2017 Restaurants Unlimited Columbia Valley Red Wine

In the case of the 2017 Restaurants Unlimited Red Wine, Washington’s Columbia Valley provided the palette for the palate, and the winemaker took full advantage of the multiple grape varieties and sub-regions to craft a truly sublime cuvee.

This is known as a “proprietary blend” because not only is the precise percentage of grapes not revealed, but the grapes themselves are kept a closely held secret. An educated guess would be that there’s a good amount of Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon involved — but it’s still a guess.

Serious and yet elegant, this wine opens with aromatic notes of ripe plum and blackberry. The tannin has a graceful presence that is supported by an alluring dark chocolate flavor and just a hint of earth. It truly is a delectable snapshot of the Pacific Northwest.