Pendulum 2006 Red Wine

*Bottle #52: Pendulum 2006 Columbia Valley Red Wine
*Price Tag: $18
*Running Tab: $617

This right here is my 52nd review and I just happened to inadvertently post it on the exact one-year date. Yay, subconsciously brilliant me!

But why this wine for such an epic and cardinal affair?

Since I seem to be the only one celebrating (I am, however, awaiting my huge success that is to come after joining Twitter, according to my tech-infused PR friends), I went with a bottle to satisfy me. Just like a woman and damn proud of it.

Reasons why the 2006 Pendulum Red Wine from Columbia Valley pleases moi:

1) It was incredibly hard to figure out anything about this wine via the "Internets" but it was done. The enigma itself was tantalizing enough...

2) Great Washington wine names to back it up: Allen Shoup of Long Shadows in Walla Walla ($) and Andrew Browne of Precept Brands in Seattle (think the black and white labeled "House Wine" red blend).

3) Great story behind those names: Former arch nemeses turned business partners. Shoup used to head up Ste. Michelle labels and Browne was the leader of Corus Brands (which was owned at the time by Columbia Winery). These two giants stare at each other from across the street in the big city of Woodinville, WA. In those days, it was the constant battle of who can sell more, buy up more, exploit more, move through brilliant-over-produced winemakers faster...

4) Mystery blend exposed: 72% Cabernet Sauvignon, 18% Merlot, 5% Sangiovese, 3% Cabernet Franc, 2% Syrah. Predominatly Cab, it should take on a good majority of those characteristics...

5) Mystery vineyards exposed: A little bit of Alder Ridge in my life, a little bit of Candy Mountain by my side, a little bit of Pepper Bridge is all I need, a little bit of Conner Lee in the sun and a little bit of Weinbau all night long. The "Mambo No. 5" of Horse Heaven Hills, Wahluke Slope and Walla Walla and that's not even all the vineyards used, I just got overwhelmed.

6) It's easy to drink, it's red, it uses all of the varietals Washington should be proud of and cost me $18. Done and doner.

The juice in the wine supposedly is the left-overs from Long Shadow's Feather, a beautiful and noble red wine that triple this one's price. And just like food left-overs, the original dish is so much better than what you have the next day, even after attempting to salvage it by heating it in microwave.

Nose: There's some berries in there, you just have to search for them. This wine is young and tight in aromas but they're there. Subtle mocha with milk chocolate - distinctly milk chocolate because it almost gives off the impression of creaminess. Nice, actually. Black olives come into play later.

Palate: Bright red fruit, spice and good acidity with a war on the front of the mouth with tannins. However, being medium-bodied and second-rate, it strains out a little in the end and is almost thin.

This wine's like a current war we're in: there's a lot of words, weapons and names being claimed and thrown around but none of them are really making an impact in the overall situation... Pendulum might have a hefty arsenal guarded by Shoup and Browne and filled with prominent AVA's fruit but the wine is still a disappointment.

Here's some more unnecessary sensationalism I found on the back side of this bottle. And I quote...

"A MOMENT IN TIME.
The fluidity of the seasons.
The perfect reflection
of elements in balance."

Sip on that for a while.

Score: 5.