Goose Ridge Merlot G3 Columbia Valley
Pairs with: Grilled ribeye steaks, rosemary-crusted pork tenderloin with a plum glaze, wood-fired bacon cheeseburgers, or an earthy wild mushroom flatbread.
Good for: Showing off the phenomenal value-to-quality ratio of Washington State, keeping a cozy weekend barbecue fully stocked, or reminding your wine-loving friends exactly why Merlot is so heavily cherished.
Grape: Merlot
I am from: Goose Gap AVA, Columbia Valley, Washington, USA.
The Story: The "g3" line is a proud, liquid tribute to three generations of the Monson family, who have passionately farmed the rugged, sun-drenched landscapes of Eastern Washington for over a century. Long before grapevines entered the picture, the family focused entirely on cattle and orchards. However, a legendary conversation with Dr. Walter Clore—the visionary pioneer universally revered as the "Father of Washington Wine"—inspired Arvid Monson to take a bold gamble, planting wine grapes on the arid, wind-swept hills around Richland. That gamble blossomed into the spectacular, 2,000-acre Goose Ridge Estate, which operates today as one of the state's premier, sustainably certified landmarks. Sourced entirely from the estate’s prized upper blocks, the fruit undergoes an intensive pump-over regimen to extract maximum color and structure before spending 15 months aging in French and American oak barrels. Right before bottling, a tiny splash of Cabernet Sauvignon is masterfully integrated into the blend to polish its structural frame and amplify its aromatic volume.
Why You'll Love Me: It is a plush, velvety, and delightfully fruit-forward powerhouse that perfectly captures the generous, deeply satisfying personality of Pacific Northwest reds. It pours a dense, deep ruby-purple color in the glass. The nose is highly expressive and instantly charming, greeting you with an aromatic riot of black raspberries, ripe blueberries, and black cherry cola, seamlessly underlined by accents of dried mountain herbs, fresh mint, and sweet cocoa powder. On the palate, it delivers a rich, voluptuous medium-to-full body that elegantly coats the mouth with lavish flavors of black plums and wild dark cherries. This generous core of fruit is flawlessly balanced by a lively natural freshness and ultra-smooth, fine-grained tannins that give the palate a gentle, structure-defining squeeze, sailing effortlessly into a long, toasty finish laced with baking spices and a whisper of vanilla.
