Bombing Range Red - A Winning Blend

56% Syrah, 22% Cabernet Sauvignon, 12% Cabernet Franc and 10% Mourvèdre from Horse Heaven Hills, Washington.

Sample submitted for review. SRP of $16 and available for as low as $12. 1,650 cases produced.

From the bottle:

"During WWII our land was used as a training ground for U.S. fighter pilots. The U.S. P-40 Hawk fighter planes depicted on our label capture the spirit of Bombing Range Red, our tribute to U.S. troops and the colorful history of our vineyard.

PHOTO: U.S. P-40 fighter planes at an advanced U.S. base in China. An American soldier waves good luck to the crew. Acme. ca. 1943

13.8% Alcohol"

Horse Heaven Hills lies within the larger Columbia Valley in Washington and is home to some of the state's oldest vines. It's an extremely dry area, averaging less than 10 inches of rain per year which means vineyards must use irrigation. (Vitis Vinifera vines, the family of grapes used to make wine, need an absolute minimum of 20 inches of rain per year to survive.) The area is also quite hot, although temperatures are regulated a bit by the strong winds.

Dry, hot and windy normally wouldn't sound like a great combination for farming, but as we've discussed before these types of challenging conditions help to produce extremely flavorful grapes, just what we want. Many different varieties of wine are grown here in Horse Heaven Hills (so named because an early pioneer called it a horse heaven thanks to its abundant grasses) and today's wine makes good use of several of them.

The 2010 McKinley Springs Bombing Range Red begins with pleasant aromas of black cherry, leather, white pepper and other dried herbs. Drinking the wine shows it to be very tasty with lots of savory fruit and excellent spice that leads into the long fruit and cola tinged finish. This is a definite crowd-pleaser that even the most discerning drinkers will get a lot of enjoyment from. A great pick for your 4th of July BBQ.

See a listing of local retailers selling this wine here.