Really in a great spot! Opened 3 hours before, decanted at 90 minutes. Deep color, no fading, great structure, cassis, dark plum, thyme, and black pepper. Great concentration, well integrated tannins, drinking very well with a lot of life ahead of it. Purchased upon release and temperature controlled cellar since. Continue to open up over several hours. Very enjoyable, but I will wait a year or two before trying the next bottle.
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My goodness this wine is drinking beautifully. Still a full bodied wine, so much structure and brawn. Very dry, with a wonderful nose of cedar and pine, leather and urine. Nice acidity and mouth drying tannin, still has oak present but it all come together so we’ll. Very long, lingering finish. Great wine.
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Still purplish-ruby to rim. Fresh and fulsome aromas of currant, red licorice, pomegranate, roses, and brown sugar. Currant and red berries illuminate the palate and the 14.5% alcohol bites but doesn’t yet overwhelm the structure. It does unfortunately impart a perceptible bitterness that strongly flavored food subdues. The wine has enough sweetness and fruit structure to make it enjoyable now but it may succumb to the high alcohol in the not-too-distant future. Enjoy soon.
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Nose of forest floor, black pepper. Drinking perfectly Definitely at peak. A lot of barnyard funk, mushroom up front, pencil shavings, graphite, dried cherries on back. Nicely balanced, not much tannin left. Drink up.
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First Quilceda Creek I've had, and really enjoyed it. Drinking maturely but still has some years ahead of it. Had a bordeaux-like style on the palate but a new world finish with great fruit.
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Pop and pour. Aromas of leather, matchstick, blackberry and cherry. Flavors of blackberry, mint, currant, iron and earth. Ends with a 30-35 second finish with iron and blackberry notes. Amazing how they wine style has changed.
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Audozed in bottle for 6 hrs. Then drank with a to-go ribeye from Commis. Wine was much, much more enjoyable than my previous bottle from nearly 3yrs ago. Incredibly expressive on both the nose and palate. Oak and tannins well integrated and not in the way. Reminiscent of a St Julien. Black fruit, cassis, leather, cigar box. I think this is at its peak.
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Perfectly integrated wine right at its peak! Like a St Julien wine with damp cedar cigar box theme. Tannins are just right to hold the structure together.
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PNP with an hour air in glass. Perfect cork, Fine and chunky sediment. Primary: sweet dark berries, some currants, some cassis Secondary: cedar, a green/herbaceous streak + a subtle green olive note, A little char Silky mouthfeel, nice acidity Serve near cellar, as alcohol pops up on the finish at warmer temps. Air may have helped as well. 92+
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The cork was sound and the wine appeared and smelled good immediately. The bottle was double decanted and it had a modest amount of sediment. the wine was very enjoyable over two days. It is drinking very nicely now.
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Pnp. Decent dark berry fruit with a good amount of secondary flavors of tobacco and some barnyard There’s also minerality and eucalyptus on the finish This wine is in eighth inning. After two hours the fruit is stewed and faded, and it drinks a little hot.
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Wow! This was hands down the WOTN!. I did not decant the wine, but let it evolve in the glass. From the very beginning, this was beautifully full of silky rich tannins and rich dark cherry, both of which were supported blissfully by hints of cedar, vanilla, pencil shavings, and baking spices. This was absolutely stunning. Man do I wish I had more.
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Opened this on the eve of my 55th, inspired by Lettie Teague’s WSJ column. Randomly came across this earlier poking around my wine cellar so seemed like an inspired choice. And it was! For those who commented that this wine is drinking young, you are so right - lot of life left.
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I recalled 5 years ago I had a 2007 vintage of Quilceda Creek and it was way too young to consume, oak was not integrated and it was just not ready on all fronts. The 1999 we tried this time proves that this wine really needs 20 years of ageing, opened 3 hours ahead of dinner and it showed beautifully in the glass, still young, but oak was nicely integrated, it presented vibrant fruits with black berries and currants, various spices, fresh leather, shaved pencils, minerals, and gentle acidity, this reminds of some good left bank Brodeaux bottles.
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Wow when I first started buying this wine it was suggested that it would need 20 years to show its stuff. This bottle is fresh and delicious. I don’t think that it is really showing tertiary flavor but it is a pleasure to drink
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Great Paulliac-ish nose of graphite and cigar box, but the blackberry sweetness and espresso bring it home to WA. Fully mature--we uncorked it in advance then elected not to decant until service, and left the last cloudy inch in the bottle. Extremely good but overshadowed by the spectacular Reynvaan.
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I’ve had multiple vintages of Quilceda Creek, and almost always I feel like it needed more air or time in the bottle than what I gave it. With 19 years of age, this one is really drinking well and is in a great spot! Lots of fruit and still a solid backbone, with well integrated tannins that are slightly firm but fine on the finish.
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HDH auction at Spiaggia; 6/22/2018-6/23/2018 (Chicago, IL): Served double blind. The nose is clearly cabernet, but there was a nice dried herbal quality here that drove me to guess Super Tuscan. The palate clearly shows its age, and I guessed this was probably around 15 years old. Some slight cough syrup on the palate, with a heightened hit of alcohol on the back end. Certainly nothing like the heinous joke of a wine that is the 2001.
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A youthful wine with graphite, red and black fruits that gained aromatically in the glass over four hours. Seamless texture and purity, long finish, decidedly more Bordeaux like tasted side by side with the fruit-foreard 2000, but still decidedly Washington State new world cab with intense fruit and compelling acidity. A perfect partner to Coyote Cafe’s Cowboy Steak at the bar on this night.
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Visually, dark and unevolved. Looks much younger than it is. Lovely nose; the purity of the fruit shines. Some tobacco and dry leaves notes. Oak thankfully well integrated. On the palate, extremely dry. Tannins, though fine, are still very noticeable - and dry. Some pleasant hints of herbal notes, including sage. Good balance, actually; less of a big fruit-forward beast than I feared - fruit and minerality coexist, but perhaps a touch short of acidity for my palate. Although I have no experience cellaring Quilcedas, my hunch is this one has 5-7 more yrs to go. Hoping that more tertiaries will emerge and tannins will become better integrated, rendering it a more interesting wine, esp. on the palate. Anyone with experience cellaring these have an opinion?
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Did not take notes, still has a small upside and is wonderfully balanced with a nice finish. Fruit is starting to hit a peak. Had with braised short ribs.
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Served blind. Very dark color. Chocolate, tar, oaky spice nose. Some eucalyptus, blueberry, touch of torrefaction. This is young and locked down and the dominant feature is the treatment of very fine french oak. I'm guessing something like a middle aged Montrose from a vintage like 2000.
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Tasted blind. Sweet nose of sage, vanilla bean ice cream, and ripe blueberries. Indulgent, spring-time vibe. Sweet up front, with tannins swirling around the fruit. Seems Cabernet in personality and flavor. Higher oak, and hard to love right now. Unresolved Lapostolle Clos Apalta?
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Dark, brooding, backward, tannic monster. Bone dry, sage and a bit of green pepper. Noticeable oak but not prominent. Not mature at all, and difficult to drink, bordering on pain. Tremendous depth, but so tightly wound up, I'm a bit disappointed by how immature this wine is on this night, even after several hours in the decanter. To be fair, my cellar is cold and many wines age more slowly. Try again in 20 years.
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I had the pleasure to taste this along a stellar line-up of old and new world Bordeaux styled wines. It was my favorite. The nose still was young with cassis and black fruits and a touch of spice box, the fruit was still expansive wrapped in softer tannins with a long finish. Others preferred the 2006, but this is what one hopes a cab will evolve into. Still many years left, but no bottles alas.
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Dark fruit, sweet and mellow tannins, with nice herbal and tar notes. Beautifully aging. I find it quasi-restrained in its middle age, still has years to go and drinks very nicely.
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Not so many notes on this wine. Soft chocolate and sweet dark forest fruits and sweet spices. A very harmonious, smooth and soft. Delicious wine now and the next few years.
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This is the most elegant vintage of this wine I have encountered. Beautiful nose of currants, joined with floral notes. Medium body, soft mouthfeel with gentle tannins to keep it structured. The balance is remarkable: right on the fulcrum. Flavours of black currants and blueberry are joined by nuances of baking spices. The finish is long and ends on a pepper note. A truly amazing wine. www.advientures.ca
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Open 2hrs Well aged wine, rum raisin, spice, leather, no real sourness, hint of dark chocolate, black truffle all nose. Flavor gravy, plum, raisin, a little heat, olives. Some watermelon candy on the nose. Very tasty wine. This wine is in an excellent place right now.
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Decanted 3 hours prior to serving. Dark fruit (black raspberries?) on the nose. Very concentrated in the mouth with blackberries, chocolate and spice. This is a massive wine, and for my palate,(even with the decant) could use 2 - 3 more years in the cellar. Delicious nonetheless, with a good finish.
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Had back to back with 97 Forman. Forman won. But the Quilceda is aging beautifully and these are two very ageworthy American cabs that show that some of our cabs can match the old world.
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This bottle was double decanted and allowed to sit for a while before drinking. The cork was reasonably good but broke on removal. There was a fair amount of sediment in the wine. But, the wine had a nice aroma and was quite nice to drink as it opened up. The color was still dark and there was a lot of deep, mature fruit. This was an excellent example of an aged world-class Cabernet Sauvignon. While this vintage may well last longer, I am concerned about tempting fate given the situation with the cork; I had a similar experience recently with a 1998 Quilceda Creek cork. I recommend drinking this vintage soon and allowing appropriate time to decant and enjoy.
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My first time trying Quilceda Creek. Super concentrated, massive and unique wine. Deep, black fruit flavors with a slight hint of old world spice and funk. Even at this age, the wine borders on unapproachable upon opening. It started to strut its stuff after about an hour of air. I think I would recommend sitting on this one for a little bit longer. It's only getting better.
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Upon opening, you could tell the wine needed a little time to open as there was a strong core of fruit just waiting for a little air. When my wife first tasted she looked up at me disappointedly and said "I hope this is going to get better". It did! Drank over the course of two hours. Thick, unctuous wine with a strong core of black fruit with leather notes and a hint of chocolate. It was a great accompaniment to our filet mignon and really needed the food to shine.
Interestingly, I opened a bottle about 7 years ago and was completely disappointed. Had high expectations then but the wine wasn't giving anything up. Seven years later I can see why. This baby needs some time. (In retrospect I should have decanted well in advance.) While certainly enjoyable now this bottle was in early maturity with plenty of life left.
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Splash decanted for a half hour and shared with Mike M at John Bentleys. This a pure and almost perfect cabernet. Dark blueberry fruit, cassis extract and glycerin ooze from the glass to coat the mouth and nose. 30+ second finish of toasty, spicy oak with floral hints. Wish I had more.
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An odd wine. Still high octane, but more in balance than my last bottle. Very fruit driven. Not great with food - similar in its manner to a Turley-style zin.
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Somewhere around 95. It still requires long decanting (north of 2-3 hours). Good earthy notes, long lasting finish. At a prime and probably can get better, but why wait? It has alot of the currant and berries left, and it keeps developing in the glass. More details to follow. Vote of the bottle- emptied bottled by the friends, or as they said "once you have this one, you can't go to the other wines on the table". (and they did not) The house enjoyed a taste as well. Glad I have 3 more
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after being disappointed a few times by older Quilcedas (98 twice), I hit the jackpot. absolutely perfect. Mother's Day dinner in Dayton (near Walla Walla, WA) at Patit Creek cafe. Balanced, dark and delicious fruit core. Full body and extremely smooth. Nice finish. Just absolutely delicious. This is what made QC legendary.
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TTTG Blind (North by Northwest) (ER): Nearly black in color. Explosive to the point that I was worried about open flames. Herbal, chocolate, sweet fruit.
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Perfumed bouquet with beautiful dark forest fruits, sweet spices, sweet licorice and beautifully integrated oak. On the palate dark forest fruits, sweet spices, chocolate, melted tannin and beautiful acidity. Fully mature and a great length. No problem cellaring this for a few more years, but why wait? Delicious now.
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Nothing like the current release QC wine. 13.2% and silky. Great balance plenty of fruit. Old cabs become more lean with age and this did. Drink now and love it
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Delicious. Still lots of fruit, but also secondary and tertiary aromas. Well balanced. Powerfull and long. The 94 Chateau Margaux tasted along just appeared so poor in comparison...
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Wow, thought I was drinking a great French wine. Very complex with lots of great residuals on the back of the tongue. Leather, tobacco and lots of earth, yum. Glad I have another bottle.
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this has matured beautifully taking on a roasted green pepper note to go with the well behaved fruit. This behaves like classified left bank Bordeaux. Nice finish and balance. This tastes fully mature but shows no signs of falling apart.
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Bonhams Pre-Auction Tasting (San Francisco): Light red, lighter weight. Elegant and exquisitely balanced. A knockout, even for this old curmudgeon who rarely meets a Cabernet that he likes. I'd love to have this accompany dinner tonight.
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Trelio with the fellas (Clovis Ca.): Loved this….perfect dryness to the liqueured berry fruit….dusty cocoa/graphite powder, little green herb streak, white pepper….expressive with precision. Great wine!
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Perfect storage since release. Primary blue and black fruits with a tinge of black licorice. Beautifully made, slick drinking wine, but never has lived up to the high 90s hype. Drink now or hold for 10 more..who knows. I sold all my '99-'03 because there was no read as to where these were really going. Still feel the same today.
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Crimson in color with some bricking on the edge of the glass. 14.5% ABV. Great nose of cedar, leather and violets. Big, powerful Cabernet Sauvignon. Black cherry, currants, cassis, cocoa and eucalyptus on the palate. Still somewhat tannic with an exceptionally long finish. Great showing. Drink over the next several years.
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This bottle drank beautifully. It seemed to have moved to a secondary phase, with muted black fruit but also a mixture of flavors that I had a hard time putting my finger on. Certainly mineral and dark cocoa were there, but also other scents and tastes that I very much liked but couldn't quite sort out.
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Dark purple - it hasn't lost much color. Nose of nice strong blackberry juice laced with black pepper. When I tried this the first day is was as flat as Kansas. The second day was a bit better, and this tasting note is from the third day on a counter in a cool room. There is a mild raspberry sweetness with a distant spec of vanilla and significant blackberry bramble. Creamy texture. The alcohol is a bit more prevalent than I thought it would be.
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Amazing wine but it needed some time to breathe. I decanted for about an hour and 45 minutes into my meal this baby really started singing. Decant 2+ hours and enjoy, this is a beautiful mild cab.
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Balanced and drinking very well. Kirsch and slight dark chocolate flavors. This was decanted for 30 minutes with good results. If you still have these in your cellar it's time to check in.
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Nose is sweet basil and a touch of mint. Dewy pine with a bit of forest floor- like a spring morning. Mouthfeel has a bunch of acid and is sharp but not biting. Still some tannin and feels very dry. No fruit showing. Mineral characteristics, almost like iron. Dark unsweetened cocoa or nibs. Almost like a collard green. Nice long finish that doesn't fall flat. (yes, this was a second tasting of the same wine in the same day from a different bottle at dinner later).
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Nose is subtle violets. Mouth is silky with less prominant fruit. Earthy and pencil lead aspects. Medium long finish. A bit surprising. Drink now. Tasted at Esquin Quilceda tasting.
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Decanted and drunk over 1.5 hours. Secondary characteristics moderated after 30 minutes, a lot of good fruit and structure here still, plenty of minerality, long finish.
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Screaming Eagle Showdown (Yellow Springs Inn): Part of a blind tasting of 1999 US Cabernets. This was the second wine. Much riper than the first (which turned out to be Opus One), with a gorgeous nose. A bit more restrained on the palate, with tannins that are quite evident. I'd say it will get much better with more time in the cellar.
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Served blind. Decanted for 75 minutes and drank over the next two to three hours. Complex nose. Palate had concentrated fruit with a streak of veggie in the mid palate. Finish was long but dry and tannic.
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Serverat blint! Helt underbara Bordeaux-toner med svarta vinbär, plommon, läder, tobak, cigarrlåda, skogsmark och början till lite stalliga toner. Fantastisk mogen frukt med bra tannninstruktur, klar fin syra. Riktigt komplext och bra vin. Skulle utan tvekan gissat på en Bordeaux. En av de bättre Bordeaux blend jag druckit från USA. En verkligt positiv överraskning.
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Perfect bottle, served blind at a tasting. Stored well. The colour show some age. Dark carmine with brick on the rim. The bouquet is very Bordeaux, but I could not place it in any commune. A bit smokey. Tobacco, leather, oak and cassis in Bordeaux-style. Behind the cassis there is dark fruit of dark cherries, plum and blackberries. Fullbodied wine yet quite elegant. The tannins are nicely integrated and quite soft, yet obvious and present. Good acidity and good structure. This wine has a good backbone, good poise. Like a gentleman. Long finish. Good flavours of cassis, leather, cedar and dark cherries.
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Very rich, very structured, quite a powerhouse. Not sure it will really improve from here, but don't think it will be falling apart anytime soon, either.
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This was really wonderful. Very smoky with a tremendous finish that kept changing. I decanted two hours and it needed it. A very dark taste that is remarkable. Unlike anything else I've tasted.
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Decanted for 1 hour then drank over 4 hours while watching NFL playoffs. I was expecting more from this wine given the big scores. Not showing much age on the color and tanins are still pronounced, but it has a strange port like extraction that I can't place. Nose was nice with light tobacco, black fruit and cedar. Interesting mix of new world fruit with old world style. Auction bottle so maybe it had some heat exposure??? Still a very good wine.
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Run through venture into decanter, sat for 3 hours. Very integrated, great nose, starting to be a bit "soft" as mouth was medium and simply didn't linger as long as I would have anticipated. Still, a great wine, held up beautifully to rack of lamb, great stuff, no question about it! Have one more bottle, will definitely drink this winter
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A friend brought this to dinner to share - I need to invite him more often! Decanted for about 30 minutes and still somewhat tight. Needed another 30 minutes to start to open, and continued to open throughout the evening. A textbook example of what I consider to be a voluptuous wine. Overflowing with flavor and texture, but with everything in harmony and nothing overdone. Full-bodied, concentrated, juicy, rich, ripe. round and velvety. Deep flavors of cassis, black fruits and oak with terrific complexity and impeccable balance. 94-95
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Dream tasting (@ Merlet): Beautiful and exclusive bouquet with ripe dark forest fruits and beautifully integrated oak and cedar. On the palate a very juicy wine with dark berries, some chocolate, earth, beautiful acidity and youthful round tannin with still a good bite. Beautiful bitterness and a great length. Still in its young maturity stage. Will be lovely until at least 2018. 94+
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Dreamtasting #5 (Restaurant Merlet, Schoorl): (*) A rich and complete wine, which still might need some time in the cellar. I thought the tannines where sticking out a little bit, demanding better integration. But besides that this is a fabulous take on Cabernet, just like we're used to when we pull a bottle of QC. Classic cassis and cedar, intermingled with damp, earthy outdoorsy feel which I adore. Classic Cabernet aromatics built on top of an amazing modernistic fundament of structure and concentration: it all gives way to the wines' enourmous complexity finesse, focus and precision. It really combines the best of both worlds... 18.5/20
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Aromas of dark berries and eucalyptus. Medium bodied with tastes of dark fruit. Long finish. Tannins nicely integrated. Clearly a new world wine (very fruit forward) but delicious. Regret it was my last bottle.
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Intensive red. Nose of cooked berries, quite rich flavors . Rich wine, full of dark fruit. All a bit short and not very well balanced. Not my type of wine. Drink - 2018.
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Very elegant, smooth, full-bodied black cherry fruit with cassis and leather flavors, excellent structure, long finish, drinking beautifully, spectacular wine
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This wine really stood out from the rest. The nose was like an old Bordeaux with cigar box and earth. For a 1999 though this was still really tannic, which surprised me. Kind of loosened up as the night went on. I have only had the 2007 previous to this and to be honest I didn't see this emerging that into something like the 1999 but I could be wrong. Could have sworn someone on the board was mentioning Quilceda Creek changed there style around the 2003 vintage? Could be wrong.
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Very round, smooth, rich black cherry fruit, tasting much like 1/17/10 notes except with some more bottle age, elegant style, softened cassis dominates
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a beautiful wine. deep red color, dark fruit flavor, some tobacco, tannins are still present but it seemed in good balance, long smooth finish. Plenty of time left.
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Opened and poured. Beautiful deep garnet color. Gorgeous nose of baked fruit pie, sandalwood. Cherry pomegranate, chewing tobacco, a bit of tannic bite, juicy acidy. Polished an entire bottle fairly easy between the two of us.
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Showing very well - one of the group faves on the evening (among a 12-vintage vertical of QC covering 1994-2006 minus the 1995). This shows as the last of the more classic and elegant QC wines. From 2000 on, the wines show a bigger, plusher more New World style. This 1999 shows in this company to be more restrained and Bordeaux-like. Excellent with food. Little hint of green pepper adds complexity to the cassis and balck cherry fruit profile. Bit of cedar. In a nice drinking stage now.
Amazing nose. Violets. Vanilla. Crushed blackberries. The palate is less unctuous than past tastings. The tannins are still there but much less prominent. Palate follows the nose with vanilla and sweet blueberries. Long, sweet finish.
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Seems to have shed its baby fat. Not as voluptuous as I remember, and plenty of acidity. Menthol and a hint of eucalyptus, licorice and leather on the nose. On the palate it has lots of herbs and lead pencil. Almost austere compared to the last time I had it. Needs time to open up. I don't get over-ripeness this time around.
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Drank with 97 Montelena and Unico Vega Scicilia NV, opened and started drinking about 30min later, nose already quite developed with floral and complex flavors of minerals/fruit. Medium to full body, tannins well integrated with a very silky feel. Elegant and balanced, very well made!
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Opened 2 hrs prior to serving. Left in bottle uncorked. Restrained nose. Deep purple colour medium body with berry flavours and cassis. Drinking nicely now but should hold for a while yet.
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Drank this over three days. Just put the cork in the bottle and saved it in the cellar. Initially a bit muted. By far the best on the third day. It opened up and was much more generous and delicious. No tiredness or raisin at all. This is a brute!
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A bit more approachable than last time out. Rich, dark fruit with a distinct undertone of soft chocolate. Also the most subtle of caramel flavors the 2 hour mark. Lovely wine.
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Great complex nose & palate, clay, minerals, bluebverries, hervbs, menthol, silky smooth, touch of heat is only flaw, d2, nice, similar, bigt, tasty, heat/acidity out of balance, else fine, not as good as d1!
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Drank from a mag, 1 hour decant. Had the same bottle about 18 months ago and was impressed. Not sure what was going w this bottle. Color was good, nose was good but could not shake a metallic aftertaste. There was good fruit in there but I had to fight though the sense that I was sucking on a quarter. Not sure what to think. Struggled through the bottle and others did not have the same experience so maybe my taster was off tonight.....
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Decanted 2 hours. Nose of dark fruit with additional notes of tobacco and licorice on the palate. Nice long finish with soft tannins. Very refined and elegant.
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Tasted non blind at an offline. Double decanted and left cork out for four hours before serving.
Dark garnet color in the glass, clear looking throughout. Nose fo black berries, black cherries and wet stones. Flavors of black berries, black cherries and dark plums. Medium to bright acidity, firm tannins, full bodied. Drink now with some air or continue to hold.
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CT Wisconsin Offline (Madison, WI): Not the best of the line-up. Still drinking very young, Cherries, dark fruit. Tannins very much present. Medium finish.
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Found this wine relatively disappointing based upon previous tastings. Fruit was very restrained, nose showed port-like sweetness, structure was very good, finish was short. Was this bottle corked? Perhaps. Despite it's fresh appearing color, wine tasted a litte dull and aged. Maybe it's going through a dull phase.
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Decanted and served at cellar temperature with no time in decanter. The nose was singing dark fruit and some mint as the wine was being decanted. Cool nose with a lot of fruit, some mint, but some alcohol also showing. Not as opulent as the 98 a few days ago. This has more to it - more stuffing, more structure, but not as easy to enjoy right now. Ultimately it may be a better wine, but the 98 is more fun to drink right now out of the bottle. A-/A
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14.5% alcohol. This is drinking beautifully. Slightly funky nose opens up to tremendous black currant fruit, with chocolate, wood spice, and tobacco. In the mouth, plush and texturally gorgeous, with a generous amount of fruit on the palate that is supported by terrific complex notes. The acidity is fine and back end structure leads to a caressing finish. A-/A
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Opened and decanted over a couple of hours. Solid, dark garnet hue without sediment in the bottle. Fruit forward with smells of dark berries, black cherries and Oak is Very detectable. This is a smooth Cab that lacked midpalate complexity or a striking finish that you would expect of a wine at this price point (bad value wine). To be honest I was disappointed in this wine and the finish was weak. I was anticipating more fullness and power like a quaility Napa or Sonoma Cab. Especially with it's high professional ratings. I have consumed two different bottles of this vintage and have had the same impression previously - nothing special (flabby). Perhaps it is declining?
PM Note: Our second bottle of the night was a 2004 Chateau St. Jean Reserve Cab which blows the Quilceda Creek away. The St. Jean has far more structure and flavors. Do not waste money on the '99 Quilceda.
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This wine was still tight and closed after 3 hours of being opemed. Think there is still good potential but I was a bit disapointed given Robert Parkers 98 rating.
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Deep ruby red, not showing any age at all in the colour. Big nose of cool blue fruits and red fruits, ripe plums, blackberries with hints of oak and mint. The nose almost has the concentration and intensity of a vintage port. In the mouth the wine is soft, concentrated and big with more ripe blue and red fruits with smoky oak. Medium acidity and tannins and good length. A hedonistic drinking experience but certainly not my preferred style. Needs another 5 years.
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Splendid ruby-purple color. This needed an hour or two of air to blow off a bitter woodiness. Nose shows plenty of sweet berries steeped in alcohol, with the alcohol fumes almost burning the eyes. Still fairly primary on the palate, with more berries and oak, and nice structure for drinking now. More berries and hot alcohol through the exceptionally long finish. A simple and annoying wine, with the old Quilceda character largely buried under all the alcohol. After a transitional vintage in 1998, this 1999 vintage pretty much completed QC's transition to a modern, Parkerized style that I do not like.
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Decanted for 90 plus minutes as others suggested and I think this was a good idea. The nose continued to open through the last glass . This still has plenty of backbone to age for another 5 years but is certainly not overly tannic . It has an intriguing fruit of licorice and dark cherries. Nice wine.
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Opened and decanted for 60 minutes. This wine continued to open and improve over subsequent 2 hours so longer decant next bottle. Dark ruby to the rim. a tad tight @ first, developed a very nice nose of cherry, dark berry and vanilla. Big, big wine in the mouth - still young, and improved greatly over 3 hour tasting. Boatload of cherry, blueberry, blackberry, spice w oaky notes. Well integrated but very present tannins, smooth long finish.
Tasted w the '01 and '02 QC; ranked 3rd but believe this wine will improve w age.
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RUSSK WWiz Wash St wines, at Tuscan Grill. My WOTN. Mature Bordeaux nose. Nice balance and poise. Not as fat as you would expect. Still a bit tight and a bit bitter on the finish.
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the first bottle i had of this wine in 2008 was cooked (at least in my opinion- other peopke who tasted it were being polite i think)- this wine was not. let's start with the finish first which made me happy as the day is long- wow. this is an integrated, complete wine that is perfectly balanced. Funny, because the aromatics would never get you to that conclusion- there just isnt that much on the nose. At least to start anyway- halfway through the bottle after a couple of hours, it practically soars out of the glass- very concentrated, full of black fruit and sweet tannins- an absolutely beautiful cabernet. last bottle of the '99 but looking forward to the '04 and '07 in a few years.
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Opened and decanted about an hour before serving. Dark garnet to purple color in the glass, clear hue throughout. Nose of blueberries, currants, Kirsch, plums, black cherries, black berries and a hint of smoke. Flavors of blueberries, black cherries, black berries and plums. Medium acidity, medium to firm tannins, full bodied. Drink or hold.
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Drank at Roots - dark, brooding, forest floor, anise. More like Sambuca or port - overdone. Actually did not go well with steak. Would drink this with cheese.
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nose - blackberry liqueur. Per cindy mothballs and coconut. For sure I get the coconut after that hint. mouth - tight dark fruit, rich and ripe with a tropical essence. This still needs time to rest. Huge potential.
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Opened and poured through a vinturi into a decanter. Probably waited for about an hour and a half before tasting. Had a nice mint/eucalyptus chocolate nose. Dark ripe fruit on the palate with cocoa and black olive. Very soft tannins. Paired very nicely with beef bourgogne. Reminded me of a 2000 Solaia but I was expecting a 1999 Heitz MV which I found very youthful. The QC seemed like a mature wine but probably not over the hill. Try one now if you have multiple bottles.
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Didn't know what to expect from this wine, but I sure was surprised by the minty, herbal nose. While there's not a hard edge to it, there's also no hint of acidic lift, so while tasty, it also didn't evoke high altitude Cabernet. Lots of fennel, sage and licorice, and a slightly overripe character. Others commented on having difficulty guessing the variety, and Cabernet might have been picked more by process of elimination than by typicity. Nice, but confusing. Maybe it shouldn't have been poured through the Venturi...No reason to wait, by the way.
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This was my first QC, so I cant compare to other vintages, but we were all thought this was extraordinary. In the glass, the wine is garnet and clear, almost giving the appearance of a lighter, pinot-style wine. Amazing balance, with unobtrusive tannins that gave just enough grip. Very clear red fruit and spice, which had a long finish that left us all wanting more. I will definitely be adding more to the cellar!
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Truly an outstanding wine. Still inky in colour with barely any fade at the rim. the nose is a beautiful combination of red and balck fruits complimented with spice, cedar and a touch of vanilla. Medium to full bodied, this wine has perfect balance. At age 10 it has shed its youthful tannins and has developed interesting complexity. Very drinkable right now but has the stuff to age and gain additional nuances. Finish not quite as long as I might have suspected, but truly a profound wine overall. www.advinetures.ca
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Hugely disappointing. Nose had some fruit as this was decanted, but this blew off quickly. Decent glycerin and mouthfeel, but no fruit, just tannins, cedar and alcohol. Unbalanced and mouthpuckering. This was my third bottle of Quilceda from various sources, and each one had been extremely overrated. I had chalked up the first two times to possible issues in storage (bought from Winebid), but now I am officially off this bandwagon!
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Duck Dinner; 11/5/2009-11/6/2009 (Peter Pratt's Inn): Lots of oak and vanilla bean. Big fruit, dark and brooding, very well made, nice hints of spice, very well balanced, hints of powdered cocoa on the finish. I had no guess for this, but one taster guessed Quilceda. One of the first Q-Creeks I've really enjoyed.
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Decanted for 2.5 hours…Paired with beef tenderloin. After 10 years of cellaring, this wine is coming along nicely.
Color: Opaque with a purple cast. Aroma: Understated with Quilceda Creek floral violet, vanilla, cedar and dark cherries. Tasting notes: A full-bodied wine with a lovely, balance. The oak tannins are sturdy with layers of complex flavors and a raspberry aftertaste. I wish I had purchased more than two bottles!
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Coming around really nicely. Clearly has some aged character- cigar box, tobacco, etc, but still nice core of dark fruit as well. Has plenty of time to go- but is decent to drink now.
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Nice showing. Decanted for 2 hours. Smoke, berries, and violet on the nose. The palate is firm, still quite young, loaded with gorgeous waves of black fruit and nice acidity. The hallmark characteristic though is the stunningly supple texture, silky tannins, plush but not overripe a lithe and graceful and unique expression of Cabernet that always bring a smile. World class.
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I hate to break the news, but this wine is extremely overrated. It has a fantastic nose of flowers and berries, but on the palate, it falls apart. The fruit is no where near as rich as promised on the nose, and the high alcohol level is very obtrusive. It's just not a well-balanced wine. Over the course of the evening, it didn't move much despite decanting. The emperor ain't quite buck nekkid, but his attire is pretty tattered. I wish the other reviewers who experienced some of these same problems would just score it as it is, instead of withholding scores, as if the problems they tasted were somehow aberrations and not indicative of actual problems in the bottle. I'm hoping this wasjist one bad bottle, but I didn't detect any obvious signs of taint, and it's been well stored.
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Tonight was a rough night with a self-inflicted mini server meltdown. Once I got to the bottom of the mess I needed something nice and firm to kick my butt with dinner (a nice piece of seared Ahi, sauteed spinach and shiitake with soy and black vinegar, and a wonderful potato cake).
The moment I popped this the nose was raging with that classic Quilceda violet. Bright, piercing, soaring, how do they do it vintage in and vintage out? It is bright without the muddiness of VA. It is like the concentrated essence of what Ciel du Cheval yields, yet that vineyard comprises a tiny fraction of at all of this wine. It is utterly concentrated essence of Washington Cabernet. However, this is more than just bright and soaring. There is a dusky, dusty, olive note as well, hints of soy, charcoal, truly a rather complex and intriguing nose. The palate is Quilceda firm, still very youthful, grippy, yet with a suave polish to the tannins that even Quilceda struggles to achieve at times. This is a vintage that was rated highly and yet now seems to be an afterthought in the shadow of 2002, 2003 and 2005. Well you heard it here, this has no problem holding its own with any of those supposed 100 point vintages is and is probably more classic and better proportioned than all of those wines. This is a very complete Cabernet that is the essence of Quilceda. At 10 years of age, as expected, it is still youthful and reticent, but I am quite glad to have checked in on this. Decant it and enjoy it with a steak. It is almost ready to play.
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OMFG! THis was just absolutely ROCKING! Best QC I've had and I've had all since 1990. Wowie Zowie - cant get over it. First sip was awe inspiring layers of fruit and just got better and better. I'm sitting on 11 more and I am doing a happy dance tonight!
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Dark fruit and coffee notes. Grainy tannins on the mid palate with a long finish. Still needs time. Only one left! Sacrificed early for yet another offline.
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We had thsi wine at El Gauchos and it was phenomenal. It got better as the night went on. It isn't the big fruit forward typical WA Cab. but it is big enough. Great character and nuances make this a wine that could go with a number of dishes. We both loved this wine and felt it was a classic wine that could last a decade more.
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San Diego Mini Offline (Wine Vault, San Diego): Obvious heat and another that seemed to speak of American oak with some dill notes. Easy going palate with more heat. The alcohol was hard to get past.
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Opened this wine and served an dry age sirloin. Used the aerator and that really helped this wine. The color was dark, the nose cab and fruit. Full on the palate and quite nice. This is my first QC, different but very enjoyable. Glad I have more.
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Decanted 1 hour, drank over next 5 hours. There was a period of about 45 minutes in that time that this opened up and was really a terrific wine. Started out at cellar temp (too cold) with subduded nose and palate. About an hour and a half in, things got more interresting and more complex. This was certainly never a blockbuster type wine in the Cali/Oz sense, but more bordeaux in nature. Medium bodied, cedar nose, more earth and leather than huge fruit. After 3 or 4 hours the fruit went away as fierce tannins clamped down. I think the only prudent thing to do is to give this at least a couple more years before drinking again. No score given.
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Decanted for about an hour, this was our first bottle from the '99 vintage. A very structured, highly enjoyable wine. Dark ruby-purple, wonderful nose of dark fruit, spice; smooth on the palate with a long finish. Still very youthful, this vintage should last 10+ years.
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Third bottle of my case and weird ... an off-bottle with some synthetic taste to it. Depth of the wine was there, but not the fruit I remember from 18months ago.
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Tasted June 15, 2008. Opened for Father's Day to serve with a salt crusted beef tenderloin. Life is good.
Opened and decanted about 1 hour before serving. Didn't really start hitting it's stride and taking on secondary aromas until around the 2 hour mark. Purple color in the glass, clear hue throughout. Tight on the nose up front giving way to notes of florals, leather, rose petals, currants, plums and a bit of cappuccino that later smelled more like roasted coffee. Flavors of plums, currants, rich black berries and a dash of cocoa powder. Medium acidity, medium to firm tannins, full bodied. Drink now with a decant or continue to hold. Sticking with my previous rating.
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Dark ruby color with red rim; Aromas of menthol, cassis and toasty oak. This wine had complex flavors of cassis, blueberry jam, dark chocolate and licorice. The very long finish included a smoke note along with the licorice and cassis. It had a very large, solid structure but the balance was off as there was an alcohol burn on the finish. This wine also has tannins and acid to resolve. As always different bottles mature at different rates so everyone's mileage may vary. This bottle was pristine - picked up from the winery and never shipped. A very good wine that will probably continue to improve. [14.5% alcohol; Decanted only about 15 minutes and needed much more; keep the serving temp on the cool side to calm the alcohol]
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A bit of a musty nose, but blew off after first 30 minutes or so. Ripe fruit, leather, and layers of complexity. Just beginning to get that "aged" quality. Heavier body than the 2000.
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Californian wines (FOF): Dark red color with a brick red hue. Rustic black currant fruit, tobaco and some licorise on the nose. A good deal of fruit first, but it is gaining a lot of complexity on the midpalate, with notes of dark chocolate and licorise. Good structure and superb balance. Amazing length, and it remains really elegant even under the intensity and power. A really good wine, that needs more time.
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Vertical tasting of Quilceda Creek (1999-2004): This wine is still young with lots of complexity and a long future ahead of it. Immense amounts of dark fruits and silky smooth texture. I grouped this wine with the '01 and '04, right behind the '02 and '03.
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Quilceda Creek Cab vertical of '89, '98, '99: Delicious and great backbone, but still quite young. Has a great life ahead. Hold off until 2010 for the next bottle.
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We had four Quilceda Creek Cabs in a blind tasting with a lamb dinner. The four were 2002, 1999, 1998 and 1996. In my opinion the 2002 will probably be the best wine of the group. it was very dark and concentrated. The fruit did not exhibit the residual sweetness that many Cabs from Washington State have. There were firm tannins to support the strong fruit. Also, in my view 2002 has the potential to age way longer and will benefit from aging. I thought it a shame to have consumed it so young but otheres there liked it as is. My favorite wine of the evening to drink was the 1998. It appeared and tasted as an older wine. I thought it had a very nice balance of dried fruit, a bit of earth and blended tannis. It was excellent and went very well with food. I think it will age longer but is quite nice now. The 1999 was also very good drinking. It was deeper in color than the 1998 and appeared and tasted younger. I would have guessed there was more than a year difference between these two wines. The 1999 really opened up over the course of the evening to a very well balanced wine. The 1996 was the group's least favorite. It looked and tasted like an older wine but was more astringent than the 1998. All bottles were decanted and poored back into the bottles a couple of hours before consumption.
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At el gaucho with charcoal grilled steaks. Decanted for far too short. A touch of menthol/eucalyptus character on the nose. Still quite toasty and tannic. Strong core of fruit.
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Was just good the night I opened it (including decanting)...but 5 days later, wow!!! Right now, I think it's a mistake to open another for at least 5 years. This wine has the stuff and the balance and just needs time. It should reach 98 without a problem and maybe/probably higher.
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Opened 3 hours before decanting and aerated 1 hour in decanter - aromas of black berries, plums, licorice, menthol, mint, and grilled meats. Dark fruits and licorice on the palate - slightly warm, but developing complexity. Open another bottle in 2 years.
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Oh. So that's what all the fuss is about. My first QC. Chocolate, tobacco, plenty of red fruit and life left in it. I do not think this has reached the peak of its drinking window yet. There is still a bit on tannin to resolve and sweeten. This will get better.
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DAWGS Offline with Randy Sloan of Match Vineyards (Nick & Sam's, Dallas, Texas): WIML94,WA98,WS94 Tasted April 1, 2007 at an offline. Opened and decanted about 1 hour, double decanted back for transport and then decanted again about 30 minutes before serving. Nose of camphor, black cherries, plums and anise. Chewy flavors of black licorice, sweet plums and golden raisins. Medium acidity and tannins. Full bodied. Can be drank now with a fairly long decant or preferably wait a little longer.
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Quilceda Creek Vertical 1990-2003 (My house): This one started to show some Aussie Shiraz characteristics of flowers and blueberries. On the nose, I found menthol, and burnt oak, but not revealing much more and was a bit tight. I felt that this was a bit too tight and tannic and probably could use a couple years to really hit its stride.
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Still too young, but this shows great balance and verve for such a big wine. I'm not sure it's as good as the '98, but it may be superior (to my taste) to the '01 and '02. Give it at least five more years.
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Thinkin' About a 10 Vintage Quilceda Creek Vertical ('89 to '03) (Think Cafe - Chicago, IL): Nose is initially closed but opens up to yield abundant blue fruits, spice and saddle leather. A stunning palate. Layers upon layers of viscous red fruits, tobacco and tasty green streak. Tannins are green and making themselves felt from the attack throug the long finish. This wine evolved really nicely over the course of the night. In many ways, Bordeaux-like.
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Surprising. Not in a great way. The nose gave up nothing upon opening. Compared to the '86 we opened by its side, it was blank. After a few minutes I was afraid it was a bit corked. Eucalyptus eventually showed, through, along with some whiffs of licorice and some very subdued fruit. The palate was thin. Darker berries, and the licorice, but relatively short finish.
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Qulceda Creek Vertical w/ Alex Golitzin (Vancouver Museum): (Golitzen advised this was a cold year.) This has some green pepper on the nose. ON the palate, this is a big, bold wine. There is some cough syrup heat (but not so much as to mar the wine to a great degree). I am surprised by the depth of this wine. Nice acids too. The flavours tend towards cassis, green pepper following from the nose, and blueberry. Great fruit. The mouthfeel is quite broad. The wine is teeth-coating.
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CFTG Quilceda Creek Vertical (Glen's): Deep opaque black purple color. Lovely spicey floral black fruit aroma . Big rich spicy tight tannic on the palate. Still young.
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The bottle opened with a muted fruit nose from the bottle that has been stored at a mid-fifty degree temp. The wine showed a dark red color from the bottle with a touch of sediment. It was dark but clear.
Three to four hours later the fruit and tannins tried to come together, but this was a very youthful wine that could benefit from another 5 to 10 years if I'm guessing right. Wonderful nose and forward fruit as time went by. Once the food was consumed, the tannins came back on the finish. Resist for a few more years if you can.
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WOW! Decanted for about 2 1/2 hours, nose was awesome, the cherry's ands spices were flying out of the decanter. The wine was less dense than expected, nice clean clear ruby edge with a nice core and no hint of age at all. Looked alot like a Bordeaux. The palate was alive, very well balanced still carrying alot of fruit. Will definately improve with anothr 5 years but it's on the very leading edge of the drinking window. The finish lasted a good 45-60 seconds. The only drawback was a slight hint of alcohol on the finish, hopefully that will integrate over the next few years. Beautiful wine, why can't Washington produce more wine like this?
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Consumed in my favorite restaurant to celebrate 42nd birthday. Drank half there, corked the bottle, took it home, and drank the other half about 3 hours later. There were pronounced differences in the wine's showing. Initially it was pretty closed, but still showed good blueberry and dried cherry (something I usually associate with barolos). The second half of the bottle reminded me of a big Aussie Shiraz on the fruit side, but also had some chocolate and tar-like underpinnings. Great stuff, but I will save my other two bottles for a couple of years.
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Opluent nose of blueberry jam, toasty oak. On the palate, gorgeous blueberries again, bitter chocolate, then fresh tobacco, minerality and a monster finish that was balanced and long. This was the bomb. not sure how to describe it - but could school many wines we call cali cults. the 99 is in another time zone for QC, its that good. One to buy really, its so special. Also - this has the tannic spine and sheer density of fruit to age fantastic. Excellent.
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Washington wine offline with Chris Cook (Bellevue, WA): Char and tar, oaky, showing soy sauce. The palate is sweet, crazily extracted, showing loads of oak, almost Shiraz-like. This shows a bit of heat, but the impressive aspect of the wine is an utter robe of extraction, silky and rich. This is really a difficult wine at this age, young, awkward, and loaded with wood. This needs time and more time. No first place votes.
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Shared this bottle with fellow bulletin board members at an offline. It was consumed with 20 other wines, so the note will be sketchy. We decanted the bottle for three hours prior to consumption. The wine is still very young and tannic, but there is a boatload of fruit to carry it forward.
Definitely a New World Cab. Dark red fruit in the glass and on the nose. Some spice and berries on the palate. I look forward to consuming my remaining bottles a few years down the road.
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A 98 point dinner at Steve Cramer's (West Seattle, WA, USA): I opened a bottle of this from my cellar just over a week earlier, so it was a pleasure to see another one. The one showed darker, more brooding and more closed than my bottle, yet it was impressive. The nose had hints of seaweed, coffee, a smidge of tar and then that growing note of Quilceda raspberry. Wow, the palate is intense with lots of bittersweet coffee elements to keep this interesting, brooding intensity, a young monster of a wine, gorgeous with a long time ahead before it really unfolds.
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Oh my, this was an insane baby killing! Upon popping the cork this immediately greeted me with a reticent yet pure nose of raspberry and charcoal. The palate was gripping yet also surprisingly lush, nice balance! Over the course of two hours the nose became increasingly expressive and showed raspberry, blueberry, cocoa, and growing notes of soy. The palate throughout was gorgeous, focused and pure yet very tight, and with more air the tannins became increasingly prominent and a bit chalky. What I loved most about this wine was the savory edge, lightly bitter and never terribly sweet. After about two hours the fruit started to recede, and some very impressive minerality came to the forefront. I was very, very impressed by the overall package, probably the most balanced Quilceda I have tasted other than the 2001. At the same time, unless you really relish very tannic, primary young wines, this is easily 3 years from interesting drinking. Don't get me wrong, this is already a joy ride. However, it really needs to soften and open.
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First wine of the evening and this baby really liverd up to expectations! Decanted for about 1 hour before drinking. Dark inky purple color. Wounderfully rich nose of fruit and spice. Great balance and integration. Very concentrated fruit and mineral flavors. Very smooth and satisfying wine. Really wish that I havd more than 1 remaining but it is really hard not to enjoy this wine right now!!!
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Blind. Blue purple right to the rim. Thrilling nose of led pencil, mint, strawberries and vanilla. The palate was staggeringly large - huge waves of complex black fruits, tar, incredible minerality, and sweet chocolate. this wine remained remarkably light on its feet and was kept in check by vibrant acidity and tooth coating tannins. Something to let sleep for another 5 years, and enjoy. Absolutely amazing wine. My guess was a Pride Reserve Claret...
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Big and young are the two best words to describe this wine. The palate showed blackberries, licorice, and coconut. The palate showed much more lively and aggressive tannins that the 98, 00, 01, or 02. I find the 99 to have a more rustic edge like the 94. This wine needs decades to be at peak. Drink your 95, 98, and 00s while you wait for it to mature. 93+
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Black purple core with a beautiful ruby rim. Huge fragrant nose of casis galore, cedar and olive. On the palate, waves of blackberries, black chocolate, mineral and earth. Great structure, very masculine cab with ripe supple tannins. This is an incredible wine that needs time to reach full potential but after 2 hours of decanting this was irresistible. Keep these cellared until 2006 for sure, and I would even suggest drinking the 2000's in the interim.
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(Quilceda Tasting): Nose was a sweet jam fest. Wow! Every element of sweet-cinnamon toast, sugar cookie, etc. This wine was perfectly balanced with a great mouthfeel.
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Quilceda tasting. Wow. Deep, dark, brooding, smoky nose. Thick, overwhelming palate that is truly endless. Perfect balance. The only thing keeping this wine from an even better score is the touch of heat on the palate. Based on my experience on how QC ages, this heat could integrate and position this wine for true greatness. Not at all ready to drink now. Needs lots of time.
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I was turned off by the initial whiff of Barnyard, initially I could not get past it and that affected my score. After a few minutes my notes read cold, chocolate, and very tannic bit at the end.
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I have to give this wine 2 scores. I scored it 87 at the tasting, but I saved a glass to enjoy over the evening. After an additional 2 hours in the glass, it opened quite a bit to reveal some strong fruit on top of the structure. At the tasting, I was distracted by a strong peanut element on the nose. I found little fruit on the nose or palate. This wine is extremely closed. It has a lush mouthfeel and extreme tannins. My mouth suffered through each sip. Does it have enough fruit to outlast the tannins? Based on how well it opened, I think so.
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Tasted at Patrick's single blind 1999 Washington tasting. I found this to be flawed with a distinct note of latex on the nose. A very soft entry, silky tannins with ample structure. Initially this was tight and closed, but with time in the glass this gained in intensity. A bit of heat on the finish. Single blind tastings can be humiliating. The latex note on this wine was very discouraging.
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'99 Quilceda Creek Cab - Simply outclassed in this company ('97 Sperss, '98 Leroy VR B-M). Excellent in its own right, but just not quite there. Also decanted 5 hours and showing well. I think it will be a touch better than the '98 in time. But tonight, 94 pts.
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3/10/2024 - T G F wrote:
drinking well. 3-10 years left
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2/9/2024 - derrington Likes this wine: 97 Points
Really in a great spot! Opened 3 hours before, decanted at 90 minutes. Deep color, no fading, great structure, cassis, dark plum, thyme, and black pepper. Great concentration, well integrated tannins, drinking very well with a lot of life ahead of it. Purchased upon release and temperature controlled cellar since. Continue to open up over several hours. Very enjoyable, but I will wait a year or two before trying the next bottle.
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3/27/2023 - Joelene wrote: 96 Points
My goodness this wine is drinking beautifully. Still a full bodied wine, so much structure and brawn. Very dry, with a wonderful nose of cedar and pine, leather and urine. Nice acidity and mouth drying tannin, still has oak present but it all come together so we’ll. Very long, lingering finish. Great wine.
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2/4/2023 - Musinus wrote: 92 Points
Still purplish-ruby to rim. Fresh and fulsome aromas of currant, red licorice, pomegranate, roses, and brown sugar. Currant and red berries illuminate the palate and the 14.5% alcohol bites but doesn’t yet overwhelm the structure. It does unfortunately impart a perceptible bitterness that strongly flavored food subdues. The wine has enough sweetness and fruit structure to make it enjoyable now but it may succumb to the high alcohol in the not-too-distant future. Enjoy soon.
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11/23/2022 - phandley66 Likes this wine: 95 Points
Nose of forest floor, black pepper. Drinking perfectly Definitely at peak. A lot of barnyard funk, mushroom up front, pencil shavings, graphite, dried cherries on back. Nicely balanced, not much tannin left. Drink up.
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5/21/2022 - gth865a Likes this wine: 95 Points
First Quilceda Creek I've had, and really enjoyed it. Drinking maturely but still has some years ahead of it. Had a bordeaux-like style on the palate but a new world finish with great fruit.
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2/26/2022 - Budsberg wrote: 95 Points
Wonderful
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12/12/2021 - Easter Everywhere Likes this wine:
very good right now
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12/12/2021 - Easter Everywhere Likes this wine:
very good now
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8/29/2021 - slywka7 Likes this wine: 94 Points
Pop and pour. Aromas of leather, matchstick, blackberry and cherry. Flavors of blackberry, mint, currant, iron and earth. Ends with a 30-35 second finish with iron and blackberry notes. Amazing how they wine style has changed.
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12/28/2020 - bravo.solares Likes this wine: 93 Points
Audozed in bottle for 6 hrs. Then drank with a to-go ribeye from Commis. Wine was much, much more enjoyable than my previous bottle from nearly 3yrs ago. Incredibly expressive on both the nose and palate. Oak and tannins well integrated and not in the way. Reminiscent of a St Julien. Black fruit, cassis, leather, cigar box. I think this is at its peak.
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12/5/2020 - Nmilau Likes this wine: 97 Points
Perfectly integrated wine right at its peak! Like a St Julien wine with damp cedar cigar box theme. Tannins are just right to hold the structure together.
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10/20/2020 - rhalbert wrote: 93 Points
Drank on Richard's 21st Birthday!!!
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5/31/2020 - SARED wrote: 92 Points
PNP with an hour air in glass. Perfect cork, Fine and chunky sediment.
Primary: sweet dark berries, some currants, some cassis
Secondary: cedar, a green/herbaceous streak + a subtle green olive note, A little char
Silky mouthfeel, nice acidity
Serve near cellar, as alcohol pops up on the finish at warmer temps. Air may have helped as well.
92+
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5/5/2020 - Redteeth wrote:
The cork was sound and the wine appeared and smelled good immediately. The bottle was double decanted and it had a modest amount of sediment. the wine was very enjoyable over two days. It is drinking very nicely now.
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2/7/2020 - Kevnzworld wrote: 93 Points
Pnp.
Decent dark berry fruit with a good amount of secondary flavors of tobacco and some barnyard
There’s also minerality and eucalyptus on the finish
This wine is in eighth inning. After two hours the fruit is stewed and faded, and it drinks a little hot.
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12/24/2019 - Winning_Wines Likes this wine: 96 Points
Christmas Eve Dinner 2019: Christmas Eve Dinner: Wine #3 of the evening.
Wow! This was hands down the WOTN!. I did not decant the wine, but let it evolve in the glass. From the very beginning, this was beautifully full of silky rich tannins and rich dark cherry, both of which were supported blissfully by hints of cedar, vanilla, pencil shavings, and baking spices. This was absolutely stunning. Man do I wish I had more.
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11/2/2019 - Kayentacellars wrote: 98 Points
It may get better with a few more years in the bottle, but difficult to find any fault with it now. A beautiful Washington State Cab!
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8/31/2019 - BostonRob64 wrote: 94 Points
Opened this on the eve of my 55th, inspired by Lettie Teague’s WSJ column. Randomly came across this earlier poking around my wine cellar so seemed like an inspired choice. And it was! For those who commented that this wine is drinking young, you are so right - lot of life left.
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8/24/2019 - Ms. Bubblehead Likes this wine:
I recalled 5 years ago I had a 2007 vintage of Quilceda Creek and it was way too young to consume, oak was not integrated and it was just not ready on all fronts. The 1999 we tried this time proves that this wine really needs 20 years of ageing, opened 3 hours ahead of dinner and it showed beautifully in the glass, still young, but oak was nicely integrated, it presented vibrant fruits with black berries and currants, various spices, fresh leather, shaved pencils, minerals, and gentle acidity, this reminds of some good left bank Brodeaux bottles.
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5/4/2019 - Mike V wrote: 94 Points
Wow when I first started buying this wine it was suggested that it would need 20 years to show its stuff. This bottle is fresh and delicious. I don’t think that it is really showing tertiary flavor but it is a pleasure to drink
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4/2/2019 - Neecies Likes this wine:
Great Paulliac-ish nose of graphite and cigar box, but the blackberry sweetness and espresso bring it home to WA. Fully mature--we uncorked it in advance then elected not to decant until service, and left the last cloudy inch in the bottle. Extremely good but overshadowed by the spectacular Reynvaan.
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10/10/2018 - joshabramson Likes this wine: 94 Points
I’ve had multiple vintages of Quilceda Creek, and almost always I feel like it needed more air or time in the bottle than what I gave it. With 19 years of age, this one is really drinking well and is in a great spot! Lots of fruit and still a solid backbone, with well integrated tannins that are slightly firm but fine on the finish.
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7/22/2018 - Agreenblatt wrote: 94 Points
Always a treat
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6/22/2018 - acyso wrote: 88 Points
HDH auction at Spiaggia; 6/22/2018-6/23/2018 (Chicago, IL): Served double blind. The nose is clearly cabernet, but there was a nice dried herbal quality here that drove me to guess Super Tuscan. The palate clearly shows its age, and I guessed this was probably around 15 years old. Some slight cough syrup on the palate, with a heightened hit of alcohol on the back end. Certainly nothing like the heinous joke of a wine that is the 2001.
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4/21/2018 - vinevents1 wrote: 95 Points
A youthful wine with graphite, red and black fruits that gained aromatically in the glass over four hours. Seamless texture and purity, long finish, decidedly more Bordeaux like tasted side by side with the fruit-foreard 2000, but still decidedly Washington State new world cab with intense fruit and compelling acidity. A perfect partner to Coyote Cafe’s Cowboy Steak at the bar on this night.
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3/24/2018 - LONGDIVISION Likes this wine: 95 Points
Very well balanced and showing no real signs of its age. Very old Bordeaux like. My first time having QC, what a treat!
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1/20/2018 - akpace wrote: 95 Points
Spicy nose, fine flavors of black pepper, currant, hints of oak and spice finishing with a lingering tobacco
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1/19/2018 - bravo.solares Likes this wine: 92 Points
Visually, dark and unevolved. Looks much younger than it is. Lovely nose; the purity of the fruit shines. Some tobacco and dry leaves notes. Oak thankfully well integrated. On the palate, extremely dry. Tannins, though fine, are still very noticeable - and dry. Some pleasant hints of herbal notes, including sage. Good balance, actually; less of a big fruit-forward beast than I feared - fruit and minerality coexist, but perhaps a touch short of acidity for my palate. Although I have no experience cellaring Quilcedas, my hunch is this one has 5-7 more yrs to go. Hoping that more tertiaries will emerge and tannins will become better integrated, rendering it a more interesting wine, esp. on the palate. Anyone with experience cellaring these have an opinion?
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1/12/2018 - JPF16 Likes this wine: 95 Points
Did not take notes, still has a small upside and is wonderfully balanced with a nice finish. Fruit is starting to hit a peak. Had with braised short ribs.
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12/21/2017 - andtheodor wrote:
Served blind. Very dark color. Chocolate, tar, oaky spice nose. Some eucalyptus, blueberry, touch of torrefaction. This is young and locked down and the dominant feature is the treatment of very fine french oak. I'm guessing something like a middle aged Montrose from a vintage like 2000.
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12/17/2017 - rexmerlot wrote: 96 Points
Wow, my wine of the night. Showing great right now. Lots of earthy notes along with lots of fruit. Great wine
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12/16/2017 - Doc90 wrote: 90 Points
Tasted blind. Sweet nose of sage, vanilla bean ice cream, and ripe blueberries. Indulgent, spring-time vibe. Sweet up front, with tannins swirling around the fruit. Seems Cabernet in personality and flavor. Higher oak, and hard to love right now. Unresolved Lapostolle Clos Apalta?
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12/16/2017 - robmatic wrote: 90 Points
Dark, brooding, backward, tannic monster. Bone dry, sage and a bit of green pepper. Noticeable oak but not prominent. Not mature at all, and difficult to drink, bordering on pain. Tremendous depth, but so tightly wound up, I'm a bit disappointed by how immature this wine is on this night, even after several hours in the decanter. To be fair, my cellar is cold and many wines age more slowly. Try again in 20 years.
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12/10/2017 - jaumealaska Likes this wine: 97 Points
I had the pleasure to taste this along a stellar line-up of old and new world Bordeaux styled wines. It was my favorite. The nose still was young with cassis and black fruits and a touch of spice box, the fruit was still expansive wrapped in softer tannins with a long finish. Others preferred the 2006, but this is what one hopes a cab will evolve into. Still many years left, but no bottles alas.
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10/6/2017 - cadamson Likes this wine: 94 Points
Dark fruit, sweet and mellow tannins, with nice herbal and tar notes. Beautifully aging. I find it quasi-restrained in its middle age, still has years to go and drinks very nicely.
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9/30/2017 - Zweder wrote: 95 Points
Not so many notes on this wine. Soft chocolate and sweet dark forest fruits and sweet spices. A very harmonious, smooth and soft. Delicious wine now and the next few years.
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7/17/2017 - Stirling Likes this wine: 99 Points
This is the most elegant vintage of this wine I have encountered. Beautiful nose of currants, joined with floral notes. Medium body, soft mouthfeel with gentle tannins to keep it structured. The balance is remarkable: right on the fulcrum. Flavours of black currants and blueberry are joined by nuances of baking spices. The finish is long and ends on a pepper note. A truly amazing wine. www.advientures.ca
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5/20/2017 - RickyT12 Likes this wine: 96 Points
Open 2hrs
Well aged wine, rum raisin, spice, leather, no real sourness, hint of dark chocolate, black truffle all nose. Flavor gravy, plum, raisin, a little heat, olives. Some watermelon candy on the nose. Very tasty wine.
This wine is in an excellent place right now.
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4/17/2017 - mhudes Likes this wine: 94 Points
Decanted 3 hours prior to serving. Dark fruit (black raspberries?) on the nose. Very concentrated in the mouth with blackberries, chocolate and spice. This is a massive wine, and for my palate,(even with the decant) could use 2 - 3 more years in the cellar. Delicious nonetheless, with a good finish.
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3/22/2017 - Radboy wrote: 94 Points
Old world type flavors, dense, earth tones. I think the fruit is fading a bit but what the hell, it is 18 years old! Good stuff.
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3/9/2017 - capacious Likes this wine: 94 Points
Had back to back with 97 Forman. Forman won. But the Quilceda is aging beautifully and these are two very ageworthy American cabs that show that some of our cabs can match the old world.
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2/19/2017 - Redteeth wrote:
This bottle was double decanted and allowed to sit for a while before drinking. The cork was reasonably good but broke on removal. There was a fair amount of sediment in the wine. But, the wine had a nice aroma and was quite nice to drink as it opened up. The color was still dark and there was a lot of deep, mature fruit. This was an excellent example of an aged world-class Cabernet Sauvignon. While this vintage may well last longer, I am concerned about tempting fate given the situation with the cork; I had a similar experience recently with a 1998 Quilceda Creek cork. I recommend drinking this vintage soon and allowing appropriate time to decant and enjoy.
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1/21/2017 - lorenkreiss Likes this wine: 95 Points
My first time trying Quilceda Creek. Super concentrated, massive and unique wine. Deep, black fruit flavors with a slight hint of old world spice and funk. Even at this age, the wine borders on unapproachable upon opening. It started to strut its stuff after about an hour of air. I think I would recommend sitting on this one for a little bit longer. It's only getting better.
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12/23/2016 - Vinophiler Likes this wine: 95 Points
Upon opening, you could tell the wine needed a little time to open as there was a strong core of fruit just waiting for a little air. When my wife first tasted she looked up at me disappointedly and said "I hope this is going to get better". It did! Drank over the course of two hours. Thick, unctuous wine with a strong core of black fruit with leather notes and a hint of chocolate. It was a great accompaniment to our filet mignon and really needed the food to shine.
Interestingly, I opened a bottle about 7 years ago and was completely disappointed. Had high expectations then but the wine wasn't giving anything up. Seven years later I can see why. This baby needs some time. (In retrospect I should have decanted well in advance.) While certainly enjoyable now this bottle was in early maturity with plenty of life left.
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12/10/2016 - MJTed wrote: 97 Points
Splash decanted for a half hour and shared with Mike M at John Bentleys. This a pure and almost perfect cabernet. Dark blueberry fruit, cassis extract and glycerin ooze from the glass to coat the mouth and nose. 30+ second finish of toasty, spicy oak with floral hints. Wish I had more.
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11/20/2016 - GSW wrote: 95 Points
Popped & poured. Thoroughly delightful from the start. Head & shoulders above the '99 Chateau Montelena Estate Cab served alongside. Terrific wine.
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10/3/2016 - FLI Likes this wine: 88 Points
An odd wine. Still high octane, but more in balance than my last bottle. Very fruit driven. Not great with food - similar in its manner to a Turley-style zin.
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7/15/2016 - Tom Myers Likes this wine: 97 Points
Simply magnificent!!
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6/10/2016 - odds Likes this wine: 95 Points
Somewhere around 95. It still requires long decanting (north of 2-3 hours). Good earthy notes, long lasting finish. At a prime and probably can get better, but why wait? It has alot of the currant and berries left, and it keeps developing in the glass. More details to follow. Vote of the bottle- emptied bottled by the friends, or as they said "once you have this one, you can't go to the other wines on the table". (and they did not)
The house enjoyed a taste as well. Glad I have 3 more
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5/29/2016 - perlasteve Likes this wine: 98 Points
after being disappointed a few times by older Quilcedas (98 twice), I hit the jackpot. absolutely perfect. Mother's Day dinner in Dayton (near Walla Walla, WA) at Patit Creek cafe. Balanced, dark and delicious fruit core. Full body and extremely smooth. Nice finish. Just absolutely delicious. This is what made QC legendary.
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5/12/2016 - Knicksfan wrote: 93 Points
Still in great shape; delightful bordeaux like CS
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3/17/2016 - MS92 Likes this wine: 98 Points
Drank perfectly with a ribeye and a filet.
Beautiful on the front and a great finish.
Stellar!
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2/18/2016 - indiscriminate palate wrote:
TTTG Blind (North by Northwest) (ER): Nearly black in color. Explosive to the point that I was worried about open flames. Herbal, chocolate, sweet fruit.
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1/29/2016 - Zweder wrote: 97 Points
Perfumed bouquet with beautiful dark forest fruits, sweet spices, sweet licorice and beautifully integrated oak. On the palate dark forest fruits, sweet spices, chocolate, melted tannin and beautiful acidity. Fully mature and a great length. No problem cellaring this for a few more years, but why wait? Delicious now.
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1/10/2016 - Thad Likes this wine: 92 Points
Nothing like the current release QC wine. 13.2% and silky. Great balance plenty of fruit. Old cabs become more lean with age and this did.
Drink now and love it
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1/4/2016 - humagne wrote: 97 Points
Delicious. Still lots of fruit, but also secondary and tertiary aromas. Well balanced. Powerfull and long. The 94 Chateau Margaux tasted along just appeared so poor in comparison...
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12/25/2015 - hdchappy Likes this wine:
Tasted with the 2000 and 2001. All where good but this was my favorite. Still another 5-8 years left.
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9/19/2015 - GSW wrote: 95 Points
This remains an outstanding wine. No sign of fading. Just delicious.
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9/8/2015 - AZ Wine Dewd wrote:
Wow, thought I was drinking a great French wine. Very complex with lots of great residuals on the back of the tongue. Leather, tobacco and lots of earth, yum. Glad I have another bottle.
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8/16/2015 - ephorn Likes this wine: 95 Points
this has matured beautifully taking on a roasted green pepper note to go with the well behaved fruit. This behaves like classified left bank Bordeaux. Nice finish and balance. This tastes fully mature but shows no signs of falling apart.
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6/6/2015 - Radboy wrote: 94 Points
Drinking well. Deftly balanced with terrific dark fruit. Yum!
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5/28/2015 - Burgundy Al wrote: 92 Points
Bonhams Pre-Auction Tasting (Bonham's - San Francisco, CA): Tasting, brief note. Fresh black fruit with subtle spice and a firm finish that keeps an edge. Very long. Good now and better in another few years.
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5/28/2015 - drwine2001 wrote:
Bonhams Pre-Auction Tasting (San Francisco): Light red, lighter weight. Elegant and exquisitely balanced. A knockout, even for this old curmudgeon who rarely meets a Cabernet that he likes. I'd love to have this accompany dinner tonight.
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4/15/2015 - Mrbuzz Likes this wine: 94 Points
Trelio with the fellas (Clovis Ca.): Loved this….perfect dryness to the liqueured berry fruit….dusty cocoa/graphite powder, little green herb streak, white pepper….expressive with precision. Great wine!
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4/3/2015 - stealthman_1 wrote: 93 Points
Perfect storage since release. Primary blue and black fruits with a tinge of black licorice. Beautifully made, slick drinking wine, but never has lived up to the high 90s hype. Drink now or hold for 10 more..who knows. I sold all my '99-'03 because there was no read as to where these were really going. Still feel the same today.
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2/1/2015 - Easter Everywhere Likes this wine:
good with a minerally, clay background, plenty fruit, smooth, touch of heat, bit monolithic else nice, no hurry
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1/4/2015 - tomlee wrote: 95 Points
Crimson in color with some bricking on the edge of the glass. 14.5% ABV. Great nose of cedar, leather and violets. Big, powerful Cabernet Sauvignon. Black cherry, currants, cassis, cocoa and eucalyptus on the palate. Still somewhat tannic with an exceptionally long finish. Great showing. Drink over the next several years.
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12/7/2014 - skifree wrote: 93 Points
This bottle drank beautifully. It seemed to have moved to a secondary phase, with muted black fruit but also a mixture of flavors that I had a hard time putting my finger on. Certainly mineral and dark cocoa were there, but also other scents and tastes that I very much liked but couldn't quite sort out.
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12/1/2014 - TexasBob Likes this wine: 91 Points
Dark purple - it hasn't lost much color. Nose of nice strong blackberry juice laced with black pepper. When I tried this the first day is was as flat as Kansas. The second day was a bit better, and this tasting note is from the third day on a counter in a cool room. There is a mild raspberry sweetness with a distant spec of vanilla and significant blackberry bramble. Creamy texture. The alcohol is a bit more prevalent than I thought it would be.
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11/8/2014 - S R U D I N Likes this wine: 95 Points
Amazing wine but it needed some time to breathe. I decanted for about an hour and 45 minutes into my meal this baby really started singing. Decant 2+ hours and enjoy, this is a beautiful mild cab.
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11/2/2014 - Winetex Likes this wine: 93 Points
Balanced and drinking very well. Kirsch and slight dark chocolate flavors. This was decanted for 30 minutes with good results. If you still have these in your cellar it's time to check in.
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10/31/2014 - GSW wrote: 94 Points
Hitting on all cylinders!
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10/3/2014 - AlexHop wrote: 93 Points
Nose is sweet basil and a touch of mint. Dewy pine with a bit of forest floor- like a spring morning. Mouthfeel has a bunch of acid and is sharp but not biting. Still some tannin and feels very dry. No fruit showing. Mineral characteristics, almost like iron. Dark unsweetened cocoa or nibs. Almost like a collard green. Nice long finish that doesn't fall flat. (yes, this was a second tasting of the same wine in the same day from a different bottle at dinner later).
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10/2/2014 - AlexHop wrote: 93 Points
Nose is subtle violets. Mouth is silky with less prominant fruit. Earthy and pencil lead aspects. Medium long finish. A bit surprising. Drink now. Tasted at Esquin Quilceda tasting.
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8/23/2014 - jsmadsen Likes this wine: 93 Points
Decanted and drunk over 1.5 hours. Secondary characteristics moderated after 30 minutes, a lot of good fruit and structure here still, plenty of minerality, long finish.
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7/29/2014 - JimN Likes this wine: 92 Points
Screaming Eagle Showdown (Yellow Springs Inn): Part of a blind tasting of 1999 US Cabernets. This was the second wine. Much riper than the first (which turned out to be Opus One), with a gorgeous nose. A bit more restrained on the palate, with tannins that are quite evident. I'd say it will get much better with more time in the cellar.
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7/29/2014 - PSUSteve wrote: 91 Points
Served blind. Decanted for 75 minutes and drank over the next two to three hours. Complex nose. Palate had concentrated fruit with a streak of veggie in the mid palate. Finish was long but dry and tannic.
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7/28/2014 - matro wrote: 91 Points
No detailed notes. Still delicious but probably slightly past its peak.
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7/12/2014 - FamilyLarsson wrote: 94 Points
Serverat blint!
Helt underbara Bordeaux-toner med svarta vinbär, plommon, läder, tobak, cigarrlåda, skogsmark och början till lite stalliga toner.
Fantastisk mogen frukt med bra tannninstruktur, klar fin syra. Riktigt komplext och bra vin.
Skulle utan tvekan gissat på en Bordeaux.
En av de bättre Bordeaux blend jag druckit från USA.
En verkligt positiv överraskning.
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7/12/2014 - Tenuta Stefan Likes this wine: 94 Points
Perfect bottle, served blind at a tasting. Stored well.
The colour show some age. Dark carmine with brick on the rim.
The bouquet is very Bordeaux, but I could not place it in any commune.
A bit smokey. Tobacco, leather, oak and cassis in Bordeaux-style. Behind the cassis there is dark fruit of dark cherries, plum and blackberries.
Fullbodied wine yet quite elegant. The tannins are nicely integrated and quite soft, yet obvious and present. Good acidity and good structure. This wine has a good backbone, good poise. Like a gentleman.
Long finish. Good flavours of cassis, leather, cedar and dark cherries.
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6/21/2014 - Radboy wrote: 94 Points
Drinking quite well at this point. Evenly balanced with the fruit holding strong. Bottoms up!
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5/29/2014 - affordableCollector wrote: 89 Points
dark red, in color. dark fruit, earth, spice, pepper, leather, on the nose. light body, medium acid, medium-high tannins, on the finish.
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5/29/2014 - europat55 wrote: 89 Points
1999 Cabernet Retrospective, Part 4 (Tasted Blind) (Tom's house in Palo Alto, California): Strange nose, but still excellent! (B+/B++). Excellent palate, good concentration (B+/B++).
My #3, Group's #6 (75 pts). Tasted blind.
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4/9/2014 - MBannon Likes this wine: 93 Points
Very rich, very structured, quite a powerhouse. Not sure it will really improve from here, but don't think it will be falling apart anytime soon, either.
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3/7/2014 - dederer wrote: 95 Points
This was really wonderful. Very smoky with a tremendous finish that kept changing. I decanted two hours and it needed it. A very dark taste that is remarkable. Unlike anything else I've tasted.
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2/16/2014 - Le Musigny wrote:
Good fruit but the bottle seemed to me to be a little disjointed and high in alcohol. Others liked it much more then me.
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1/19/2014 - TEKinsider wrote: 93 Points
Decanted for 1 hour then drank over 4 hours while watching NFL playoffs. I was expecting more from this wine given the big scores. Not showing much age on the color and tanins are still pronounced, but it has a strange port like extraction that I can't place. Nose was nice with light tobacco, black fruit and cedar. Interesting mix of new world fruit with old world style. Auction bottle so maybe it had some heat exposure??? Still a very good wine.
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1/1/2014 - Easter Everywhere wrote:
great flavors and nose, classic cedar, cassis, but hot and harsh on palate,
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10/25/2013 - jlanzmo Likes this wine: 99 Points
Very Bordeaux on the nose and palate as well
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9/29/2013 - W2WineGuy Likes this wine: 92 Points
Run through venture into decanter, sat for 3 hours. Very integrated, great nose, starting to be a bit "soft" as mouth was medium and simply didn't linger as long as I would have anticipated. Still, a great wine, held up beautifully to rack of lamb, great stuff, no question about it! Have one more bottle, will definitely drink this winter
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9/15/2013 - rickspicks wrote: 94 Points
A friend brought this to dinner to share - I need to invite him more often! Decanted for about 30 minutes and still somewhat tight. Needed another 30 minutes to start to open, and continued to open throughout the evening. A textbook example of what I consider to be a voluptuous wine. Overflowing with flavor and texture, but with everything in harmony and nothing overdone. Full-bodied, concentrated, juicy, rich, ripe. round and velvety. Deep flavors of cassis, black fruits and oak with terrific complexity and impeccable balance. 94-95
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6/30/2013 - BenSteven wrote: flawed
Flawed
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6/8/2013 - Zweder wrote: 94 Points
Dream tasting (@ Merlet): Beautiful and exclusive bouquet with ripe dark forest fruits and beautifully integrated oak and cedar. On the palate a very juicy wine with dark berries, some chocolate, earth, beautiful acidity and youthful round tannin with still a good bite. Beautiful bitterness and a great length. Still in its young maturity stage. Will be lovely until at least 2018. 94+
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6/8/2013 - jkoenen wrote: 94 Points
Dreamtasting #5 (Restaurant Merlet, Schoorl): (*) A rich and complete wine, which still might need some time in the cellar. I thought the tannines where sticking out a little bit, demanding better integration. But besides that this is a fabulous take on Cabernet, just like we're used to when we pull a bottle of QC. Classic cassis and cedar, intermingled with damp, earthy outdoorsy feel which I adore. Classic Cabernet aromatics built on top of an amazing modernistic fundament of structure and concentration: it all gives way to the wines' enourmous complexity finesse, focus and precision. It really combines the best of both worlds... 18.5/20
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5/20/2013 - mstar Likes this wine: 95 Points
Aromas of dark berries and eucalyptus. Medium bodied with tastes of dark fruit. Long finish. Tannins nicely integrated. Clearly a new world wine (very fruit forward) but delicious. Regret it was my last bottle.
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2/28/2013 - Wine_lvr wrote: 88 Points
Intensive red. Nose of cooked berries, quite rich flavors . Rich wine, full of dark fruit. All a bit short and not very well balanced. Not my type of wine. Drink - 2018.
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2/24/2013 - Amerique wrote: 95 Points
Very elegant, smooth, full-bodied black cherry fruit with cassis and leather flavors, excellent structure, long finish, drinking beautifully, spectacular wine
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9/29/2012 - slywka7 Likes this wine: 92 Points
This wine really stood out from the rest. The nose was like an old Bordeaux with cigar box and earth. For a 1999 though this was still really tannic, which surprised me. Kind of loosened up as the night went on. I have only had the 2007 previous to this and to be honest I didn't see this emerging that into something like the 1999 but I could be wrong. Could have sworn someone on the board was mentioning Quilceda Creek changed there style around the 2003 vintage? Could be wrong.
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8/18/2012 - Amerique wrote: 94 Points
Very round, smooth, rich black cherry fruit, tasting much like 1/17/10 notes except with some more bottle age, elegant style, softened cassis dominates
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8/9/2012 - Schwarzer Hund wrote:
a beautiful wine. deep red color, dark fruit flavor, some tobacco, tannins are still present but it seemed in good balance, long smooth finish. Plenty of time left.
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7/21/2012 - Sebacca wrote: 89 Points
Ready to drink now
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6/23/2012 - DoubleD1969 wrote: 93 Points
Opened and poured. Beautiful deep garnet color. Gorgeous nose of baked fruit pie, sandalwood. Cherry pomegranate, chewing tobacco, a bit of tannic bite, juicy acidy. Polished an entire bottle fairly easy between the two of us.
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5/24/2012 - Blair Curtis wrote: 94 Points
Showing very well - one of the group faves on the evening (among a 12-vintage vertical of QC covering 1994-2006 minus the 1995). This shows as the last of the more classic and elegant QC wines. From 2000 on, the wines show a bigger, plusher more New World style. This 1999 shows in this company to be more restrained and Bordeaux-like. Excellent with food. Little hint of green pepper adds complexity to the cassis and balck cherry fruit profile. Bit of cedar. In a nice drinking stage now.
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4/29/2012 - Jason wrote: 95 Points
Amazing nose. Violets. Vanilla. Crushed blackberries. The palate is less unctuous than past tastings. The tannins are still there but much less prominent. Palate follows the nose with vanilla and sweet blueberries. Long, sweet finish.
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4/28/2012 - Wolflarson wrote: 93 Points
Drinking really well but plenty of life left Nose of cigar box, somewhat polished and he tannins have softened and integrated well. Solid wine.
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4/22/2012 - Deb293 wrote: 92 Points
Seems to have shed its baby fat. Not as voluptuous as I remember, and plenty of acidity. Menthol and a hint of eucalyptus, licorice and leather on the nose. On the palate it has lots of herbs and lead pencil. Almost austere compared to the last time I had it. Needs time to open up. I don't get over-ripeness this time around.
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1/17/2012 - danielk168 wrote: 93 Points
Drank with 97 Montelena and Unico Vega Scicilia NV, opened and started drinking about 30min later, nose already quite developed with floral and complex flavors of minerals/fruit. Medium to full body, tannins well integrated with a very silky feel. Elegant and balanced, very well made!
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1/11/2012 - mstar wrote: 92 Points
Opened 2 hrs prior to serving. Left in bottle uncorked. Restrained nose. Deep purple colour medium body with berry flavours and cassis. Drinking nicely now but should hold for a while yet.
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12/29/2011 - EmilyE wrote: 94 Points
Decanted and drank over an hour. Dark fruit and cedar. Soft tannins with long finish. Excellent bottle but not as good as the last one.
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12/3/2011 - phenricsson wrote: 94 Points
Drank this over three days. Just put the cork in the bottle and saved it in the cellar. Initially a bit muted. By far the best on the third day. It opened up and was much more generous and delicious. No tiredness or raisin at all. This is a brute!
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12/2/2011 - Radboy wrote: 94 Points
A bit more approachable than last time out. Rich, dark fruit with a distinct undertone of soft chocolate. Also the most subtle of caramel flavors the 2 hour mark. Lovely wine.
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12/1/2011 - Easter Everywhere wrote: 88 Points
Great complex nose & palate, clay, minerals, bluebverries, hervbs, menthol, silky smooth, touch of heat is only flaw, d2, nice, similar, bigt, tasty, heat/acidity out of balance, else fine, not as good as d1!
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11/6/2011 - Kemo Sabe wrote:
Drank from a mag, 1 hour decant. Had the same bottle about 18 months ago and was impressed. Not sure what was going w this bottle. Color was good, nose was good but could not shake a metallic aftertaste. There was good fruit in there but I had to fight though the sense that I was sucking on a quarter. Not sure what to think. Struggled through the bottle and others did not have the same experience so maybe my taster was off tonight.....
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10/19/2011 - EmilyE wrote: 95 Points
Decanted 2 hours. Nose of dark fruit with additional notes of tobacco and licorice on the palate. Nice long finish with soft tannins. Very refined and elegant.
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9/5/2011 - ZARDO wrote: 93 Points
I liked this wine. Very smooth and balanced, but not the 98 points parker gave it ??
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6/25/2011 - floydtp wrote:
CellarTracker Wisconsin June 2011; 6/24/2011-6/25/2011 (Madison, WI- various venues): Tasted non blind at a tasting that included 94-99 QC. Lots of briar patch on the nose and palate. Reminds me of wines from St Estèphe. Medium high tannins. Hold for a few to several years. No rating this time.
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6/25/2011 - wineismylife wrote:
CellarTracker Wisconsin Offline I - Part Two - Double Vertical Tasting (petiteblanc's house in Madison, WI): WIML93+/-?
Tasted non blind at an offline. Double decanted and left cork out for four hours before serving.
Dark garnet color in the glass, clear looking throughout. Nose fo black berries, black cherries and wet stones. Flavors of black berries, black cherries and dark plums. Medium to bright acidity, firm tannins, full bodied. Drink now with some air or continue to hold.
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6/25/2011 - IWineAlot wrote: 91 Points
CT Wisconsin Offline (Madison, WI): Not the best of the line-up. Still drinking very young, Cherries, dark fruit. Tannins very much present. Medium finish.
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6/25/2011 - petitblanc wrote: 90 Points
CT Wisconsin Offline; 6/24/2011-6/25/2011 (Madison, WI): A very interesting bottle, lovely and feminine, slightly spoilt by considerable heat.
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6/19/2011 - Amerique wrote: 92 Points
Found this wine relatively disappointing based upon previous tastings. Fruit was very restrained, nose showed port-like sweetness, structure was very good, finish was short. Was this bottle corked? Perhaps. Despite it's fresh appearing color, wine tasted a litte dull and aged. Maybe it's going through a dull phase.
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6/4/2011 - ken wrote: 96 Points
This wine is fantastic, but it was my only bottle and I think it will be better in about 2 years. Still a little tannic.
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5/16/2011 - jsully75 wrote: 97 Points
winner winner chicken dinner
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5/9/2011 - Radboy wrote: 93 Points
Dark brooding beastie boy of a wine. Still a bit burly and I will hold off for a year or two before swilling again. Still has great fruit though.
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4/29/2011 - mwanasheria wrote: 94 Points
Quilceda Creek Vertical (Zum Hirschen, Aarau, Switzerland): Blackcurrant, plums, some notes of wood. Not a loud wine, but very elegant and cool.
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4/17/2011 - MC wrote:
Decanted and served at cellar temperature with no time in decanter. The nose was singing dark fruit and some mint as the wine was being decanted. Cool nose with a lot of fruit, some mint, but some alcohol also showing. Not as opulent as the 98 a few days ago. This has more to it - more stuffing, more structure, but not as easy to enjoy right now. Ultimately it may be a better wine, but the 98 is more fun to drink right now out of the bottle. A-/A
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4/2/2011 - gutt22 wrote:
14.5% alcohol. This is drinking beautifully. Slightly funky nose opens up to tremendous black currant fruit, with chocolate, wood spice, and tobacco. In the mouth, plush and texturally gorgeous, with a generous amount of fruit on the palate that is supported by terrific complex notes. The acidity is fine and back end structure leads to a caressing finish. A-/A
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3/25/2011 - B Dub wrote: 89 Points
Opened and decanted over a couple of hours. Solid, dark garnet hue without sediment in the bottle. Fruit forward with smells of dark berries, black cherries and Oak is Very detectable. This is a smooth Cab that lacked midpalate complexity or a striking finish that you would expect of a wine at this price point (bad value wine). To be honest I was disappointed in this wine and the finish was weak. I was anticipating more fullness and power like a quaility Napa or Sonoma Cab. Especially with it's high professional ratings. I have consumed two different bottles of this vintage and have had the same impression previously - nothing special (flabby). Perhaps it is declining?
PM Note: Our second bottle of the night was a 2004 Chateau St. Jean Reserve Cab which blows the Quilceda Creek away. The St. Jean has far more structure and flavors. Do not waste money on the '99 Quilceda.
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3/2/2011 - Knicksfan wrote: 92 Points
Somewhat more subdued than last time (3 months ago) but still delightful. In a very nice place.
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12/31/2010 - Knicksfan wrote: 94 Points
4 hour decant - still one of my favorite cabs
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12/31/2010 - GSW wrote: 94 Points
Still humming.
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12/26/2010 - Radboy wrote: 95 Points
Killer Cab!
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11/19/2010 - cbrown82 wrote: 92 Points
This wine was still tight and closed after 3 hours of being opemed. Think there is still good potential but I was a bit disapointed given Robert Parkers 98 rating.
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11/13/2010 - godx wrote:
Deep ruby red, not showing any age at all in the colour. Big nose of cool blue fruits and red fruits, ripe plums, blackberries with hints of oak and mint. The nose almost has the concentration and intensity of a vintage port. In the mouth the wine is soft, concentrated and big with more ripe blue and red fruits with smoky oak. Medium acidity and tannins and good length. A hedonistic drinking experience but certainly not my preferred style. Needs another 5 years.
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9/22/2010 - petitblanc wrote: 88 Points
Splendid ruby-purple color. This needed an hour or two of air to blow off a bitter woodiness. Nose shows plenty of sweet berries steeped in alcohol, with the alcohol fumes almost burning the eyes. Still fairly primary on the palate, with more berries and oak, and nice structure for drinking now. More berries and hot alcohol through the exceptionally long finish. A simple and annoying wine, with the old Quilceda character largely buried under all the alcohol. After a transitional vintage in 1998, this 1999 vintage pretty much completed QC's transition to a modern, Parkerized style that I do not like.
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9/22/2010 - Radboy wrote: 93 Points
Decanted for 90 plus minutes as others suggested and I think this was a good idea. The nose continued to open through the last glass . This still has plenty of backbone to age for another 5 years but is certainly not overly tannic . It has an intriguing fruit of licorice and dark cherries. Nice wine.
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8/16/2010 - CMz wrote: 95 Points
Opened and decanted for 60 minutes. This wine continued to open and improve over subsequent 2 hours so longer decant next bottle. Dark ruby to the rim. a tad tight @ first, developed a very nice nose of cherry, dark berry and vanilla. Big, big wine in the mouth - still young, and improved greatly over 3 hour tasting. Boatload of cherry, blueberry, blackberry, spice w oaky notes. Well integrated but very present tannins, smooth long finish.
Tasted w the '01 and '02 QC; ranked 3rd but believe this wine will improve w age.
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8/5/2010 - Montecalvo wrote: 92 Points
still very young and soft. nose very tight. good concentration and good length on finish but rather monochromatic.
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7/23/2010 - RussK wrote: 93 Points
RUSSK WWiz Wash St wines, at Tuscan Grill. My WOTN. Mature Bordeaux nose. Nice balance and poise. Not as fat as you would expect. Still a bit tight and a bit bitter on the finish.
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5/31/2010 - jonnyoro wrote: 96 Points
the first bottle i had of this wine in 2008 was cooked (at least in my opinion- other peopke who tasted it were being polite i think)- this wine was not. let's start with the finish first which made me happy as the day is long- wow. this is an integrated, complete wine that is perfectly balanced. Funny, because the aromatics would never get you to that conclusion- there just isnt that much on the nose. At least to start anyway- halfway through the bottle after a couple of hours, it practically soars out of the glass- very concentrated, full of black fruit and sweet tannins- an absolutely beautiful cabernet. last bottle of the '99 but looking forward to the '04 and '07 in a few years.
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5/17/2010 - GSW wrote: 94 Points
Consistent with my notes from 2008. Needs decanting, but an outstanding cab.
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5/9/2010 - wineismylife Likes this wine: 94 Points
WIML94
Opened and decanted about an hour before serving. Dark garnet to purple color in the glass, clear hue throughout. Nose of blueberries, currants, Kirsch, plums, black cherries, black berries and a hint of smoke. Flavors of blueberries, black cherries, black berries and plums. Medium acidity, medium to firm tannins, full bodied. Drink or hold.
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5/9/2010 - budman wrote: 93 Points
Lots going on. Three hours of decant time, but still a tannic monster.
The fruit finally started to show with the last glass.
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4/24/2010 - JJL wrote: 88 Points
Drank at Roots - dark, brooding, forest floor, anise. More like Sambuca or port - overdone. Actually did not go well with steak. Would drink this with cheese.
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4/17/2010 - soyhead wrote: 92 Points
nose - blackberry liqueur. Per cindy mothballs and coconut. For sure I get the coconut after that hint.
mouth - tight dark fruit, rich and ripe with a tropical essence. This still needs time to rest. Huge potential.
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3/28/2010 - Mike V wrote: 92 Points
Mature and ? loosing a little of the prodigious fruit.
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3/21/2010 - DoubleD1969 wrote: 94 Points
Opened and poured through a vinturi into a decanter. Probably waited for about an hour and a half before tasting. Had a nice mint/eucalyptus chocolate nose. Dark ripe fruit on the palate with cocoa and black olive. Very soft tannins. Paired very nicely with beef bourgogne. Reminded me of a 2000 Solaia but I was expecting a 1999 Heitz MV which I found very youthful. The QC seemed like a mature wine but probably not over the hill. Try one now if you have multiple bottles.
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3/21/2010 - Deb293 wrote: 92 Points
Didn't know what to expect from this wine, but I sure was surprised by the minty, herbal nose. While there's not a hard edge to it, there's also no hint of acidic lift, so while tasty, it also didn't evoke high altitude Cabernet. Lots of fennel, sage and licorice, and a slightly overripe character. Others commented on having difficulty guessing the variety, and Cabernet might have been picked more by process of elimination than by typicity. Nice, but confusing. Maybe it shouldn't have been poured through the Venturi...No reason to wait, by the way.
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3/7/2010 - jonphillips Likes this wine: 92 Points
My previous bottle must have been bad - this was fine, but not a lot of nuance.
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1/23/2010 - Montecalvo wrote: 94 Points
drinking well but very young. no secondary notes.
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1/17/2010 - Amerique wrote: 94 Points
Full-bodied black cherry fruit with earthy, chocolate, and cassis flavors, excellent structure, showing some age
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1/3/2010 - InflationHedge wrote: 97 Points
This was my first QC, so I cant compare to other vintages, but we were all thought this was extraordinary. In the glass, the wine is garnet and clear, almost giving the appearance of a lighter, pinot-style wine. Amazing balance, with unobtrusive tannins that gave just enough grip. Very clear red fruit and spice, which had a long finish that left us all wanting more. I will definitely be adding more to the cellar!
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1/1/2010 - jasonwh wrote: 98 Points
What a cab should be.
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12/31/2009 - Stirling wrote: 97 Points
Truly an outstanding wine. Still inky in colour with barely any fade at the rim. the nose is a beautiful combination of red and balck fruits complimented with spice, cedar and a touch of vanilla. Medium to full bodied, this wine has perfect balance. At age 10 it has shed its youthful tannins and has developed interesting complexity. Very drinkable right now but has the stuff to age and gain additional nuances. Finish not quite as long as I might have suspected, but truly a profound wine overall. www.advinetures.ca
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11/14/2009 - EileenB wrote: 86 Points
Hugely disappointing. Nose had some fruit as this was decanted, but this blew off quickly. Decent glycerin and mouthfeel, but no fruit, just tannins, cedar and alcohol. Unbalanced and mouthpuckering. This was my third bottle of Quilceda from various sources, and each one had been extremely overrated. I had chalked up the first two times to possible issues in storage (bought from Winebid), but now I am officially off this bandwagon!
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11/6/2009 - Vinomarcus wrote: 93 Points
Duck Dinner; 11/5/2009-11/6/2009 (Peter Pratt's Inn): Lots of oak and vanilla bean. Big fruit, dark and brooding, very well made, nice hints of spice, very well balanced, hints of powdered cocoa on the finish. I had no guess for this, but one taster guessed Quilceda. One of the first Q-Creeks I've really enjoyed.
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10/6/2009 - dawgdaze wrote: 92 Points
Decanted for 2.5 hours…Paired with beef tenderloin. After 10 years of cellaring, this wine is coming along nicely.
Color: Opaque with a purple cast. Aroma: Understated with Quilceda Creek floral violet, vanilla, cedar and dark cherries. Tasting notes: A full-bodied wine with a lovely, balance. The oak tannins are sturdy with layers of complex flavors and a raspberry aftertaste. I wish I had purchased more than two bottles!
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10/3/2009 - Knicksfan wrote: 96 Points
Love love love. Didn't give this one much of a chance - gone in under 60 minutes - but awesome.
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9/27/2009 - ScottG wrote: 96 Points
Coming around really nicely. Clearly has some aged character- cigar box, tobacco, etc, but still nice core of dark fruit as well. Has plenty of time to go- but is decent to drink now.
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6/27/2009 - Eric wrote: 95 Points
Nice showing. Decanted for 2 hours. Smoke, berries, and violet on the nose. The palate is firm, still quite young, loaded with gorgeous waves of black fruit and nice acidity. The hallmark characteristic though is the stunningly supple texture, silky tannins, plush but not overripe a lithe and graceful and unique expression of Cabernet that always bring a smile. World class.
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5/11/2009 - FLI wrote: 86 Points
I hate to break the news, but this wine is extremely overrated. It has a fantastic nose of flowers and berries, but on the palate, it falls apart. The fruit is no where near as rich as promised on the nose, and the high alcohol level is very obtrusive. It's just not a well-balanced wine. Over the course of the evening, it didn't move much despite decanting. The emperor ain't quite buck nekkid, but his attire is pretty tattered. I wish the other reviewers who experienced some of these same problems would just score it as it is, instead of withholding scores, as if the problems they tasted were somehow aberrations and not indicative of actual problems in the bottle. I'm hoping this wasjist one bad bottle, but I didn't detect any obvious signs of taint, and it's been well stored.
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4/5/2009 - budman wrote: 93 Points
Started out like a 'wow' but after about an hour, it settled down and lost its luster.
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4/2/2009 - Eric wrote: 96 Points
Tonight was a rough night with a self-inflicted mini server meltdown. Once I got to the bottom of the mess I needed something nice and firm to kick my butt with dinner (a nice piece of seared Ahi, sauteed spinach and shiitake with soy and black vinegar, and a wonderful potato cake).
The moment I popped this the nose was raging with that classic Quilceda violet. Bright, piercing, soaring, how do they do it vintage in and vintage out? It is bright without the muddiness of VA. It is like the concentrated essence of what Ciel du Cheval yields, yet that vineyard comprises a tiny fraction of at all of this wine. It is utterly concentrated essence of Washington Cabernet. However, this is more than just bright and soaring. There is a dusky, dusty, olive note as well, hints of soy, charcoal, truly a rather complex and intriguing nose. The palate is Quilceda firm, still very youthful, grippy, yet with a suave polish to the tannins that even Quilceda struggles to achieve at times. This is a vintage that was rated highly and yet now seems to be an afterthought in the shadow of 2002, 2003 and 2005. Well you heard it here, this has no problem holding its own with any of those supposed 100 point vintages is and is probably more classic and better proportioned than all of those wines. This is a very complete Cabernet that is the essence of Quilceda. At 10 years of age, as expected, it is still youthful and reticent, but I am quite glad to have checked in on this. Decant it and enjoy it with a steak. It is almost ready to play.
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3/25/2009 - Knicksfan wrote: 99 Points
OMFG! THis was just absolutely ROCKING! Best QC I've had and I've had all since 1990. Wowie Zowie - cant get over it. First sip was awe inspiring layers of fruit and just got better and better. I'm sitting on 11 more and I am doing a happy dance tonight!
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3/11/2009 - Sweet Nancy wrote:
Dark fruit and coffee notes. Grainy tannins on the mid palate with a long finish. Still needs time. Only one left! Sacrificed early for yet another offline.
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3/8/2009 - golfhawk wrote: 96 Points
We had thsi wine at El Gauchos and it was phenomenal. It got better as the night went on. It isn't the big fruit forward typical WA Cab. but it is big enough. Great character and nuances make this a wine that could go with a number of dishes. We both loved this wine and felt it was a classic wine that could last a decade more.
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3/7/2009 - WetRock wrote:
San Diego Mini Offline (Wine Vault, San Diego): Obvious heat and another that seemed to speak of American oak with some dill notes. Easy going palate with more heat. The alcohol was hard to get past.
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2/6/2009 - jlgnml wrote: 93 Points
Opened this wine and served an dry age sirloin. Used the aerator and that really helped this wine. The color was dark, the nose cab and fruit. Full on the palate and quite nice. This is my first QC, different but very enjoyable. Glad I have more.
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12/5/2008 - djs wrote:
Decanted 1 hour, drank over next 5 hours. There was a period of about 45 minutes in that time that this opened up and was really a terrific wine. Started out at cellar temp (too cold) with subduded nose and palate. About an hour and a half in, things got more interresting and more complex. This was certainly never a blockbuster type wine in the Cali/Oz sense, but more bordeaux in nature. Medium bodied, cedar nose, more earth and leather than huge fruit. After 3 or 4 hours the fruit went away as fierce tannins clamped down. I think the only prudent thing to do is to give this at least a couple more years before drinking again. No score given.
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11/29/2008 - 2treeline wrote: 92 Points
Very good, not profound. Still a little tight, even after 90 minute decant. Still on the way up.
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10/20/2008 - GSW wrote: 95 Points
Decanted for about an hour, this was our first bottle from the '99 vintage. A very structured, highly enjoyable wine. Dark ruby-purple, wonderful nose of dark fruit, spice; smooth on the palate with a long finish. Still very youthful, this vintage should last 10+ years.
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9/15/2008 - jonphillips wrote: 90 Points
Third bottle of my case and weird ... an off-bottle with some synthetic taste to it. Depth of the wine was there, but not the fruit I remember from 18months ago.
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6/15/2008 - wineismylife wrote: 94 Points
WIML94,PURPLE93
Tasted June 15, 2008. Opened for Father's Day to serve with a salt crusted beef tenderloin. Life is good.
Opened and decanted about 1 hour before serving. Didn't really start hitting it's stride and taking on secondary aromas until around the 2 hour mark. Purple color in the glass, clear hue throughout. Tight on the nose up front giving way to notes of florals, leather, rose petals, currants, plums and a bit of cappuccino that later smelled more like roasted coffee. Flavors of plums, currants, rich black berries and a dash of cocoa powder. Medium acidity, medium to firm tannins, full bodied. Drink now with a decant or continue to hold. Sticking with my previous rating.
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5/6/2008 - Winetex wrote: 93 Points
Dark ruby color with red rim; Aromas of menthol, cassis and toasty oak. This wine had complex flavors of cassis, blueberry jam, dark chocolate and licorice. The very long finish included a smoke note along with the licorice and cassis. It had a very large, solid structure but the balance was off as there was an alcohol burn on the finish. This wine also has tannins and acid to resolve. As always different bottles mature at different rates so everyone's mileage may vary. This bottle was pristine - picked up from the winery and never shipped. A very good wine that will probably continue to improve. [14.5% alcohol; Decanted only about 15 minutes and needed much more; keep the serving temp on the cool side to calm the alcohol]
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3/24/2008 - gotapex wrote: 95 Points
A bit of a musty nose, but blew off after first 30 minutes or so. Ripe fruit, leather, and layers of complexity. Just beginning to get that "aged" quality. Heavier body than the 2000.
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2/26/2008 - Terkel wrote: 94 Points
Californian wines (FOF): Dark red color with a brick red hue. Rustic black currant fruit, tobaco and some licorise on the nose. A good deal of fruit first, but it is gaining a lot of complexity on the midpalate, with notes of dark chocolate and licorise. Good structure and superb balance. Amazing length, and it remains really elegant even under the intensity and power. A really good wine, that needs more time.
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1/27/2008 - dsimmons wrote: 98 Points
Vertical tasting of Quilceda Creek (1999-2004): This wine is still young with lots of complexity and a long future ahead of it. Immense amounts of dark fruits and silky smooth texture. I grouped this wine with the '01 and '04, right behind the '02 and '03.
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1/3/2008 - Mark wrote: 94 Points
No tasting note recorded. Required a long decanting time, but wow, this wine started to shine.
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12/18/2007 - plitton wrote: 90 Points
Quilceda Creek Cab vertical of '89, '98, '99: Delicious and great backbone, but still quite young. Has a great life ahead. Hold off until 2010 for the next bottle.
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11/10/2007 - Redteeth wrote:
We had four Quilceda Creek Cabs in a blind tasting with a lamb dinner. The four were 2002, 1999, 1998 and 1996. In my opinion the 2002 will probably be the best wine of the group. it was very dark and concentrated. The fruit did not exhibit the residual sweetness that many Cabs from Washington State have. There were firm tannins to support the strong fruit. Also, in my view 2002 has the potential to age way longer and will benefit from aging. I thought it a shame to have consumed it so young but otheres there liked it as is. My favorite wine of the evening to drink was the 1998. It appeared and tasted as an older wine. I thought it had a very nice balance of dried fruit, a bit of earth and blended tannis. It was excellent and went very well with food. I think it will age longer but is quite nice now. The 1999 was also very good drinking. It was deeper in color than the 1998 and appeared and tasted younger. I would have guessed there was more than a year difference between these two wines. The 1999 really opened up over the course of the evening to a very well balanced wine. The 1996 was the group's least favorite. It looked and tasted like an older wine but was more astringent than the 1998. All bottles were decanted and poored back into the bottles a couple of hours before consumption.
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11/8/2007 - ScottG wrote: 93 Points
At el gaucho with charcoal grilled steaks. Decanted for far too short. A touch of menthol/eucalyptus character on the nose. Still quite toasty and tannic. Strong core of fruit.
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9/1/2007 - Melli wrote: 96 Points
Smooth as silk. This is a dean ringer for a top tier Bordeaux...with just 3% Merlot. What a treat with 1hr decanting.
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6/14/2007 - LoireFan wrote: 96 Points
Was just good the night I opened it (including decanting)...but 5 days later, wow!!! Right now, I think it's a mistake to open another for at least 5 years. This wine has the stuff and the balance and just needs time. It should reach 98 without a problem and maybe/probably higher.
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5/27/2007 - jaimetown wrote: 92 Points
Opened 3 hours before decanting and aerated 1 hour in decanter - aromas of black berries, plums, licorice, menthol, mint, and grilled meats. Dark fruits and licorice on the palate - slightly warm, but developing complexity. Open another bottle in 2 years.
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4/21/2007 - Jay Hack wrote: 93 Points
Oh. So that's what all the fuss is about. My first QC. Chocolate, tobacco, plenty of red fruit and life left in it. I do not think this has reached the peak of its drinking window yet. There is still a bit on tannin to resolve and sweeten. This will get better.
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4/1/2007 - bdenuyl wrote: 94 Points
This is an excellent cabernet, with great depth and excellent balance, but it is not a 98. Drinking well now with some decanting time.
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4/1/2007 - wineismylife wrote: 94 Points
DAWGS Offline with Randy Sloan of Match Vineyards (Nick & Sam's, Dallas, Texas): WIML94,WA98,WS94
Tasted April 1, 2007 at an offline. Opened and decanted about 1 hour, double decanted back for transport and then decanted again about 30 minutes before serving. Nose of camphor, black cherries, plums and anise. Chewy flavors of black licorice, sweet plums and golden raisins. Medium acidity and tannins. Full bodied. Can be drank now with a fairly long decant or preferably wait a little longer.
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2/17/2007 - budman wrote:
No score. This bottle was slightly corked.
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12/1/2006 - 3daywinereview.com wrote: 94 Points
Quilceda Creek Vertical (Michael's House, St. Louis Park): Toast, oak, vanilla, dark fruits and coffee beans. Very concentrated and powerful wine. Long finish and should drink well for 15 plus years.
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12/1/2006 - burcusabrews wrote: 94 Points
Quilceda Creek Vertical 1990-2003 (My house): This one started to show some Aussie Shiraz characteristics of flowers and blueberries. On the nose, I found menthol, and burnt oak, but not revealing much more and was a bit tight. I felt that this was a bit too tight and tannic and probably could use a couple years to really hit its stride.
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10/6/2006 - SimonG wrote:
Keith's Auction Blind Challenge Offline (Alba Restaurant, London): Ripe. Mid ruby. Round, sweet, almost voluptuous with a dry edge to the finish. Very drinkable. Quite a showy style.
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9/30/2006 - Spencer wrote: 95 Points
Still too young, but this shows great balance and verve for such a big wine. I'm not sure it's as good as the '98, but it may be superior (to my taste) to the '01 and '02. Give it at least five more years.
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9/24/2006 - KellyW wrote: 95 Points
Flamboyant nose, super ripe and rich on the palate.
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7/20/2006 - Nanda wrote: 97 Points
Thinkin' About a 10 Vintage Quilceda Creek Vertical ('89 to '03) (Think Cafe - Chicago, IL): Nose is initially closed but opens up to yield abundant blue fruits, spice and saddle leather. A stunning palate. Layers upon layers of viscous red fruits, tobacco and tasty green streak. Tannins are green and making themselves felt from the attack throug the long finish. This wine evolved really nicely over the course of the night. In many ways, Bordeaux-like.
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5/26/2006 - conadoc wrote: 92 Points
With rabbit moutarde. A bit austere with some young tannins. Quite elegant but needs time to reach full maturity. Very fine fruit.
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3/11/2006 - MarkC wrote: 89 Points
Surprising. Not in a great way. The nose gave up nothing upon opening. Compared to the '86 we opened by its side, it was blank. After a few minutes I was afraid it was a bit corked. Eucalyptus eventually showed, through, along with some whiffs of licorice and some very subdued fruit. The palate was thin. Darker berries, and the licorice, but relatively short finish.
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3/10/2006 - transpodude wrote: 91 Points
Opened the bottle a good two hours before consuming and had with smoked beef ribs -- big structure held up well to the food.
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1/20/2006 - Blair Curtis wrote: 94 Points
Qulceda Creek Vertical w/ Alex Golitzin (Vancouver Museum): (Golitzen advised this was a cold year.) This has some green pepper on the nose. ON the palate, this is a big, bold wine. There is some cough syrup heat (but not so much as to mar the wine to a great degree). I am surprised by the depth of this wine. Nice acids too. The flavours tend towards cassis, green pepper following from the nose, and blueberry. Great fruit. The mouthfeel is quite broad. The wine is teeth-coating.
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1/14/2006 - winefool wrote: 92 Points
CFTG Quilceda Creek Vertical (Glen's): Deep opaque black purple color. Lovely spicey floral black fruit aroma . Big rich spicy tight tannic on the palate. Still young.
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1/14/2006 - GlenD wrote: 90 Points
Quilceda Creek 1996-2002 vertical (Chicago suburbs): Older nose of carmel. Someone mentioned a smell of band aids (?). Dark red fruit and cassis. Dry tannins. This bottle tasted very mature.
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12/25/2005 - Sweet Nancy wrote:
The bottle opened with a muted fruit nose from the bottle that has been stored at a mid-fifty degree temp. The wine showed a dark red color from the bottle with a touch of sediment. It was dark but clear.
Three to four hours later the fruit and tannins tried to come together, but this was a very youthful wine that could benefit from another 5 to 10 years if I'm guessing right. Wonderful nose and forward fruit as time went by. Once the food was consumed, the tannins came back on the finish. Resist for a few more years if you can.
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11/6/2005 - JPF16 wrote: 97 Points
WOW! Decanted for about 2 1/2 hours, nose was awesome, the cherry's ands spices were flying out of the decanter. The wine was less dense than expected, nice clean clear ruby edge with a nice core and no hint of age at all. Looked alot like a Bordeaux. The palate was alive, very well balanced still carrying alot of fruit. Will definately improve with anothr 5 years but it's on the very leading edge of the drinking window. The finish lasted a good 45-60 seconds. The only drawback was a slight hint of alcohol on the finish, hopefully that will integrate over the next few years. Beautiful wine, why can't Washington produce more wine like this?
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11/2/2005 - LoireFan wrote: 96 Points
Still a baby. Will get better.
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10/29/2005 - FeloniousMonk wrote: 96 Points
Consumed in my favorite restaurant to celebrate 42nd birthday.
Drank half there, corked the bottle, took it home, and drank the
other half about 3 hours later.
There were pronounced differences in the wine's showing. Initially
it was pretty closed, but still showed good blueberry and dried cherry
(something I usually associate with barolos). The second half of the
bottle reminded me of a big Aussie Shiraz on the fruit side, but also
had some chocolate and tar-like underpinnings.
Great stuff, but I will save my other two bottles for a couple of years.
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9/4/2005 - Deadbird wrote: 96 Points
Shazaaam! What a great bottle. From magnum. This wine has significantly opened up in the last 2 years. Everyone loved it.
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6/13/2005 - Koods wrote:
Opluent nose of blueberry jam, toasty oak. On the palate, gorgeous blueberries again, bitter chocolate, then fresh tobacco, minerality and a monster finish that was balanced and long. This was the bomb. not sure how to describe it - but could school many wines we call cali cults. the 99 is in another time zone for QC, its that good. One to buy really, its so special. Also - this has the tannic spine and sheer density of fruit to age fantastic. Excellent.
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6/1/2005 - Eric wrote: 90 Points
Washington wine offline with Chris Cook (Bellevue, WA): Char and tar, oaky, showing soy sauce. The palate is sweet, crazily extracted, showing loads of oak, almost Shiraz-like. This shows a bit of heat, but the impressive aspect of the wine is an utter robe of extraction, silky and rich. This is really a difficult wine at this age, young, awkward, and loaded with wood. This needs time and more time. No first place votes.
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3/22/2005 - Sweet Nancy wrote:
Shared this bottle with fellow bulletin board members at an offline. It was consumed with 20 other wines, so the note will be sketchy. We decanted the bottle for three hours prior to consumption. The wine is still very young and tannic, but there is a boatload of fruit to carry it forward.
Definitely a New World Cab. Dark red fruit in the glass and on the nose. Some spice and berries on the palate. I look forward to consuming my remaining bottles a few years down the road.
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3/19/2005 - Eric wrote:
A 98 point dinner at Steve Cramer's (West Seattle, WA, USA): I opened a bottle of this from my cellar just over a week earlier, so it was a pleasure to see another one. The one showed darker, more brooding and more closed than my bottle, yet it was impressive. The nose had hints of seaweed, coffee, a smidge of tar and then that growing note of Quilceda raspberry. Wow, the palate is intense with lots of bittersweet coffee elements to keep this interesting, brooding intensity, a young monster of a wine, gorgeous with a long time ahead before it really unfolds.
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3/10/2005 - Eric wrote: 96 Points
Oh my, this was an insane baby killing!
Upon popping the cork this immediately greeted me with a reticent yet pure nose of raspberry and charcoal. The palate was gripping yet also surprisingly lush, nice balance! Over the course of two hours the nose became increasingly expressive and showed raspberry, blueberry, cocoa, and growing notes of soy. The palate throughout was gorgeous, focused and pure yet very tight, and with more air the tannins became increasingly prominent and a bit chalky. What I loved most about this wine was the savory edge, lightly bitter and never terribly sweet. After about two hours the fruit started to recede, and some very impressive minerality came to the forefront. I was very, very impressed by the overall package, probably the most balanced Quilceda I have tasted other than the 2001. At the same time, unless you really relish very tannic, primary young wines, this is easily 3 years from interesting drinking. Don't get me wrong, this is already a joy ride. However, it really needs to soften and open.
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1/1/2005 - dsimmons wrote: 96 Points
First wine of the evening and this baby really liverd up to expectations! Decanted for about 1 hour before drinking. Dark inky purple color. Wounderfully rich nose of fruit and spice. Great balance and integration. Very concentrated fruit and mineral flavors. Very smooth and satisfying wine. Really wish that I havd more than 1 remaining but it is really hard not to enjoy this wine right now!!!
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12/10/2004 - phenricsson wrote: 96 Points
Enormous wine with great structure but needs several more years to open up
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7/8/2004 - Koods wrote: 95 Points
Blind. Blue purple right to the rim. Thrilling nose of led pencil, mint, strawberries and vanilla. The palate was staggeringly large - huge waves of complex black fruits, tar, incredible minerality, and sweet chocolate. this wine remained remarkably light on its feet and was kept in check by vibrant acidity and tooth coating tannins. Something to let sleep for another 5 years, and enjoy. Absolutely amazing wine. My guess was a Pride Reserve Claret...
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6/8/2004 - Jason wrote: 93 Points
Big and young are the two best words to describe this wine. The palate showed blackberries, licorice, and coconut. The palate showed much more lively and aggressive tannins that the 98, 00, 01, or 02. I find the 99 to have a more rustic edge like the 94. This wine needs decades to be at peak. Drink your 95, 98, and 00s while you wait for it to mature. 93+
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5/26/2004 - Koods wrote: 95 Points
Black purple core with a beautiful ruby rim. Huge fragrant nose of casis galore, cedar and olive. On the palate, waves of blackberries, black chocolate, mineral and earth. Great structure, very masculine cab with ripe supple tannins.
This is an incredible wine that needs time to reach full potential but after 2 hours of decanting this was irresistible. Keep these cellared until 2006 for sure, and I would even suggest drinking the 2000's in the interim.
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12/21/2003 - Tracy wrote: 94 Points
(Quilceda Tasting): Nose was a sweet jam fest. Wow! Every element of sweet-cinnamon toast, sugar cookie, etc. This wine was perfectly balanced with a great mouthfeel.
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12/21/2003 - Jason wrote: 97 Points
Quilceda tasting. Wow. Deep, dark, brooding, smoky nose. Thick, overwhelming palate that is truly endless. Perfect balance. The only thing keeping this wine from an even better score is the touch of heat on the palate. Based on my experience on how QC ages, this heat could integrate and position this wine for true greatness. Not at all ready to drink now. Needs lots of time.
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12/15/2003 - JasonD wrote: 89 Points
I was turned off by the initial whiff of Barnyard, initially I could not get past it and that affected my score. After a few minutes my notes read cold, chocolate, and very tannic bit at the end.
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12/14/2003 - Jason wrote: 93 Points
I have to give this wine 2 scores. I scored it 87 at the tasting, but I saved a glass to enjoy over the evening. After an additional 2 hours in the glass, it opened quite a bit to reveal some strong fruit on top of the structure. At the tasting, I was distracted by a strong peanut element on the nose. I found little fruit on the nose or palate. This wine is extremely closed. It has a lush mouthfeel and extreme tannins. My mouth suffered through each sip. Does it have enough fruit to outlast the tannins? Based on how well it opened, I think so.
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12/7/2003 - Eric wrote: 80 Points
Tasted at Patrick's single blind 1999 Washington tasting. I found this to be flawed with a distinct note of latex on the nose. A very soft entry, silky tannins with ample structure. Initially this was tight and closed, but with time in the glass this gained in intensity. A bit of heat on the finish. Single blind tastings can be humiliating. The latex note on this wine was very discouraging.
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8/19/2003 - Blair Curtis wrote: 94 Points
'99 Quilceda Creek Cab - Simply outclassed in this company ('97 Sperss, '98 Leroy VR B-M). Excellent in its own right, but just not quite there. Also decanted 5 hours and showing well. I think it will be a touch better than the '98 in time. But tonight, 94 pts.
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