Columbia Crest Winery Nationally Launches Its New “H3” Wines Crafted from the Horse Heaven Hills AVA

Paterson, Wash.

Columbia Crest, one of Washington state's top producers of premium wines, has announced the national launch of its new Horse Heaven Hills ultra-premium product tier. The wine, known as "H3" is crafted from fruit grown in the Horse Heaven Hills American Viticulture Area (AVA). The Chardonnay, Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon are now available in all markets for a suggested retail price of $15 per bottle.

The Horse Heaven Hills AVA is one of Washington state's newest AVAs and the home of Columbia Crest winery for more than two decades. The vineyards in Horse Heaven Hills AVA are the source and inspiration behind the H3 wines, which are crafted with the passion for which Columbia Crest is known, creating one exceptional family of wines:

Horse Heaven Hills 2007 Chardonnay – Aromatics of slight mineral, apple, pear and caramelized sugar open this elegant, medium-bodied Chardonnay. The balanced palate of pineapple and coconut leads to a seductive, creamy vanilla finish. Horse Heaven Hills 2006 Merlot – Classic and fruit-forward, this Merlot presents aromas of blackberry and spice with a perfect balance of slight earth, dusty cocoa and ripe berry flavors. The wine closes with a rich, velvety, dark chocolate finish. Horse Heaven Hills 2006 Cabernet Sauvignon – Intense and fruit-forward, this Cabernet Sauvignon delivers aromas of cherry blossom, and rose petals, with a perfect balance of earth, mineral, deep berry flavors, and a soft, smooth cocoa finish. "Vineyards in the Horse Heaven Hills are unique because they are comprised of diverse microclimates that produce different fruit structures with underlying uniform characteristics," said Ray Einberger, Columbia Crest winemaker. "For example, the cooler climate vineyards produce fruit with mineral undertones while fruit from the warmer climate vineyards contain slight earth and dust elements. These variances allow me to blend wines that capture the true essence of the AVA in the bottle."

Einberger, who has been sourcing from the Horse Heaven Hills vineyards for more than 14 years, goes on to say that the creation of a wine tier carrying the AVA is a natural addition to the Columbia Crest portfolio.

"The winery’s long heritage of winemaking and viticulture in the Horse Heaven Hills, and the in-depth understanding of each vineyard site allow me to craft wines that reflect the unique terroir of the area while maintaining the integrity of the region," states Einberger.

In 1978 Columbia Crest planted 2,000 acres in the Horse Heaven Hills; three years later construction on the Columbia Crest winery began, with the first crush for Columbia Crest in 1983.

The vineyards' topography and climate produced fruit with notable characteristics, and for the following 22 years, the winery expanded the plantings and continued to research and improve the quality of the grapes. Recognizing the uniqueness of the Horse Heaven Hills, Columbia Crest was one of the key players that led the consortium of growers to petition the government for a Horse Heaven Hills AVA, which was established in August 2005.

In February 2008, the winery launched the debut vintages of H3 to limited markets. The second vintages of H3, which include the 2006 Cabernet Sauvignon, 2006 Merlot and 2007 Chardonnay, are available to both on- and off-premise accounts nationally.

The labels contain an elegant white horse with wings soaring above an "H3" emblem. The image is meant to convey the story of the Horse Heaven Hills (or H3) AVA.

According to local historical records, in 1857, rancher James Kinney was camping in the hills. He woke up to discover his heard had wandered up a mountain side onto an upland plain where they were munching on succulent bunch grass. The rancher commented, "Surely this is horse heaven."

About Columbia Crest This year Columbia Crest Winery celebrates 25 years of winemaking in Washington state. Columbia Crest has grown from a small winery in a relatively unknown wine region to one of the most significant wineries in the U.S. and a major force behind Washington state’s emergence as a world class wine region. In 2007, the Grand Estates Merlot was selected from a field of 15,000 rated wines as one of the "Top 100 Wines of the World" by Wine Spectator, marking the 14th "Top 100" placement for Columbia Crest in the past ten years. More information on the winery can be found at columbia-crest.com.

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For further information:
Erin Shane
425-415-3696
erin.shane@ste-michelle.com