Columbia Valley, WA
13.7% alc.
$4 at Maple Valley, WA (purchased 1/30/13)
There have been several 1st & Main wines at GO over the last year, both red and white. I don’t think any of them have been more than drinkable. This bottle is no exception, even at $4. Oaky nose with a slight medicinal smell with a bit of barnyard. Oaky mess on the palate with grassiness followed by cola. Flabby wine with flavors all over the map and just not integrated. A thumbs down for me.
I don’t know what it is with this series, but they don’t stand up. I can only think they were made to be very accessible and appeal to the street traffic at the tasting room when it was in downtown Walla Walla. I don’t know if they still produce this series as I have not been to the new tasting room out on Highway 12. Waterbrook usually produces decent value wines and sometimes some standouts.
I haven’t seen this one yet in the Tacoma area stores, but thanks for the warning. From previous discussion here (maybe from you), the 1st & Main was pre-Precept and only sold in their downtown tasting room (or to their wine club mail order maybe). I did buy the whites (Rousanne and Viogier (sp?)) when they were around and wasn’t impressed.
Waterbrook Melange (red) has always been a decent wine and I like the winery in general. But the new winery looks too bells and whistles (too typical of Walla Walla of late) and I go across the highway instead (3Rivers).