PnP Monday celebratory bottle for our daughter getting into her top choice med skool. No detailed notes but an awesome day on so many fronts!
Lush blue, more blue and then blackberries on the nose. Perfectly put together for a wine at this price point and age. No rush and lots of good years ahead of this.....but why wait?
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Classic example of QC's CVR. Plenty of life left as this was still a bit tightly wound, but opened up nicely after an hour or two. Likely due to large format on this one. Plenty of spice on the finish, also very on brand for QC. 87% cab, so a pretty strong value for their JV offering.
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90 min decant; nose of barrel spice, vanilla and black cherry. Flavors of cherry, baking spices, green pepper, tobacco leaf and vanilla, finishing with bitter dark chocolate and copper. Tannins mostly resolved, but still apparent on day 2. Drink now with air - 2031.
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Much better than 3 years ago. Still some cherry ice cream, but now lots of oak spice adding depth and better balance: clove, ginger, cinnamon. The bitter green note has turned into black pepper. This is making me much more optimistic.
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Stopped buying these in 2020 because many other wines seemed to at least be an equal. The '16 however has turned into an excellent wine, that makes me think I should have bought the '21....
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Mocha, cigar and faint aged barrel on the nose. Unlike most other CVR's, especially at this age, this is much dustier and tannic than the typically approachable fruit and floral components I'd typically expect.
While there are many vintages of CVR whose CS component is similar or less than the 87% in this vintage, I can't recall others that come across as a Bordeaux blend to this extent. Could it be in a dumb phase?
Don't get me wrong, this is really good but is more of a beef-only bottle than the "anything goes" CVR that typically pairs as well w chicken or fish.
Will be fun and interesting to see how this continues to age.
Note: 4.5hrs after decanting there's some red fruit beginning to rise in the glass. Sadly it's the end of the road for this bottle
Excellent, fairly closed on night 1, dark fruit, cassis, charcoal. Much more open on night 2, luscious red and black fruits, plush mouthfeel. Plenty of time to go, try again in 2-3 years.
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PnP with grilled rib steak. Simply outstanding. As we say in Italian, frutti di bosco! Blackberry, blueberry, raspberry flavors, velvety on the tongue with sweet tannin and a long enjoyable finish. Bravo!
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My last magnum from this vintage. I shared it with my wine group as part of a magnum night. This was the final wine of the evening, and it was enjoyed by all, with many of the group having it as their favorite. I think the QPR on this is very high, as it gives you a taste of QC's house style, without the price of their flagship wine.
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A combination of equal parts black, blue, and red fruit. Some oak and sweetness on the finish along with a touch of black cherry Luden's cough drop. Long finish and tons of fruit concentration. A new world crowd pleaser, but not built for my palate. Decanted for 30 minutes.
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Lovely wine. Popped and poured and savoured aromas of violets, lead pencil, blueberries, blackberries. Inhale. Savor. Exhale. Repeat. The wine carried these same flavors on the tongue with a balanced, full, fruit forward structure. Yum.
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Slight alcohol bite on the nose, not decanted. Not as complex as most of their wines but paired equally well with both lamb shank and halibut. Very versatile, enjoyable, just not the same high-caliber as some of their other vintages.
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Opened about 1 hour prior to dinner. 1st glass poured immediately and sat. Deep and dark the fruit is mostly blackberry and dark plum. There was a line of minerality running through the wine. Very balanced and drinking well now, it should drink well for a long time. Not as “rich” as some previous vintages but still full bodied. Tannins are present but integrated. Held up well to grilled strip steak. Finish is moderate.
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Dark purple, long legs. Full Cab nose with dark fruits, light smoke and minerals. Full bodied with lush black & blue fruits, chocolate, light oak, lovely balance, firm tannins and long finish. 1 hour decant.
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Fabulous wine! Very dark red color. Super intense Cabernet nose, fullbodied, ripe dark- and redberry fruit. Powerful structure based on softened and polished tannins and a lovely sweetness at the end. Very early stage, some decades of drinking window ahead. A real pleasure wine
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Drank over 2 days. PnP the first day nose was muted and body showed dark fruit wrapped in Bakers spice and firm tannins. By day 2 it was much more expressive and had more traditional hints of cassis and vanilla and tobacco. Good balance and finish. Still not at its mature stage.
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A wonderful blend from one of the premier vineyards of Washington State, Columbia Valley. Let breathe for about an hour. Soft, supple, full bodied, with rounded tannin. Red fruits with oak, leather and cassis. Very good value for this wine, especially considering the price of their reserve and other top labels in the region.
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Hooked up to nitrogen canister and followed for two days. An hour and the decanter had this open up nicely. Well balanced, lots of blue fruit on the nose, typical QC CVR
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Opened 1 hour prior then decanted 1 hour. Plum, blueberry, cedar, some strong tobacco leaf notes on the finish. Well made WA wine that improved with more time and should have decanted longer as the last glass was smoother and the tobacco notes faded to a more plush finish. Would hold in cellar for more development or drink now with long decant.
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A truly exceptional Cab. Always consistent and the value as compared to the flagship label from this wine maker can't be beat. Ruby color. Great balance with medium tannin, soft and supple. Raspberries, cherries, blueberries, vanilla and oak. Still can't believe this wine comes from Washington State.
Right out of the bottle this was screaming blueberry on the nose. Poured half the bottle into the decanter and three hours later this has mellowed considerably. Shows crème de cassis and English breakfast tea. Mouth feel shows a great balance of plush fruit with a silky, fruit-driven finish, with hints of vanilla and tar. Another stellar QC red blend.
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Nice Cab. Nose of violets, plums and red fruit. Clear color of deep purple. Flavors of plum, blueberries and a nice floral note. Tannins are well integrated, slight hint of pomegranate on the finish. Drinking nicely.
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This is bright ruby colored, medium full bodied, rich, elegant and balanced, the aromatics burst from the glass on opening, black berry fruits accented by currant and plum are accented by a layer of graphite, licorice,and smokey herbs with notes of tobacco leaf and oak spices turning to full but smooth silky supple tannins on the finish.
Tastes like the most opulent oak money can buy. The grapes seem almost like an afterthought. Red and tart out of the bottle, after two hours of air the fruit profile turned darker. The finish has a bitter green note that offers at least some balance to all of the cherry-vanilla ice cream. Should improve with cellar time and certain to be a perpetual crowd pleaser. Even at the low, low price of $50 I feel like I overpaid. I guess fancy oak isn't cheap.
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I love the baby Quilceda Creek! Cassis, spice box, dark berry, green stems, black pepper, Washington tree bark. Super dry tannins. Really smooth and suave after an hour decant. Tremendous bargain at $50 from the winery.
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Deep, dark reddish-purple in color, bordering on opaque. Full, forward & attractive nose of ripe fruit aromas of cherries, blackberries & cassis with lovely overtones of earthy/dusty with spice & herbal notes, anise/mint, cocoa, minerals & a slight hint of vanilla/oak in the background. Medium-full bodied with a very good concentration of well balanced & smooth textured, ripe fruit flavors of dark cherries, blackberries & plums with herbs, spices, minerals, cocoa, oak & vanilla. Lingering smooth & polished finish. Drinks quite well at present with decanting and extended airing but should continue to develop further with additional aging. An indicative blend of 83% Cabernet Sauvignon, 11% Merlot, 4% Cabernet Franc, 1% Petit Verdot and 1% Malbec.
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ERMAHGERD!..I place the glass of wine two feet from myself on the end table and the aroma wafts out of the glass and wraps around my head... Dark fruits and vanilla permeate with some oak, cigar box, leather mit, with a soft mouthfeel. Great balance; just a treat; hides the alcohol. The CVR is a go-to for me because opening a bottle = being delighted every time.
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Followed for two hours open. It is simply too hot and ripe, and too wound up for me to enjoy. I’ll report back tomorrow after it has some time to breathe. Day 2: well it certainly mellowed out some, but the profile remains monolithic and without much distinction of terroir. Time should still be on its side though, so if I had any more they would be resting for another few-several years. 5+11+15+8= 89
After an hour+ decant, this had huge, well integrated dark fruit. Tannins helped hold it together, but were not too prominent. This drank more like a Caymus than a restrained Washington Cabernet. It is very good, but be aware of the style.
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1.5-2hr decant. Nose: bell pepper (young + WA?) Palate: milk chocolate, dried fruit, vanilla, a lot of oak but that oak shows nicely. Weirdly really tasty with dark chocolate? Meryl likes it too. Best WA wine we’ve had in a bit. Very new world but enjoyably so.
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Cellar Night at Binnys South Loop (Chicago, IL): Cab/Merl/CF/Malb. $70 and on sale it would be worth searching out. One of my gripes with Columbia Valley reds is too much oak but this doesn't have that problem.
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Deep garnet, with a pretty nose like blueberry syrup at breakfast, and overripe strawberries. Smells like a quality Portuguese red from a quinta who knows what they are doing. Med+ acidity, more tannins than many young CVRs, same flavors as nose, a little unwelcome cherry cough syrup. Long finish with some heat (15.2% abv!), nice fruits, a welcome absence of that cough syrup, complexity from added Merlot (7%), Cab Franc (3%), Petite Verdot (3%).
Like a restaurant with great appetizers (the nose) and great desserts (the finish)... but OK entrees. Crowd pleaser, though. Wouldn’t confuse it with a QC “big gun,” but worthwhile drinking while those age, alongside food. 91/92
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Quilceda Creek VIP Tasting (Esquin Seattle): Deep purple color with strong black cherry on the nose. Slightly both hot and acidic, but filled with dark fruit and a medium finish. Overall a decent showing.
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with 7% Merlot and 3% each Cab Franc, Petit Verdot. Medium nose shows black fruits, bramble, dried spice, herb, bitter chocolate. Palate more expressive, black layers, fresh herbs, baking spice, pencil lead, rustic and fresh together. Structure is friendly but unremarkable. Well made, could be more complex for price, but the pedigree is premium.
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Bigly. Didn't require much of a decant; no progression over 2 nights. Full of oak, vanilla, blueberry pie. The last few vintages have dialed back the blast of wood, so that's something to be thankful for.
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My favorite cvr ever. Usually even the qc red blends take several years to mature but this was singing right out of the bottle. Earthy blackberry and cedar. Really enjoyable.
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The nose was spicy, with cool-toned dark fruits, wild herbs, hints of cedar and pine resin. On the palate, velvety textures were offset by zesty acids, sweet spice and slightly tart red berries, in an energetic and spicy expression. The finish was long, resonating of tart black berries, wild herbs, a twang of acid and savory spice.
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I agree with another reviewer that this is the best $40 bottle of Cab I’ve had. This was my first from this vintage. I decanted it for 1 hour before pouring. It probably took another hour to open up. It’s a great example of the CVR with ripe red fruit and subtle spice. I enjoyed it with a filet. It has plenty of life left (no surprise), so I am glad I have a bunch of it.
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Best $40 bottle of wine i have ever had. 15.2% alcohol so a bit hot. But wow, hearty, nice dark fruit, lots of balance, 87% cab sauv, 7 merlot, 3 cf, 3 pv. some cedar and pencil shavings. A bit of oak. These folks know what they are doin.
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A friend and I tasted this at the 3/23/19 release party. It had a rich, open nose of cassis, black cherry, blackberry, licorice, herb and spice aromas. The palate was full bodied and nicely layered with flavors of black cherry, black currant, plum, licorice, herb and spice.
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Double decant. This one is very oaky. It’s the usual silky smooth blueberry fruit underneath. Long finish. Hold.
Day 2 - the oak mellowed out quite a bit and this is a much better way to enjoy this wine currently. This is a classy and sexy beast. Delicious. If you must open this wine in the next year or three, decant it all day.
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Popped and poured, then drank over two nights. This is the most disappointing CVR in recent memory. Well built, but nothing but a blast of fruit and vanilla. Perhaps time brings out more complexity. All that said, it is still tasty, just not interesting.
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Lots of clean dark fruit at this early stage, with a pinch of pepper and spice. Because this is still so young, the tannins give the wine a lot of weight, even though the mouthfeel is otherwise pretty silky.
What's promising about the bottle I had, is I didn't feel the wine was too alcoholic. So I think this vintage has a lot of potential to be a big, but balanced wine in a few years.
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Pulled this having five or six previous vintages available. Dense, full bodied. Lots of ripe dark fruit that was a huge hit with the missus. Bold finish. Quite happy to have 9 more.
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Opened in the morning, double decanted, drank that night. Vanilla fruit bomb. Had similar thoughts about the '14, skipped the '15 as a result, tried the '16. I may be done with CVR if they are going to be this oaky.
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Probably the biggest young CVR I've ever had. Ripe, dense and brawny on the palate, and a touch alcoholic. 87% cabernet, highest proportion ever in a CVR. Too much so for my tastes, especially after tasting the suave and elegant 2015 straight Cabernet.
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Popping this young bottle to see how it is. Tasted after a 30m decant. Fleshy, full, alcohol heavy notes with a subtle overlay of tobacco, leather, cassis, and something vegetal. The bouquet is feels embryonic. Palette is thick and soft. Black pepper and cassis again. Tannins are subtle at first and then drying in the long finish. Acid is in balance. Mid palette is still asleep. This is, as expected, in an opulent style. It drinks nicely, but, yes,it’s exceptionally young. I’ll wait a few years before popping my next.
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Great buy. Has that signature velvet smooth Quilceda feel with a bit less intensity than their big-boy Cabs. Note to self: Buy more of these next offering.
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87% Cabernet Sauvignon, 7% Merlot, 3% Cabernet Franc and 3% Petit Verdot. Long decant given. From open, through note, the nose is an absolute show stopper. Young but intense scents show notes of cigar box and cedar that meet aromas cassis, cherry and marionberry before revealing scents of herbs, graphite, vanilla bean, high-end dark chocolate, suede and toasted star anise. Intense on the palate and no shortage of stuffing in this wine. The tannins are full, fine and plush with balanced acid structure and above moderate density and alcohol. Flavors of rich cassis, dark cherry and marionberry weave seamlessly into the notes of vanilla bean, dark chocolate, espresso bean, toast, smoke, graphite, herbs, earth, new leather and velour. Unending on the finish that struts both power and finesse. One of the greatest QPR in wine! This will also go the distance in the cellar.
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This wine is aged in 100% French oak and has hints of blueberries, blackberries, baking spices and vanilla. The tannins are surprisingly very soft. I opened the bottle 6 hours prior to drinking it so, that may contribute to the delicate tannins. The taste gives an explosion of dark fruits and minute echos of black licorice. I would give this wine at least 5 more years then revisit it.
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3/4/2024 - davidandrose Likes this wine: 93 Points
PnP Monday celebratory bottle for our daughter getting into her top choice med skool. No detailed notes but an awesome day on so many fronts!
Lush blue, more blue and then blackberries on the nose. Perfectly put together for a wine at this price point and age. No rush and lots of good years ahead of this.....but why wait?
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12/24/2023 - aleistner Likes this wine:
Yum
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11/23/2023 - R Mellon Likes this wine: 92 Points
Classic example of QC's CVR. Plenty of life left as this was still a bit tightly wound, but opened up nicely after an hour or two. Likely due to large format on this one. Plenty of spice on the finish, also very on brand for QC. 87% cab, so a pretty strong value for their JV offering.
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11/2/2023 - ogres3 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Drinking well. Hope the '21 is as good.
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10/10/2023 - ogres3 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Enjoying this wine more and more as it ages. Tempts me to buy a case of the '21, but think that's running ~$60/bottle with sig shipping tacked on.
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8/28/2023 - Winowhyno Likes this wine: 90 Points
nice blend....got better with air
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8/22/2023 - Nomadirish Likes this wine: 88 Points
Drinking fine - not overly complex and a bit tart
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8/1/2023 - RPerro Likes this wine: 92 Points
90 min decant; nose of barrel spice, vanilla and black cherry. Flavors of cherry, baking spices, green pepper, tobacco leaf and vanilla, finishing with bitter dark chocolate and copper. Tannins mostly resolved, but still apparent on day 2. Drink now with air - 2031.
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7/5/2023 - UMRich Likes this wine: 92 Points
Tannins resolved, drinking beautifully both with food (4th of July burgers) and as a sipper afterwards
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6/26/2023 - Portland Seth Likes this wine: 92 Points
Much better than 3 years ago. Still some cherry ice cream, but now lots of oak spice adding depth and better balance: clove, ginger, cinnamon. The bitter green note has turned into black pepper. This is making me much more optimistic.
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5/28/2023 - Bob23 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Out of magnum - still integrating its oak on opening, but tasty with air. Love the quality of the fruit.
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5/6/2023 - ogres3 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Stopped buying these in 2020 because many other wines seemed to at least be an equal. The '16 however has turned into an excellent wine, that makes me think I should have bought the '21....
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4/23/2023 - davidandrose Likes this wine: 93 Points
Mocha, cigar and faint aged barrel on the nose. Unlike most other CVR's, especially at this age, this is much dustier and tannic than the typically approachable fruit and floral components I'd typically expect.
While there are many vintages of CVR whose CS component is similar or less than the 87% in this vintage, I can't recall others that come across as a Bordeaux blend to this extent. Could it be in a dumb phase?
Don't get me wrong, this is really good but is more of a beef-only bottle than the "anything goes" CVR that typically pairs as well w chicken or fish.
Will be fun and interesting to see how this continues to age.
Note: 4.5hrs after decanting there's some red fruit beginning to rise in the glass. Sadly it's the end of the road for this bottle
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2/27/2023 - IvanKrazy Likes this wine: 93 Points
Drinking beautifully right now but in my HO, I think it could benefit from 1 more year of rest. What a beautiful nose and texture, awesome wine!
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1/28/2023 - ogres3 Likes this wine: 92 Points
The missus pulled this, one of her favorites, out after an especially bad day at work. I was on the wagon. Soothed the savage beast.
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1/11/2023 - ogres3 Likes this wine: 93 Points
Big wine, big hit, drinking well.
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12/23/2022 - Nomadirish Likes this wine: 89 Points
Had with 3 other wines. This was the slightly behind the Burgess cab at a similar price point. Drinking well.
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12/22/2022 - ogres3 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Very solid. Rich complex fruit, fairly smooth, still developing but not bad at present.
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11/1/2022 - ogres3 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Continues to improve with age. We'll see what happens with the next 10.
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10/2/2022 - PinotPaul Likes this wine: 92 Points
Excellent. Drinking well.
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9/19/2022 - GA_Seattle Likes this wine: 92 Points
Excellent, fairly closed on night 1, dark fruit, cassis, charcoal. Much more open on night 2, luscious red and black fruits, plush mouthfeel. Plenty of time to go, try again in 2-3 years.
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9/4/2022 - Eantnay Likes this wine: 94 Points
PnP with grilled rib steak. Simply outstanding. As we say in Italian, frutti di bosco! Blackberry, blueberry, raspberry flavors, velvety on the tongue with sweet tannin and a long enjoyable finish. Bravo!
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7/29/2022 - SMHalps Likes this wine: 93 Points
My last magnum from this vintage. I shared it with my wine group as part of a magnum night. This was the final wine of the evening, and it was enjoyed by all, with many of the group having it as their favorite. I think the QPR on this is very high, as it gives you a taste of QC's house style, without the price of their flagship wine.
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7/19/2022 - Francophile1 Likes this wine: 91 Points
A combination of equal parts black, blue, and red fruit. Some oak and sweetness on the finish along with a touch of black cherry Luden's cough drop. Long finish and tons of fruit concentration. A new world crowd pleaser, but not built for my palate. Decanted for 30 minutes.
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5/7/2022 - cabsrgreat Likes this wine: 94 Points
Let it aerate for 1-2 hours before serving. Smooth tannins, oak tinted cherry. Great finish!
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4/25/2022 - BobbaWA Likes this wine: 94 Points
Lovely wine. Popped and poured and savoured aromas of violets, lead pencil, blueberries, blackberries. Inhale. Savor. Exhale. Repeat. The wine carried these same flavors on the tongue with a balanced, full, fruit forward structure. Yum.
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4/19/2022 - davidandrose wrote: 91 Points
Slight alcohol bite on the nose, not decanted. Not as complex as most of their wines but paired equally well with both lamb shank and halibut. Very versatile, enjoyable, just not the same high-caliber as some of their other vintages.
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4/3/2022 - JS1056 wrote: 90 Points
Opened about 1 hour prior to dinner. 1st glass poured immediately and sat.
Deep and dark the fruit is mostly blackberry and dark plum. There was a line of minerality running through the wine. Very balanced and drinking well now, it should drink well for a long time. Not as “rich” as some previous vintages but still full bodied. Tannins are present but integrated. Held up well to grilled strip steak. Finish is moderate.
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1/22/2022 - stevemar Likes this wine: 92 Points
Dark purple, long legs. Full Cab nose with dark fruits, light smoke and minerals. Full bodied with lush black & blue fruits, chocolate, light oak, lovely balance, firm tannins and long finish. 1 hour decant.
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1/9/2022 - shafer1994 Likes this wine: 94 Points
Fabulous wine! Very dark red color. Super intense Cabernet nose, fullbodied, ripe dark- and redberry fruit. Powerful structure based on softened and polished tannins and a lovely sweetness at the end. Very early stage, some decades of drinking window ahead. A real pleasure wine
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11/24/2021 - BobbaWA Likes this wine: 95 Points
One of the best CVR vintages I've tasted. Lively, bright fruit.
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10/16/2021 - yaCellar Likes this wine: 92 Points
The default burger pairing.
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10/12/2021 - jaumealaska Likes this wine: 92 Points
Drank over 2 days. PnP the first day nose was muted and body showed dark fruit wrapped in Bakers spice and firm tannins. By day 2 it was much more expressive and had more traditional hints of cassis and vanilla and tobacco. Good balance and finish. Still not at its mature stage.
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9/26/2021 - Tsliwinski Likes this wine: 94 Points
Great big WA cab. Plenty of rich red fruit, smooth palate and long finish.
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8/17/2021 - fitchbuck Likes this wine: 91 Points
Not quite as satisfying as when I had a bottle 2 years ago. And never a good QPR.
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6/26/2021 - Robwild Likes this wine: 93 Points
A wonderful blend from one of the premier vineyards of Washington State, Columbia Valley. Let breathe for about an hour. Soft, supple, full bodied, with rounded tannin. Red fruits with oak, leather and cassis. Very good value for this wine, especially considering the price of their reserve and other top labels in the region.
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6/19/2021 - davidandrose wrote: 92 Points
Hooked up to nitrogen canister and followed for two days. An hour and the decanter had this open up nicely. Well balanced, lots of blue fruit on the nose, typical QC CVR
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5/22/2021 - jabertone Likes this wine: 93 Points
Outstanding. No better bottle for the money. Drinking well now.
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4/3/2021 - Tsliwinski Likes this wine: 93 Points
Fruity, nice finish. Tasted against '15 CVR, less red fruit and less tangy finish
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3/25/2021 - RumRunner Likes this wine: 93 Points
Really nice. Cherries. Nice tannins.
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3/17/2021 - Tsliwinski Likes this wine: 94 Points
Mature blend with nice vibrant rich red fruit, a little game and smoke and a wisp of flowers
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3/14/2021 - buymoreredsdrinkmorewhites wrote:
Opened 1 hour prior then decanted 1 hour. Plum, blueberry, cedar, some strong tobacco leaf notes on the finish. Well made WA wine that improved with more time and should have decanted longer as the last glass was smoother and the tobacco notes faded to a more plush finish. Would hold in cellar for more development or drink now with long decant.
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2/15/2021 - blabbott wrote: 92 Points
Black plum fruit blends with blackberry, spice, a solid earth presence and a touch of tar to blend into a luscious full bodied wine.
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12/30/2020 - ipp Likes this wine: 92 Points
great cab, regardless of price. but, wow, awesome value. great tannins. blueberry and tobacco. long finish.
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12/30/2020 - brewnello wrote: 92 Points
Great QPR. Cassis and blueberry with cedar bark on nose and tobacco smoke on finish. Very WA profile (in a good way ;))
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12/22/2020 - Robwild Likes this wine: 93 Points
A truly exceptional Cab. Always consistent and the value as compared to the flagship label from this wine maker can't be beat. Ruby color. Great balance with medium tannin, soft and supple. Raspberries, cherries, blueberries, vanilla and oak. Still can't believe this wine comes from Washington State.
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12/12/2020 - yaCellar Likes this wine: 92 Points
My kind of Winter Warmer. This has markedly improved and integrated in the last two years.
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12/10/2020 - jkwoodward Likes this wine: 93 Points
This is fighting way above its weight. Mocha and cassis. Whoa. Pop and pour is great. Can’t wait to see how this evolves. Yum
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12/4/2020 - davidandrose Likes this wine: 93 Points
Right out of the bottle this was screaming blueberry on the nose. Poured half the bottle into the decanter and three hours later this has mellowed considerably. Shows crème de cassis and English breakfast tea. Mouth feel shows a great balance of plush fruit with a silky, fruit-driven finish, with hints of vanilla and tar. Another stellar QC red blend.
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10/21/2020 - Deepdrop Likes this wine: 92 Points
Plush with blueberry, ripe plum and a touch of pomegranate. Integrated sweet tannins. Good now and probably has a few more years to go.
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10/16/2020 - Tsliwinski Likes this wine: 94 Points
Excellent Washington cab based blend. Lots of fruit, finesse and finish. A good price point wine!!!
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10/11/2020 - MJMorris55 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Nice Cab. Nose of violets, plums and red fruit. Clear color of deep purple. Flavors of plum, blueberries and a nice floral note. Tannins are well integrated, slight hint of pomegranate on the finish. Drinking nicely.
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8/9/2020 - Tsliwinski Likes this wine: 93 Points
Rich fruit with game and forest floor
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7/16/2020 - SL_Wine Likes this wine: 91 Points
Nice wine. Drank over 3 nights.
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7/6/2020 - Tag4wine Likes this wine: 94 Points
Smooth good not much tannins
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6/22/2020 - rmcnees Likes this wine: 91 Points
This is bright ruby colored, medium full bodied, rich, elegant and balanced, the aromatics burst from the glass on opening, black berry fruits accented by currant and plum are accented by a layer of graphite, licorice,and smokey herbs with notes of tobacco leaf and oak spices turning to full but smooth silky supple tannins on the finish.
https://unwindwine.blogspot.com/2020/06/quilceda-creek-columbia-valley-red-2016.html @unwindwine @quilcedawine
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6/3/2020 - Portland Seth Likes this wine: 92 Points
Tastes like the most opulent oak money can buy. The grapes seem almost like an afterthought. Red and tart out of the bottle, after two hours of air the fruit profile turned darker. The finish has a bitter green note that offers at least some balance to all of the cherry-vanilla ice cream. Should improve with cellar time and certain to be a perpetual crowd pleaser. Even at the low, low price of $50 I feel like I overpaid. I guess fancy oak isn't cheap.
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5/14/2020 - Cali Fan Likes this wine: 93 Points
Great balance, great wine, great price. A perfect drinkable wine, smooth not overpowering and one I always enjoy.
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4/12/2020 - ravbik wrote: 91 Points
Ripe, full bodied complex red. All spice, vanilla, blackberry, cherries, medium tannins
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3/21/2020 - jgreco Likes this wine: 90 Points
I love the baby Quilceda Creek! Cassis, spice box, dark berry, green stems, black pepper, Washington tree bark. Super dry tannins. Really smooth and suave after an hour decant. Tremendous bargain at $50 from the winery.
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3/15/2020 - Vinnut Likes this wine: 92 Points
Deep, dark reddish-purple in color, bordering on opaque. Full, forward & attractive nose of ripe fruit aromas of cherries, blackberries & cassis with lovely overtones of earthy/dusty with spice & herbal notes, anise/mint, cocoa, minerals & a slight hint of vanilla/oak in the background. Medium-full bodied with a very good concentration of well balanced & smooth textured, ripe fruit flavors of dark cherries, blackberries & plums with herbs, spices, minerals, cocoa, oak & vanilla. Lingering smooth & polished finish. Drinks quite well at present with decanting and extended airing but should continue to develop further with additional aging. An indicative blend of 83% Cabernet Sauvignon, 11% Merlot, 4% Cabernet Franc, 1% Petit Verdot and 1% Malbec.
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3/8/2020 - JasonClapp Likes this wine: 93 Points
ERMAHGERD!..I place the glass of wine two feet from myself on the end table and the aroma wafts out of the glass and wraps around my head... Dark fruits and vanilla permeate with some oak, cigar box, leather mit, with a soft mouthfeel. Great balance; just a treat; hides the alcohol. The CVR is a go-to for me because opening a bottle = being delighted every time.
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2/23/2020 - iamandyc Likes this wine: 90 Points
Nice bottle. Nothing remarkable but well made and very tasty. Good backbone and smooth finish. Fun wine.
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2/15/2020 - vpiedrah wrote: 93 Points
Green pepper nose, velvety fruit taste. Excellent value
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2/10/2020 - fingers wrote: 89 Points
Followed for two hours open. It is simply too hot and ripe, and too wound up for me to enjoy. I’ll report back tomorrow after it has some time to breathe.
Day 2: well it certainly mellowed out some, but the profile remains monolithic and without much distinction of terroir. Time should still be on its side though, so if I had any more they would be resting for another few-several years.
5+11+15+8= 89
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12/13/2019 - sdhaliwal wrote: 90 Points
Needs more time in bottle
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11/28/2019 - JHuseby1 Likes this wine: 92 Points
After an hour+ decant, this had huge, well integrated dark fruit. Tannins helped hold it together, but were not too prominent. This drank more like a Caymus than a restrained Washington Cabernet. It is very good, but be aware of the style.
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11/9/2019 - alexfrank Likes this wine: 91 Points
1.5-2hr decant. Nose: bell pepper (young + WA?) Palate: milk chocolate, dried fruit, vanilla, a lot of oak but that oak shows nicely. Weirdly really tasty with dark chocolate? Meryl likes it too. Best WA wine we’ve had in a bit. Very new world but enjoyably so.
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10/17/2019 - peeks13 wrote:
Cellar Night at Binnys South Loop (Chicago, IL): Cab/Merl/CF/Malb. $70 and on sale it would be worth searching out. One of my gripes with Columbia Valley reds is too much oak but this doesn't have that problem.
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8/30/2019 - J&A's wrote: 93 Points
Decanted all day! Just so perfect for how young this wine is. Dark fruits, smooth tannins, leather, coffee.
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8/23/2019 - Been There wrote: 92 Points
Deep garnet, with a pretty nose like blueberry syrup at breakfast, and overripe strawberries. Smells like a quality Portuguese red from a quinta who knows what they are doing. Med+ acidity, more tannins than many young CVRs, same flavors as nose, a little unwelcome cherry cough syrup. Long finish with some heat (15.2% abv!), nice fruits, a welcome absence of that cough syrup, complexity from added Merlot (7%), Cab Franc (3%), Petite Verdot (3%).
Like a restaurant with great appetizers (the nose) and great desserts (the finish)... but OK entrees. Crowd pleaser, though. Wouldn’t confuse it with a QC “big gun,” but worthwhile drinking while those age, alongside food. 91/92
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8/15/2019 - Winning_Wines Likes this wine: 91 Points
Quilceda Creek VIP Tasting (Esquin Seattle): Deep purple color with strong black cherry on the nose. Slightly both hot and acidic, but filled with dark fruit and a medium finish. Overall a decent showing.
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8/5/2019 - GTFreek wrote:
with 7% Merlot and 3% each Cab Franc, Petit Verdot. Medium nose shows black fruits, bramble, dried spice, herb, bitter chocolate. Palate more expressive, black layers, fresh herbs, baking spice, pencil lead, rustic and fresh together. Structure is friendly but unremarkable. Well made, could be more complex for price, but the pedigree is premium.
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7/6/2019 - fitchbuck Likes this wine: 92 Points
Bigly. Didn't require much of a decant; no progression over 2 nights. Full of oak, vanilla, blueberry pie. The last few vintages have dialed back the blast of wood, so that's something to be thankful for.
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7/6/2019 - mreinitz wrote: 92 Points
My favorite cvr ever. Usually even the qc red blends take several years to mature but this was singing right out of the bottle. Earthy blackberry and cedar. Really enjoyable.
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6/29/2019 - Eric Guido wrote: 92 Points
The nose was spicy, with cool-toned dark fruits, wild herbs, hints of cedar and pine resin. On the palate, velvety textures were offset by zesty acids, sweet spice and slightly tart red berries, in an energetic and spicy expression. The finish was long, resonating of tart black berries, wild herbs, a twang of acid and savory spice.
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6/20/2019 - Zinlady Likes this wine: 92 Points
Tasted this wine today at Quilceda Creek. Very enjoyable. Dark good nose. Cedar. Young but still enjoyable. I will try this wine in 2 years
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5/26/2019 - Scar510 Likes this wine: 92 Points
5-26-19
Seattle. Washington bottle, blend. Smooth finish. Some fruit, some earthiness. Overall very nice. 4 stars
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5/24/2019 - Troon wrote: 92 Points
I agree with another reviewer that this is the best $40 bottle of Cab I’ve had. This was my first from this vintage. I decanted it for 1 hour before pouring. It probably took another hour to open up. It’s a great example of the CVR with ripe red fruit and subtle spice. I enjoyed it with a filet. It has plenty of life left (no surprise), so I am glad I have a bunch of it.
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4/10/2019 - Teamrehfeld wrote: 92 Points
Best $40 bottle of wine i have ever had. 15.2% alcohol so a bit hot. But wow, hearty, nice dark fruit, lots of balance, 87% cab sauv, 7 merlot, 3 cf, 3 pv. some cedar and pencil shavings. A bit of oak. These folks know what they are doin.
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3/23/2019 - garambler Likes this wine: 92 Points
A friend and I tasted this at the 3/23/19 release party. It had a rich, open nose of cassis, black cherry, blackberry, licorice, herb and spice aromas. The palate was full bodied and nicely layered with flavors of black cherry, black currant, plum, licorice, herb and spice.
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3/18/2019 - Clark W Griswold Likes this wine: 91 Points
Double decant. This one is very oaky. It’s the usual silky smooth blueberry fruit underneath. Long finish. Hold.
Day 2 - the oak mellowed out quite a bit and this is a much better way to enjoy this wine currently. This is a classy and sexy beast. Delicious. If you must open this wine in the next year or three, decant it all day.
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3/17/2019 - tjross Likes this wine: 91 Points
Popped and poured, then drank over two nights. This is the most disappointing CVR in recent memory. Well built, but nothing but a blast of fruit and vanilla. Perhaps time brings out more complexity. All that said, it is still tasty, just not interesting.
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3/10/2019 - camdawg Likes this wine: 90 Points
Lots of clean dark fruit at this early stage, with a pinch of pepper and spice. Because this is still so young, the tannins give the wine a lot of weight, even though the mouthfeel is otherwise pretty silky.
What's promising about the bottle I had, is I didn't feel the wine was too alcoholic. So I think this vintage has a lot of potential to be a big, but balanced wine in a few years.
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3/3/2019 - ogres3 Likes this wine: 93 Points
Pulled this having five or six previous vintages available. Dense, full bodied. Lots of ripe dark fruit that was a huge hit with the missus. Bold finish. Quite happy to have 9 more.
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2/13/2019 - Tsliwinski Likes this wine: 93 Points
Supple and smooth. Beautiful red fruit with silky palate and long seductive finish
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12/20/2018 - PGR0 Does not like this wine:
Opened in the morning, double decanted, drank that night. Vanilla fruit bomb. Had similar thoughts about the '14, skipped the '15 as a result, tried the '16. I may be done with CVR if they are going to be this oaky.
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12/2/2018 - Neecies Likes this wine:
Probably the biggest young CVR I've ever had. Ripe, dense and brawny on the palate, and a touch alcoholic. 87% cabernet, highest proportion ever in a CVR. Too much so for my tastes, especially after tasting the suave and elegant 2015 straight Cabernet.
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11/2/2018 - yaCellar Likes this wine: 91 Points
Popping this young bottle to see how it is. Tasted after a 30m decant. Fleshy, full, alcohol heavy notes with a subtle overlay of tobacco, leather, cassis, and something vegetal. The bouquet is feels embryonic. Palette is thick and soft. Black pepper and cassis again. Tannins are subtle at first and then drying in the long finish. Acid is in balance. Mid palette is still asleep. This is, as expected, in an opulent style. It drinks nicely, but, yes,it’s exceptionally young. I’ll wait a few years before popping my next.
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11/1/2018 - Arch57 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Great buy. Has that signature velvet smooth Quilceda feel with a bit less intensity than their big-boy Cabs. Note to self: Buy more of these next offering.
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10/28/2018 - bjamesclark wrote: 94 Points
87% Cabernet Sauvignon, 7% Merlot, 3% Cabernet Franc and 3% Petit Verdot.
Long decant given.
From open, through note, the nose is an absolute show stopper. Young but intense scents show notes of cigar box and cedar that meet aromas cassis, cherry and marionberry before revealing scents of herbs, graphite, vanilla bean, high-end dark chocolate, suede and toasted star anise.
Intense on the palate and no shortage of stuffing in this wine. The tannins are full, fine and plush with balanced acid structure and above moderate density and alcohol. Flavors of rich cassis, dark cherry and marionberry weave seamlessly into the notes of vanilla bean, dark chocolate, espresso bean, toast, smoke, graphite, herbs, earth, new leather and velour.
Unending on the finish that struts both power and finesse.
One of the greatest QPR in wine! This will also go the distance in the cellar.
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10/10/2018 - Optimus Wine Likes this wine: 92 Points
This wine is aged in 100% French oak and has hints of blueberries, blackberries, baking spices and vanilla. The tannins are surprisingly very soft. I opened the bottle 6 hours prior to drinking it so, that may contribute to the delicate tannins. The taste gives an explosion of dark fruits and minute echos of black licorice. I would give this wine at least 5 more years then revisit it.
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