Columbia Crest Winery Introduces Founders Series Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay and Merlot

Paterson, Wash.

Washington’s third-largest wine brand, Columbia Crest, recently announced a new line to their portfolio with the Founders Series Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, and Merlot. The wines have been crafted to be wholly unique, tailored to meet the needs of consumers celebrating life’s little moments and special occasions in on-premise accounts.

All wines in the Founders Series line are sourced from Columbia Crest’s Estate Vineyard and family farms within the renowned Horse Heaven Hills AVA in Washington State. Created to celebrate the winery’s rich heritage as the founding winery of the acclaimed region, this rugged AVA produces bold and well-balanced wines that are the ultimate expression of the Horse Heaven Hills.

“As one of the founding wineries in the Horse Heaven Hills we are proud to showcase this fruit in these special blends,” says Guy Barnes, Head Winemaker for Columbia Crest. “Our winemakers selected riper fruit with more concentrated flavors, and allowed the wine to age longer in barrels to build a more complex yet balanced profile. The extra care put into these wines will show up in every bottle and make any gathering or meal more special.”

The new Columbia Crest 2021 Founders Series Cabernet Sauvignon is expressive and earthy, with hints of toasted vanilla and a lush finish showcasing dark red fruits. The 2022 Founders Series Chardonnay is rich with aromas of apples, pears, and peaches, with flavors of baked apple and toasted hazelnut. The 2021 Founders Series Merlot showcases the best of the state, with bold aromas and flavors of blueberry and marionberry with a smooth, lengthy finish.

Each wine in the Founders Series is hand blended with over 100 years of on-premise wine experience between winemakers, wholesalers and trade partners. The vineyard selection process speaks to the high quality in every bottle, promising to deliver the best of the vintage, every vintage.

About Columbia Crest
Aptly named after the highest peak on Mount Rainer, Columbia Crest represents the pinnacle of Washington state wine. Nestled alongside the Columbia River in eastern Washington, Columbia Crest was the first winery in the acclaimed Horse Heaven Hills AVA. Since its founding in 1983, the winery has maintained its commitment to quality, Washington heritage and craftsmanship. Today, Columbia Crest is the third-largest Washington wine brand. Columbia Crest sources from its own 2,200-acre sustainably farmed estate vineyards in the Horse Heaven Hills and from family farmers. In 2009, Wine Spectator magazine named the Columbia Crest 2005 Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon the No. 1 Wine in the World on its Top 100 list, the first time a wine from Washington State had received the ranking. Columbia Crest wines have graced Wine Spectator’s Top 100 Wines of the Year list 16 times. For more information, visit columbiacrest.com.

Photo Assets:
Columbia Crest Founders Series Bottle Shot
Columbia Crest Founders Series Beauty Shot (credit: Reva Keller)