think all 3 of us really liked the Cab Franc.
Those two had a corked bottle of the Winemaker’s Red (which bahwm identified and the winemaker agreed) but I believe they liked it once it was replaced with a good bottle.
My wife and I also visited Maryhill on our honeymoon in October. While the tasting room experience itself was fairly lackluster, the wines were good to very good and presented decent value even at full retail prices, so there is some very nice QPR to be had with this discounted case offer.
The standout wine for me at the winery was the Barbera, disappointed that it’s not part of this offer. We did try both the Reserve Syrah and Reserve Merlot at the winery. Neither of them knocked our socks off but they were tasty enough. I remember preferring the Merlot to the Syrah. IIRC the Syrah was spicy and had some tannic bite while the Merlot was earthier and had softer, more leather-like tannins. The fruit was secondary with both wines, which seems in line with cortot’s and kyle’s observations.
I would look at most of this case as wine meant for near-term consumption. The Winemaker’s blends are entry level wines meant to be enjoyed young. The Reserve Syrah is 6 years from vintage and is probably in its prime drinking window now. Could get away with waiting a year or two on the Zins, Cab Francs and Merlots.
I’m very sensitive to oak. Thanks for the notes.
We know you’re very sensitive!
All GD community tasting notes for this wine have been x-posted into cellar tracker, user names have been omitted to protect the guilty.