REGION: Columbia Valley, WA
Last time I reviewed a Maryhill wine, I pledged to have my pictures edited from our winery visit before the next one. I am happy to say I completed that mission!
And wow, Maryhill is a breathtaking winery (9774 Hwy 14, WA). It’s hard not to be right on the Columbia River Gorge. I honestly think being there on a stormy, foggy day added a whole other level of beauty to the location.
Of course, my friend Cassie, who works at Maryhill, also ups the pretty factor.
Cassie and I looking adorable, if I do so say myself.
We met at the 2014 Wine Bloggers Conference, and she graciously guided my husband and I through the tasting then strong-armed me into buying a few of Maryhill’s wines reserved for wine club members, the first of which I reviewed last month for you.
The second, this Tuscan-style red wine blend, also lived up to the expectations she gave me. An absolutely fun wine to drink, although the balance of its intense flavors wasn’t perfect. Pleasing jam notes beckon you into a game of cat-and mouse, only to lose you in a maze of rose bushes and pine trees. Can such a hopeless chase be satisfying? Yes, yes it can.
At 83/100 on the Quini scale, it earns my highest ranking:
My full Quini tasting notes:
And some thoughts from a fellow Wine Lover:
A blend of Merlot, Sangiovese and Cabernet Sauvignon, this is indeed a sturdy red table wine. The tannins are dense and chewy, the fruit submerged beneath barrel flavors of toast, caramel and nougat.
I would be remiss to not make sure any visitors to Maryhill also knew about Sam Hill’s Stonehenge, a roadside attraction around a mile east following Hwy 14 from the winery.
Commissioned by, yep, Samuel Hill, and completed in 1929, this concrete replica of Stonehenge is a memorial to the soldiers who died in WWI. Samuel Hill is the founder of the small town of Maryhill, and he’s buried near the monument.
It’s not built to scale, but it’s an atmospheric draw on a stormy day, regardless.
View from Sam Hill's Stonehenge.
Wine and wandering through a WWI memorial go together better than you’d think. For the full set of pictures from our drive that day, click here.
Wine reviewed 19 September 2014.
"Travel Guide"
My travelogues tend to follow my day’s schedule when I’m out exploring. I chronicle my meals and sweet treats along with tourist sites worth checking out, including hiking trails. Sometimes, I may include just one particular trip highlight; other times, I’ll include several so you can make a day trip out of them.