Collusion Red Wine - On The Up And Up • Reverse Wine Snob®

No special investigative skills needed to see that this is an honestly good red blend from the Columbia Valley, the Collusion Red Wine from Josh Phelps and Grounded Wine Co.

43% Merlot, 34% Cabernet Sauvignon, 19% Malbec and 4% Syrah from Horse Heaven Hills and Red Mountain in Columbia Valley, Washington. The wine is aged in 30% new French oak barrels.

Sample submitted for review. The Collusion Red Wine has an SRP of $22 but is available for as low as $17. 5,000 cases produced.

From the winery:

Collusion tips its hat to the rich history of the west during prohibition, commending those who kept the industry alive by any means.

This initial release of Collusion confirms our belief that there is a huge untapped potential for phenomenal Bordeaux-varietal red blends in the Columbia Valley growing region. The 2016 Collusion was made from select vineyard blocks with balanced yields, resulting in a very focused and well-structured wine. The slight addition of 4% Syrah added aromatic complexity in the form of warm, earthy spice to the final blend.

14.1% Alcohol

Given the name and even the vintage of today’s wine, it’s impossible not to connect it to recent national events, but as the label states the name itself comes from prohibition and the not always legal means by which the wine industry was kept alive.

The 2016 Collusion Red Wine from Josh Phelps and Grounded Wine Co. begins with a pleasing aroma of blackberry, black cherry, cedar and a bit of black olive. This one needs quite a bit of time to open up (give it a couple of hours) but then it is really quite good. Tasting this medium to full-bodied wine reveals juicy blackberry, lots of beautiful spice and good acidity plus leather, black tea and black pepper. It ends with a smooth, dry finish of long-lasting oaky spice. The bottom line? There are no special investigative skills needed to see that this red blend is on the up and up.

Ready to buy the Collusion Red Wine? Check your local retailers.