Hogue Cabernet Sauvignon-Merlot Blend
August 23, 2008
Winery: Hogue
Wine: Cabernet Sauvignon – Merlot Blend 2002
Location: Columbia Valley, Washington
Purchased: Friar Tuck Beverage
Price: $9.99
This was the second tasting of the Hogue Cabernet-Merlot for us. We seemed to enjoy it more the first time. Or as Jonathan put it, “it’s the second bottle when you’re having more than one.” This wine combines 51% Cabernet Sauvignon, 47% Merlot and 2% Cabernet Franc to create the Hogue blend.
The appearance of the Cabernet-Merlot holds a deep brick red color with slight tinges of rust on the edges. It’s slightly transparent. The most memorable feature of this wine, an outstanding nose. It carried hints of raspberries, cherries, licorice and other jammy fruits. The nose presents a full and flowering bouquet, but the wine doesn’t live up in taste. The Hogue drinks very easy, with or without food. A chocolaty hint sneaks through the fruit, but the finish drops relatively quickly and does not present a memorable impression.
Hogue Cellars, founded in 1982, sits in Eastern Washington’s Columbia Valley. It’s grown into one of Washington’s largest wineries, with an annual production of 570,000 cases. The Washington wine industry began in the 1960s and the location sits at approximately the same latitude as the Bordeaux and Burgundy regions in France. The Columbia Valley covers 18,000 square miles and provides a large range of geographic and climate conditions. This diversity creates distinctive fruit characteristics of the Columbia Valley.
