Skydiving in Sequins: Col Solare Wines, an Outsider’s Perspective

Summary

Col Solare is a winery that primarily produces premium-priced Red wines, both varietal and blends. Located in the tiny Red Mountain appellation, which is said to be the warmest in Washington state, Col Solare is known for its opulent New World style Cabernet Sauvignon, Shiraz and Merlot varietal wines, all highly rated by the wine critics.

How we picked these wines

During our recent visit to Chateau Ste. Michelle, our guide strongly recommended a stop at Col Solare. Our guide nudged: If you want to try Red wines that will knock your socks off, head to that place. Well, our preference would be to keep the socks on and instead be gently elevated to wine heaven, but OK, the guide made it sound interesting enough for us to make a beeline to their Botega.

About Col Solare

Col Solare is a winery born out of a partnership between the Italian wine nobility, the Antinori family, and Chateau Ste. Michelle, the oldest winery in the state of Washington.

The story has it that the former executive of Ste. Michelle, with the help of their then-consulting winemaker, went to great lengths to convince the Antinori family to start a winery based out of Washington. The efforts bore fruit, pun intended, and the Col Solare had its inaugural vintage in 1995. The main varietal planted by the partners
was and remains Cabernet Sauvignon. Antinori family oversees the production of all their wines. The grapes used in Col Solare wines are all grown in the state of Washington, Red Mountain Vineyard. Here’s a nifty tidbit: Col Solare’s location shares the same longitude as Bordeaux. Quite the connection!

Wine tasting: Col Solare’s Reds

You don’t need to travel all the way to Col Solare winery in Benton City just to try their wines. It’s easily accessible when you visit Chateau Ste. Michelle. Col Solare has set up a stylish spot called a Botega – a fancy name for a wine tasting room and shop – right there at Chateau Ste. Michelle premises.

Col Solare Bottega at Chateau Ste. Michelle
14111 NE 145th Street, Woodinville, WA 98072

You’ll find it on the same level as the Ste. Michelle’s restaurant, wine tasting bar, and shop. It’s set apart from the
rest of the space by glass walls and banners all around. It’s got enough room for 4-5 groups to enjoy tastings at the same time. During our visit, we were offered three flights of their Red wines, including two that are usually reserved for members. The wine tasting is $45 per person, and they’re generous with their pours.

Aged for 16 months in French oak, this wine conjures an image of a burly bloke with a cigar alongside a succulent steak. This wine is very masculine. It would benefit from at least ten years of cellaring. The wine is hot! While the technical details list the alcohol content as 15.2%, the label is being shy about it and declares only 14.8% ABV.

We anticipate this wine to earn high scores and glowing reviews from critics. Our take? At the very least, it stands as a quality wine, though we consider the overwhelming smell and taste of the cured meat in our Shiraz to be off-putting. Here’s the twist: while it’s undoubtedly good, those of us who like a bit more restraint and less heat in our wines won’t necessarily see it that way.

To buy this wine, you need to be a Col Solare wine club member. Alternatively, you need to make a trip to Chateau Ste. Michelle, where Col Solare has a wine tasting room and a wine shop.

To enjoy this wine, pair it with lamb and deep-fried vegetables such as potatoes and eggplants. Sign up for our newsletter to be notified when new recipes are added to our library.

Of all three wines included in the tasting, this one was the most approachable. It’s quite complex yet very smooth. Just like the Shiraz we tried earlier, the taste of cured meat on the palate didn’t exactly boost our liking for this wine. Considering its price point, it’s one of the best choices among the trio they showcased during the tasting.

When it comes to pairing this wine with food, you’ll have a great time with dishes like beef tenderloin in a red wine sauce or even BBQ flank steak roulade.

While not part of our official tasting, we had a chance to sneak a taste of this new Merlot release from Col Solare. After aging for 22 months in fresh French oak, this wine is up for grabs, but only for Col Solare club members.

Just like their Shiraz, this Merlot seems to have a bit of identity crisis going on. The label on the bottle states 14.5% alcohol, but the technical details say 15%. Whatever the case, this wine is easy to enjoy now, but it’ll really shine if you give it a chance to cellar for 5-7 years. Despite its young age, this Merlot is complex and smooth at the same time.

This wine should pair well with duck dishes, like the one featured in our Baharat spiced duck recipe. It also will do a great job with beef and pork, especially if you’re grilling them.

Aged for 22 months in French oak, this wine is set to get even better with about 12+ more years of aging. This Cabernet Sauvignon has quite a bit of a grip. Overall it was more enjoyable than the Shiraz we tried. However, the $145 price tag still raises doubts about its value proposition.

During our tasting experience, we couldn’t shake the thought of a tasty Kobe beef burger with caramelized onions and sun-dried tomato compound butter. We’re sharing this recipe in our next weekly post, so keep an eye out. Or better yet, sign up for our newsletter to make sure you grab the recipe as soon as it’s added to our recipe collection.

Conclusion

Col Solare’s red wines come across as bold and over the top, American way. To be clear, we’re not implying that these are poorly crafted wines. So, the question arises: Did we enjoy these wines?

Here’s a way to put it: Think of these wines as the Anna Nicole Smith of the wine world. Was she strikingly beautiful? Absolutely! A true head-turner. Would you want her as a life partner? Many would undoubtedly say yes. If you’re in that “yes” camp, chances are you’ll absolutely adore these wines. And we suspect most folks would.

For us, these wines are extravagant and unapologetically intense, a bit like Anna Nicole herself. But they might be a touch too bold and uninhibited to be our top choice.

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