2009 Sineann Champoux Vineyard Merlot

Sineann was founded in Newberg in 1994 by Peter Rosback and David O’Reilly. From the beginning the business partners sourced grapes from some of the best vineyards of the Pacific Northwest, including vineyards Columbia Valley and the Willamette Valley. O’Reilly went on to start the Owen Roe and Rosback focused on single-vineyard Zinfandel, Pinot Noir, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. He also makes white wines including Pinot Gris, Sauvignon Blanc and Gewurztraminer. The red and white wines both typically earn ratings in the low- to mid-90s from reviewers.

Columbia Valley AVA is larger than some states. At 18,000 square miles, or 11 million acres, the appellation covers almost half of Washington State and a small part of Oregon on the south side of the Columbia River. Established in 1984, Columbia Valley contains numerous sub appellations within its boundaries, including Yakima Valley AVA and Walla Walla AVA, both large and important wine districts. Columbia Valley AVA, generally called the Columbia Basin by Pacific Northwesterners, is in the Columbia River Plateau, and the AVA also includes a section of northeastern Oregon. There are dozens of microclimates within this appellation of about 7,000 vineyard acres. Many kinds of grapes are grown in the Columbia Valley, though the principal grapes planted are Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Chardonnay, Riesling, Syrah, Pinot Gris and Sauvignon Blanc. Eastern Washington experiences very hot summers and cold winters, and the northern latitude means that Washington vineyards receive several more hours of sun in the summer than California vineyards. Grapes in Washington therefore have time to develop significant tannins and overall ripeness.

The Merlot grape is such a deep blue that it is named for the blackbird. It’s an early ripening grape and one of the primary varietals used In Bordeaux. Merlot is also grown in the "International style," which is harvested later to bring out more tannins and body.