2008 Quilceda Creek Cabernet Sauvignon
Community Tasting Note
Ron Van Holland wrote:
91 Points
Thursday, September 3, 2015 - So opulent, glycerol, and fruit forward. Where’s the complexity of earth, spice, and suppleness? Judging by the rave reviews (not to mention the price), my palate is obviously off tonight...or maybe it really is a not-so-brave New World style.
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2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Report Issue (5,098 views)
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Comment posted by Arch57:
9/3/2015 7:36:00 PM - Ron - I have had the same experience with QC wines as you described and dropped off the mailing list. Holding my remaining 9 bottles and will see if long cellar time will bring out those secondary notes.
Comment posted by Ron Van Holland:
9/4/2015 6:02:00 AM - Arch, thanks for the note. Last night, by coincidence, I opened a 2008 Chateau Ste Michelle Cold Creek cabernet sauvignon. This is a premium Ste Michelle that runs around $25-30. It's a Washington state cab like the Quilceda. Turns out the wines are similar: gigantic, untamed, fruit bombs. Obviously, some people love that style (I used to) -- apparently it's a Robert Parker trademark. The other view is that we just need to be patient (as in decades of patience) and time will bring this style of wine down to Earth. But a rigorous review of this theory demonstrates that aging wine is somewhat of a crap shot: it's very difficult to predict which wines will thrive and improve over 20 years. It also raises the issue of proper storage, which introduces another variable. To me, that means I want to buy great wines young and store them myself rather than purchase old wines at the auction. Do I really have the patience to invest in this wine and properly store it for 20 years to see if Robert Parker turns out right? ...Nah. In the meantime, we have purchasers with a very large investment/commitment who convince themselves they really like that style of wine. To do otherwise is admitting a mistake and, far-far worse, raising the possibility of one's own defective palate. The Quilceda's not for me and the Ste Michelle Cold Creek's not for me. They might be great wines, or great wines in another 15 years, but I have other preferences.