Helix Pomatia Columbia Valley 2005

i was the guest pourer at a recent wine tasting and this was the final wine in a group of six that i poured. this blend of 53% cabernet sauvignon, 31% merlot, 8% syrah, and 8% cab franc from washington received mixed reviews mostly because it needed to be decanted. i took a bottle home and gave it some time to breathe and was rewarded for that. the nose was black cherry, leather, dark chocolate, and some tobacco notes. the wine had promise. during the tasting the palate was overly tannic, but with time in the glass the tannins softened, allowing this wine to open up and really shine. black currant, plum, chocolate, earth and some coffee notes all came through. the tannins no longer overpowered you and the balance this wine exhibited was beautiful. the wine sells for about $20, and will work very well with a nice steak or pork meal.