Notes from day 2. This bottle is showing some brett, which put me in the mindset of a high-end super Tuscan. Plum, black cherry, cassis, graphite, red licorice, barnyard, new leather, earth, ink, and herbs on the nose. Tart cherry, red currant, red cherry, plum, earth, some bitter fruit skin, graphite, and minerals on the palate. Tart, mouthwatering acidity, lightly chewy tannins, med-long finish. Wow, I loved this bottle. Such an interesting blend of old and new world. Nice complexity, maybe not completely harmonious, but manages to be food friendly, interesting, and delicious. This bottle came across a lot younger than expecting too.
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Still a dark garnet-purple, glass-staining wine. Amply expresses sweet currant, cherry, pomegranate, raw steak, and iron nose that defiantly betrays the wine’s age. It is so reminiscent of a nicely aged fine burgundy and an utter surprise! A bit alcoholic on the medium long finish, but i so much prefer aged QC cabs from this earlier era than the 2000’s. The ‘98 is great
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Opened for a family dinner. Very well made, powerful wine. Portlike with sweet red currant and blackberry fruit. Somewhat monolithic. Family liked it quite a bit, but interestingly did not finish the bottle.
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2 years later, opened another bottle. Similar thoughts as last time, though drinking better (or bottle variation ). Lots of cherry cola notes, some graphite, but less pronounced then last bottle. Cherry cola finish lingers for a good while. Quite nice. Would drink up, but no huge hurry. Should easily last another 5 years.
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Youthfull opaque Bordeaux’ish color. Complex aroma of blackberry, juniper berry, bay leaf and tobacco leaf. Medium body. Some tannins left, but mostly resolved. Excellent!
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Ripe red cheap and plum, with dirty barnyard and Brett. 14.4% but hides it well, oak disappears, but if any criticism it’s a little watery on the finish, all show on the front palate. Though the acid is still sufficient to keep it interesting
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Great aromatics of crushed black raspberry, violets, liquid stones, earth and tobacco leaf. Very left bank Bordeaux in its profile, perhaps most Margaux-like. The palate emphasizes the minerals and earth with the fruit being pushed to the background, despite some tannins that are still present. The nose is heavenly but the palate is a bit hollow and past it’s prime. I prefer my wines a bit younger but fans of aged Bordeaux would probably love this. Bought directly from the winery and stored in perfect conditions since then.
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Wonderful bottle bouquet on first pour. The color is fading, my first indication of possibly past peak. On the palate, a little tired. Tannins have faded. The wine is elegant and enjoyable, but the muscle is gone.
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Plump, open, plummy, opulent, new world but vaguely farmy. Sweet red berry fruit. Thinned out and browning a little on the palate. Still fairly pleasant. Either completely deteriorating or more likely I had no idea what I was talking about in 2015 note.
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Disappointing bottle. Dull red color. Mild plummy nose. The palate is muted with black cherries, leather, tobacco. Just a bit harsh. Sharp tannins, harsh acidity, bit out of balance. Finishes short with faded red fruits. This was open for 2 hours before I wrote this note; the cork was in great shape. I hope this bottle is an aberration, I have 3 more. If not, I'd drink up.
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Drinking perfectly. Decanted for about 2 hours and had with a grilled ribeye. Graphite and black cherries on the nose. If tasted blind, would have pegged it as left bank Bordeaux. Probably at or close to peak. If I had a criticism, it’s a bit thin on the finish but overall excellent. Wonderful wine.
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Dark garnet color. Aromas of black cherries, red currants, graphite and tobacco. Ripe, well-structured, medium-bodied fruit in the mouth with excellent depth and length and still noticeable ripe tannins. Nicely supple and lingering on the palate. This delicious wine evolved into a complex, very balanced California Cabernet that was a stellar match with a grilled rib eye steak. At peak, with maybe a prime drinking window of another 2-4 years.
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Drank my last bottle. This cork was better than the last one but showing signs of age. The wine was quite nice but very tight, even after decanting twice. About half the bottle remained after the first evening and consumed the next evening. It was much more enjoyable on the second day with rich, mature fruit and mellowed tannins emerging.
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Crimson in color. 14.4% ABV. Stunning nose of red fruits, leather, cedar and mint. Soft, supple and plush. Exceptional mouthfeel with warm, caressing fruit. Currants, cassis liqueur, spiced plums, mint and smoke on the palate. The finish is long and seamless with ever so silky tannins. Gorgeous Cabernet that presents in an old school way when compared to the more versions circa 2002 and beyond. Just a pleasure to drink on the eve of New Years Eve. Best over the next 1-2 years.
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Ready to drink now. Tannins have largely faded and the wine comes across as soft and smooth. A bit of barnyard funk / manure, which came through clearly across all three bottles that I opened. Decanting for an hour helped smooth everything out even more. A fair amount of sediment in the bottle.
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Huge fragrant nose, could smell it a table away. Deep garnet color, wonderful palate fell, berries, with blueberry hint. Lovey finish and lasting. Awesome.
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A good wine friend's 50th birthday. (@ PCr): Beautiful and expressive bouquet with earth and sweet spices. On the palate complex and still powerful, some autumn impressions and beautifully juicy acidity. Still a great pleasure.
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The 1998 is a little more cloudy than the 2000. Both pulled out of the cellar at the same time. The 98 has a strong nose of tar, rubber, and dark fruits. A bit of bitterness on the mid palate—but some nice flavors lurking underneath. The 2000 seems a bit brighter and slightly tighter—though still with the bitterness, but the latter is balanced with some equally present dark fruits.
These are very different wines. The 2000 feels very smart and well put together. The 1998 is a bit disjointed, murky.
After a bit of time, the 98 starts to soften a bit. The bitterness recedes a bit, and a bit more savory flavors start to emerge. Though softened, the bitterness is still distracting and unpleasant.
The 2000, on the other hand, is starting to sweeten. Some nice red fruits are emerging, along with some sous bois, and slight hint of violets.
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Similar to my last note. This time decanted for sediment and an hour of air. Which was beneficial. Another wonderful bottle. 94+
Had a little extra time to add some details. Day two, color garnet with very nice clarity. The nose seems improved today, with cassis, Marion berry, florals, and a sweetened oak. The smokiness faded away. It tastes much like it smells. It has medium acidity, and still has a drying tannic presence, but less than day one.
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Drank for 2018 New Years Eve. Very nice and typical QC quality. Is starting to lose some fruit but has a nice mouthfeel and good finish. It's time to start drinking up what you have left in the cellar. The wine looks ruby colored. The legs are slow. There is moderate sediment in the bottle. It smells like blackberry and black currant (cassis). It tastes like blackberry and black currant (cassis). The body is medium/full. The wine has smooth texture. The wine finishes long. The wine has medium acidity.
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Glass: Riedel Sommelier Bordeaux Popped and poured, drunk over 2 days. Clear, medium garnet color with tawny reflexes, unfiltered with fine sediment. Clean, medium+ intense and fully developed nose. Dark fruit (plum, berries), tobacco, spices, leather, green pepper, oak and some brett that vanished completely on day two. Complex, multi-layered, fine and elegant nose that is certainly more cool-climate old world than new world. Beautiful! Dry, medium+ ripe acidity, medium+ very fine grained tannin. High alcohol (14,4% abv) that is mostly well integrated. On the palate pronounced flavors of primary dark fruit (plum, berries), perfectly blended with tertiary aromas of spices, herbs and leather. Silky, velvet mouthfeel, great tension and depth. That is a very serious but also very joyful wine with a long, lingering finish. With 1-2% less alcohol it would have been perfect. I guess it is at its peak, but will certainly stay there for at least 5+ years. 93-94. PQR is ok.
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Dark color showing little sign of age. Quite pretty nose. A bit restrained, but lovely dark berry fruit, graphite, and a nice mineral note. Palate has a robust Med+ body with lovely balance and long finish. Nice acid and tannin. Tastes like a Bordeaux of the same age but with a bit more fruit. Really quite nice. One of the nicer Quilceda I have tasted. Even better than the 1994.
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PNP Takes a while to open up. Needs a couple hours at least. Currently peaking. A little bitterness in the beginning, but then opens up and leather, black truffle, pepper, dried fig on the nose. Leather, Roast beef juices flavors. Nice wine in a good place.
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Nice wine Smells of leather, soy sauce, dried fig, hints of truffle all on nose. Currant, roast beef, a bit of sour apple, cherry flavor feels a bit tired, and light.
Actually the next day it opened up quite well. The wine became fuller bodied and less acidic. Fig, black currant and leather. Still had life. I recommend a slow Ox on this wine or a long decant.
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Brought to Travis house with Scott. Drinking quite nicely. At first a bit bitter on the finish, but that blew off. Still bold and dark. Did not take notes, so hesitant to describe it more than we all really enjoyed it. I will not score, but this was drinking well and should be alive and kicking for years to come.
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My first time trying QC. Enjoyed at a restaurant PnP. This was really good from the start and got better with more air. I didn't take notes but a few things stood out. On the nose this had a smokiness and with more air it picked up a maple sugar note. It had a very nice texture with a slight tannic grip and a very long finish. It continued to get better with air for the couple of hours that it lasted. Next time I will give it more air and decant, because fine sediment inclusion made the last glass or two more tannic and bitter.
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Still holding up really well. On day two still going strong, with nose of plums and cassis, a bit of heat in the nose, very smooth on the palate with only a slight bitterness in the finish.
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The cork in this bottle was secure but on its last legs; fell apart. The bottle was decanted. The wine had a great aroma and the palate opened up quickly in the glass. The short story is that the wine was great and really opened up over the evening. I 'm sure this vintage will last longer if the corks hold up. But, why wait? It is almost 20 years old and very enjoyable now.
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Don't touch for at least 2 hours after opening. Made that mistake and almost poured the bottle down the drain. Wow, this is drinking fabulously. Got better and better from hour 2 to 4 (bottle empty at hour 4). Lighter color than I was expecting with a subdued nose. But explosive, smooth, licorice and dark deep soulful fruit. Long lingering finish. Fantastic.
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Bottle was past its prime. There were some nice earthy aromas, but they were unsupported once it hit the palate, and I was left with a hot, unbalanced wine with little pleasure left in the glass. Purchased on Winebid, so provenance could have played a part.
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I see why Quilceda is popular. I bought this bottle figuring it would be a good reference point based on the reviews. The wine is excellent. It's a bit too high priced for me but I can't knock it. You will not be disappointed. I do recommend drinking now. It probably has a few years left but it's on the downward slope at this point. I seriously doubt it's getting any better.
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Showing age but still going strong with deep fruit, menthol, tannin, and structure. Opened for 3-4 hours and continued to improve. Definately a green note accompanied by smokey leather throughout. Given me a new perspective on Washington wine.
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What a wonderful treat to find these bottles in such perfect condition. Just in a wonderful spot; still full of fruit but mellowed into a lovely complex blend with soft tannin and a long tasty finish. Bravo.
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If you had served me this wine blind, I would have been very confident it was a left bank Bordeaux. At age 18 it has developed beautifully, is now fully mature but showing no signs of breaking down. The fruit is gorgeous; black currants and black cherries come through with power but restraint. This is no New World fruit bomb. Lots of secondary nuance has developed and gives up notes of cedar, damp earth, menthol, and slight floral notes on the nose. The palate is full with still plenty of ripe tannins to counter balance the fruit. The mouthfeel is silky smooth, and while all of its dimensions are big, they are also proportionate and so the wine shows great poise and balance. Could have been a Palmer or a Margaux, but at a fraction of the price. Outstanding! www.advinetures.ca
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This started somewhat closed and slightly bitter -- and started with a score of 90 but increased to 93 on day 2.
This has a lovely cabernet nose -- subtle currants, other dark fruits, wet earth. The palate follows, though it is slightly bitter for the first hour or two. After a few hours the bitterness dissipates and some nice fruit starts to emerge. This is definitely more European style -- not the more fruit forward wine that apparently they started making a few years later. I think this may get better with more age.
Wow, on day 2 there has improved markedly. A lovely subtle nose of dark currants, cedar, with hints of tobacco and capsicum. The bitterness is mostly gone, replaced with some lovely savory flavors that evolve near the end into some nice solid dark red fruits and a medium long and lovely finish. I am increasing the score from 90 to 93. I think this could go higher with some more time.
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Beautiful wine from Washington state. Approachable and well within it's window this is a nice but powerful wine. Lots of dark fruit, a little spice but lots of ink. Still a bit of syrup but with some more time in the bottle (1-2 years) that should mellow out. Wish I had more!
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Had with mom at Jak's for our traditional dinner when she visits. Very nice, fully evolved but just seemed a it muted. A more elegant style to be sure and very Bordeaux-esque.
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Game dinner with friends and 11 special wines.: Beautiful and luxurious bouquet with dark fruits and some rustic flavors. On the palate a beautiful and expressive wine with ripe fruits, beautiful acidity and round tannin. Luxurious and lush with a great length. The wine is completely ready now, but no hurry at all.
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Ripe black currant, black cherry, some menthol, and wet leathers on the nose. Palate follows through with a tremendous dose of powerful fruit, but maturing nicely and actually totally approachable. Developing secondary notes of liquorice, damp soil, and drying leathery fruit. This is a fantastic example of the state new world wines can achieve if left alone for 15+ years. Still a little rich and syrupy, but very enjoyable.
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Drinking very well. Everything integrated and balanced. A bit velvety in the mouth. Cherry and casks fruit was deep but dry. Missing complexity and a bit short on the finish. A bit pleasantly herbal on the nose.
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very cabernet on the nose and palate..hint of green (enough to add interest, in no way off-putting) very well balanced, lingering finish. Not a lot of tertiary development....it drank more CA than Bordeaux 93
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Surprising light color & nose but big flavor with dark dark fruit. Solid tannins still. Long finish. Subtle nose emerges over time. Bright mouthfeel. Still appears to potentially benefit from more aging. Tasted at Esquin Quilceda tasting.
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This was mostly a pop n pour except that I decanted first. Clearly an exceptional wine from the first taste. Very smooth and an excellent finish. All sorts of spices that a wine taster would detail.
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Very dark purple, opaque dense. Ripe sweet black fruit. Full bodied, sweet black fruit, slightly sweet tannins, long black fruit finish. Mature, balanced great fruit.
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Wonderful wine. Power. Balance. Complexity. Intense violet nose. Spicy palate. Doesn't seem to have aged much in last 10 years. A little less fruit forward, perhaps, but loads of time left.
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Wow, this is one of the best Quilceda that I have had in a long time. It has the textbook, glorious, soaring nose of violets and touches of cedar. The palate is so pure and clean, Cabernet to its root, slightly savory, cassis and some high-toned aspects, silky and fresh. Yum!
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saved one pour from the 98 on New Years. Air was removed. Sniffed it and finally drank it over 2 hours of the Seahawks game. WOW! Did it open up. There was black cherry and plum, tannins and unfortunately a lot of acidiity but still great. Over the two hours, the fruit became mostly replaced with earthy flavors and less tannins. I do think this was coming out of the "dumb" phase. My cellar sometimes dips to 50 - 52 degrees in winter and the aging process may be a little slower than the other fortunate tasters. Hats off to this vintage, my last bottle but may look for more.
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This was my first Quilceda and I bowled over. Bramble, pencil, black fruit. Fine tannin, middling acidity. Drinking really well now and will probably go for a while more. A little lighter than a CA Cab, but with more complexity. A little less structure and more pure fruit than the general Bordeaux. Therefore a Cab that clearly makes a case for a WA Cab typicity. Now if only it was a little cheaper...
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Learned from my 2 other '98s to give plenty of air. 6 hours, half in a decanter. Very closed at first but eventually opened and had had still good fruit. Color slightly amber around the edges. Not a lot of tannins left, initially acidic but that resolved. Not as complex or multidimensional as I was hoping but still delicious. I think the 98 is coming out of it's "closed" period and should be good to drink as long as it gets air time.
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Very nice overall experience. Wine evolved significantly over 3-4 hours. Nose began very currant focused followed by leather and faint berry. Initial taste was long and thin even in mid palate, pleasant but not yet unfolded and much lighter than anticipated. 2+ hours in the nose really opened up. Nose was palate was dominant cherry with richer mid palate. Matched fabulously with prime strip on cognac sauce.
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Deep cherry-garnet color. Interesting spicy carrot cake nose, with cherry and Quilceda violets and pine eventually emerging with air, along with a less pleasant mineral, medicinal edge. Short and linear, but showing great structure for drinking now, and excellent balance despite a touch of heat mid-palate. Bottle variation is increasing as these age, but this relatively weak bottle still gave much pleasure.
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Decanted and drank over 2 hours. Sweet spicy black fruit. Nice long finish. Mild tannins with a medium mouthfeel. Overall a very nice wine with a lot of years left.
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magnum of '98. Opened for 1 hour, decanted at restaraunt. Very tight with no fruit. Started to evolve but very slowly. This wine needs lots of air time (minimum of 3 hours in decant if not more). I think this would have been a fabulous wine if opened/decanted sooner yesterday, but was consumed before it reached it's potential.
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Magnum bottle was decanted 3 hrs before tasting. It had the nose of a great older Napa style cab, a little musty and dusty. Bottle was absolutely drinking great now and think it had several more years left. Had just the right amount of tannins and acidity
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Took a long-time to open up. First few tastes were very dissappointing, led me to be concerned it was a flawed bottle. Double decanted over a full day before it really showed its potential.
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What a great, interesting wine - had it right after a 97 Tignello, and it was so much better. Great fruit, intensity and smoothness at the same time. Seemed a bit smoky to me, others did not agree, but definitely elegant and special.
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--- COLOR: Deep garnet with a brick-garnet rim NOTE: Color betrays its age. Got this bottle from WineBid, so I can't attest to the provenance. My experience is much less delightful than the last dozen notes, so perhaps this is an abused bottle. Cork was fine and labeling/capsule was in great shape, but initial and subsequent nose was that familiar "Bordeaux-served-in-a-dirty-ashtray" complemented by pepperoni. Yuck. Some hints of red fruits barely peek through. The mouth actually starts with some nice, medium-opulence raspberry liqueur but then quickly fades back to the ashtray, and the opulence disappears in the finish and all my left with is ashtray. This is the oldest QC Cab I've had, so perhaps the style was different back then? I'm hesitant to call this flawed because so many tasters here like this kind of crap in their wines. Not me. Very disappointing since I paid relatively big bones for this one.
DECANT: 1-4 hours (no change) GLASS USED: Bordeaux TASTE: 8.2 OTHER: COST: 118 VALUE: 0.1 (awful) PREVIOUSLY TASTED: n/a TRY AGAIN: never, hopefully PAIRING: n/a Inquiries can be addressed to troypeterson@usa.net ---
Clear dark purple in colour. Clean nose of black fruit, cedar, and spice. Dry, med acidity, smooth tannin, med body, black berry, current, cedar, some bell pepper, and vanilla on palate. Nice finish. Needed an hour in decanter to open up. But once open, a great wine. Wish I had more. Drinking very well right now.
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disappointed. maybe did not give enough airtime, but fruit never came through. not smooth, this bottle was past it's time. great reviews, have 2 bottles left, will give plenty of air next time.
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Dreamtasting #4 (Restaurant de Watermolen, Kasterlee): (*) Soft and seductive, a real crowd-pleaser. Supple and generous, open and lascivious. Deepens while it sits in the glass. Cedar, cinnamon, cassis, cuban cigars, saddle leather, mixed spice, chocolate chip cookies, refreshing acidity, it's all there... I could drink this all night, since it's so easy to drink, yet enormously complex and intellectual. Utterly impressive. 18.5-19/20
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Over the top with jam, licorice, jammy blackberry, liqueur and incense, the offered too much of everything. It was hot and out of balance. Taste is subjective. I am sure many people love this style of wine. I just did not find it attractive.
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Did not decant and probably a mistake, took about two hours toreally open up, areal pitty as wealmost finnished the bottle by then. some sign of bricking, probably peaked.
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Just a few notes; lush, silky soft tannin, juicy black fruits. Complex, full bodied and yet elegant delicious and complete wine. Ready now and no hurry at all.
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wow, loved it. brought to el gaucho in seattle to have with dinner, celebrating early VDay. Great color, incredible boquet, long lingering well integrated taste. Amazing wine, glad I have more!
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Lovely garnet color with the slightest hint of the beginning of bricking. Nose of strawberry cheesecake with a hint of raspberry and the slightest sprinkle of black pepper. Light red berries - pleasantly sweet strawberry initially that is immediately eclipsed by wonderful raspberry. Cocoa powder with a wonderful raspberry core at the mid-palate. Lingering finish that lasts forever of nuanced raspberry, chocolate, and wonderfulness. Decanted for almost 3 hours, and it needed every minute to breathe. It is drinking ideally now and will probably last a few more years before it starts to head downhill.
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Decanted off of moderate amount of sediment. Medium red color. Medium transparency. Aromas of berry, chocolate, vanilla, sweet cedar, and currant. Palate is red fruited with plum and currant dominant followed by blueberry and blackberry that lead into a finish dominated by chocolate and vanilla notes. With a day of air, the leftovers show more chocolate and vanilla notes. Overall, this goes down very easily but fails to register on the wow meter. Solid and great with grilled steak and lamb. Drink or hold.
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After an hour in the decanter, starting to open and can find mutltiple aromas, not powerful yet, just starting. We worked on the Ponsot and gave it more time, another 30 mins and nose turned to wonderful mixture of floral and black fruit, well balanced, strong but not overpowering, wonderful balance. Palate is full, complex, pleasing. Long finnish. Loved it!
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Some random exclusive wines (@ TBa): Enormously tempting in all ways; tempting sweetness, but also elegant acidity. Beautiful black and also some red fruits. Deep and complex with beautiful components like smoke, luxurious oak etc. Beautiful and silky soft tannin. Long, elegant and complex finish.
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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. Barnyard on the nose. Starts with some sweet red fruit but finishes dry. Not very complex. Enjoyable but not great. The finish is consistent with the taste with some sour rubber at the very end. Drink now.
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Tasted non blind at an offline. Double decanted and left cork out for four hours before serving.
Garnet to dark garnet color in the glass, clear looking throughout. Good, solid nose of tobacco, smoke, garam marsala, currants and plums. Good, solid flavors of berries and plums with a bit of cherries and minerals. Medium to bright acidity, firm tannins, full bodied. Drink now with some air or continue to hold.
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I was impressed by this wine. Still has some energy for its age, and shows good fruit as well as some earth and game. Solid wine with a solid finish. Probably not worth the premium, but a very good New World Cab with some interesting elements to it. A-
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Decanted for 3 hours. Nose of high alcohol for first 2, almost overwhelming. Taste was sharp about 1.5 hours into decant, and I was getting very worried. 2 hrs and 15 min into decant, notes of menthol and sweet fruit were starting to emerge. Improving, but still a long way to go. In my opinion, it never got there. Black fruit, some mint, and a little cedar were present from the 3 hour through 5 hour mark, but the fruit was definitely subdued compared to more modern QCs. Good, but not great. Everyone enjoyed it, but it never quite hit that next level. In fact, opinions were split between this and a '98 Stag's Leap Fay Cab we were also blind tasting alongside.
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very dark color, filled with Berries on the nose. It decanted for about an hour and opened up nicely. I'm sure it could have used more time - but I was thirsty!
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No tasting notes recorded at the time. This wine needs time, more than I gave it. It finally resolved at about two hours and progressed from there for another three. Fantastic bottle, looking forward to trying more.
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Opened and decanted for 60 minutes; not long enough (another 60). Dark ruby, dark to the edge w beautiful nose of dark berry, spice and oak. The same and more on the palate - blackberry, blueberry, plum, spice, oak and smoke. Very smooth w long wonderful finish. Still has structure to age but does not seem to suggest the aging power of other QC vintages.
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A pleasure from start to finish, full of violets, sweet red and dark berries, and oak. Such ripeness and depth, yet so graceful and balanced. Perhaps just a bit soft, but the tannins are elegant and the alcohol lends a restrained warmth. This bottle was fresh and still quite primary, and a great example of this wine, which has always seemed to me a transitional blend of the classic and the modern Quilceda Creek styles. Likely to mature slowly, this may never develop the subtleties of previous vintages, and it may eventually fall victim to its alcohol, but it is sure to show beautifully at any point in its drinking life.
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light red to red. still more primary than secondary. nose is mostly black fruit with some oak notes. in the mouth quite a bit of smokey integrated oak with some fruit and mint notes. mid-palate is somewhat weak but the finish is better. overall probably close to a peak but definitely not past.
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CellarTracker Texas Offline; 5/21/2010-5/22/2010 (San Antonio): Nose of blackberry, tobacco, cedar, red currant, blueberry, mint, green pepper. On the palate, black cherry, tobacco, cedar, blueberry, blackberry, mint. Finishes long and strong, can go for a few more years, I think it has some more upside. My #2 of the QCs. Classic
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Garnet to dark garnet color in the glass. slightly cloudy looking Nose is still a little tight giving way to aromas of herbs, currants and raspberries. Solid flavors of berries and currants with a bit each of raspberries and plums. Medium acidity, tannins and body. Drink or hold.
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Really disappointing; there's a core of bold blueberry and blackcurrant fruit but it's smothered with a ton of oak that dominates the fruit and any other nuances here.
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A bit of menthol on the nose. Very cool & clean black fruit flavors with a sense of elevated alcohol creeping in on the finish. A bit restrained at this point, but very good pedigree. Tasted blind.
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Drank a magnum without decanting. This wine was very good from the start but really opened up over the course of the evening. There was some remaining which was excellent the next day. Lesson - decant this stuff. This wine showed positive signs of age but seems to have several years (at least) left.
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Black fruit, sweet oak, a little short on the finish; fairly ordinary as someone else wrote.
For the record, Julie loved this wine. She said it was very drinkable, and she didn't have to think about it too much. She asked if it was in the $30-$40 range!
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Beautiful wine. Decanted for 90 minutes before drinking. Black fruit, cedar, hint of mint, hint of herb. Still has a nice back bone. Great accompaniment to prime rib.
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Good fill and solid cork. Opened about 1 hour prior to dinner. A touch of ruby at the edge, with notes of ripe dark fruits, licorice and cigar box. Medium-bodied, with a bit more structure than previous bottles, but with a velvety texture, wonderful concentration, with laser-like focus on the finish.
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What a sexy wine this is! I did not make many notes; just enjoying the wine. Very complete and smooth with a perfect amount of sweetness and acidity and soft tannin. Long finish. A beauty now, but certainly for the next 5+ years.
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Really drinkable with an hour or so of air. Nice lead pencil shavings, toasty oak, great dark fruits and plenty of structure. Really enjoyable now and will continue to drink well for many more years.
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- Tannins still strong ,nice fruit with peppery and mint flavors, rich dark color. Long finish good have used more time to decant.Could have used at least one hour opened before drinking
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Wild red fruit nose with jazzy balck earthy component and hint of mint. Sweet dark black fruit flavors with bell pepper notes. Quality fruit, nice balance, and texture. Hints of complexity that may flush out with more time. Served blind and I guessed QC. Yeah Baby!
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Full-bodied, rich, delicious black cherry fruit with chocolate and clove flavors, multilayed, excellent structure and depth, beautiful finish, very ready to drink, much more open than when last tasted
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This disappointed just a bit, perhaps suffering in comparison to the 1997 alongside it. Lacking that great Quilceda perfume, showing restrained buttery wood on the palate, and delicious fruit that was largely masked by alcohol. This needs time to integrate its tannins, but the alcohol is elevated and obtrusive, definitely tending toward the newer Quilceda style that I do not love.
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Drank in honor of CellarTracker's 5-year anniversary. The fill was into the neck and the cork was sound. Purple core with some bricking at the rim. Lovely bouquet of cassis, lilly, white truffle and cedar. Medium bodied, with an opulent texture - the tannins were ripe and velvety - fine concentration of fruit, good dileneation, and a long and focused finish. What a treat!
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Oh mama! Decanted about 1/2 hour. Continued to evolve and improve over next two hours. Somewhat shy nose at first. Very rich, very deep, w/ terrific finsh. Chocolate and raspberries. Probably at its peak, with several years left (too bad it was my last bottle).
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Make no mistake, this is a dark, big wine. Huge black fruit. But it retains incredible freshness (is very, very young) and incredible balance for such a beast. Mouthcoating in flavor and texture, long finish with some pepper and dark cherry, sweet tannins. Will look forward to another in 10 years.
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Best showing ever: Blackberry jam, juniper berries, and spices can be found in the rich aromatics. this full-bodied beauty is crammed with lush layers of blackberries, plums, and cassis. This offering's prodigious fruit envelopes its copious silky tannin. Additionally, it displays an extraordinarily long finish.
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Dark ruby color. Aromatics of sweet blackberries and pepper. Tastes of blackcurrant, blackberry, charred oak with a touch of bell pepper. Chewy tannins. Rich, ripe finish. An enormous wine that is still quite young tasting for being 10 years old. Needs time. Reasonably well balanced with good acidity. Probably one of the best examples of Quilceda Creek I have ever tasted. 14.4% alcohol.
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decanted 3 hours..medium see through purple in glass..no sign of brown on the meniscus.. a nose of dark cherry, plum, some pencil..in the mouth, the wine is supple and graceful.. now with flavors of blueberry added..a long smooth finish.. a really nice wine, drinking well now, though it needs the decant time
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Pretty nose of crème de casis, creamy oak, lilacs, blueberry reduction and minerality. Nose evolved a bit more to reveal more earthy like floral notes which gave this wine another layer of depth and complexity. Palate is extremely structured and a tad tight. Tannins are present but integrate with the fruit and oak perfectly. Finish lasts for days including more minerality, road tar, pepper and creamy oak. Nose continues to expand with air showing more blue fruit and spice. This wine has impeccable balance, great weight and palate presence. Similar showing to the last bottle and no inclination of letting up anytime soon.
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Restrained nose - slight stewed fruit and floral notes, and a little hot. Palate of scorched earth, sour cherry, finishes with prominent tannins. Probably needs more time, but doesn't seem to have the balance to turn into something great.
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Dark, blue fruits, but more Washingtonesque than just overtly ripe. Hard tannins, with no signs of maturity. Lots of vanilla wood influence. Pretty standard profile. Fine.
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A truly wonderful Cab. Decanted about 30 minutes before tasting. Beautiful balance and depth, smooth, long finish. Dark fruits, spice, smoke. Paired well with grilled beef tenderloin, roasted brussels sprouts, braised carrots, and popovers.
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Lucky 7 Bottles With the Boys (Vancouver): A little pleasant brett/barnyard starts us off. This is a more elegant wine on this evening. Quite Bordeaux like. Nice earthy and leathery elements go hand in hand with lovely black currant fruit. This wine is young yet, but turning into something lovely.
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Decanted for 2 hours then consumed over the next 2. Purple with garnet glint. Nose was loaded with dark fruits, violets, crushed berries, and anise. Palate showed surprisingly primary black raspberry and marionberry fruit with hints of earth and moca, very well balanced by structured but moderated tannins. Persistent finish, with plush raspberry notes and gentle grip at the end. Impeccably made, beautifully-balanced wine.
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This is like 2 out of 3 for me with this wine. The nose and palate had a musty smell. The flavors were wonderful, but there was this funk present. I hope this isn't indicative of QC.
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Quilceda Creek Cab vertical of '89, '98, '99, popped and poured: The best of the three. Old world profile with brown edges in the rim. Rich, dusty and mature fruit. Very drinkable and light tannins. Sadly, last 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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Lovely, youthful cherry color. Unbelievable perfumed nose, also showing blackberry, rare beef, smoke and resiny wood. Very elegant palate, with caressing tannins that promise a long life still ahead. Depending on the secondary flavors that emerge with time, this could be a near perfect wine, but it's great already. Off the list at Titi de Paris with J&K.
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The first of the reds tonight to show a bit of ruby. Bordeaux like nose with a strong cherry aspect – maybe Bordeaux like because it was softer than the others. Medium bodied and weird on the finish. Not the bruiser of more recent vintages, but to me, really not that special. (88)
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Nose of blueberry, chocolate, graphite, violets, and other floral elements. Really gorgeous. The nose did seem to shut down a bit after a few hours - perhaps it needs far more decanting, or perhaps it just needs more time in general.
Seems wonderfully balanced, with copious fruit and acidity at this point in its development. Hard to believe this is over eight years old given the complete abscence of any taste or smell of age. No mushrooms here.
Very nice flavors reflecting that which is found in the nose. Silky, fine tannins and a very long finish that is mouthwatering.
50+5+13+18+8
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Decanted 2.5 hrs, served with London Broil Rich "Cab nose" with some oak showing. Very rich and wonderful on the palate. Great fruit and structure. No oak discernable on the palate. Tannins are partially resolved and the finish is long and sweet. Drinking very well but has many years ahead of it.
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Quilceda Creek Vertical 1990-2003 (My house): This was the first QC to wow me on the nose. I found toast, cherries, graham cracker and mocha. Noticable tannins in the mouth and had just a great balance. This was also the first QC of the night to have any lingering finish.
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Stamford OL - bring a nice red (Telluride Restaurant - downtown Stamford): Nose of chocolate and leather, with rich earth and sous-bois. Lovely chocolate and coca. Nice round wine, with mello dark raspberries. Ripe with just a touch of green. Very nice. While I liked the wines tonight, given the reputation I'd have to say this was a modest disappointment.
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Thinkin' About a 10 Vintage Quilceda Creek Vertical ('89 to '03) (Think Cafe - Chicago, IL): Nose is reticent and not giving much - though a layer of dense dark fruit is just waiting to be coaxed out. Palate is loaded with fruit and tannin though its presented in a more "elegant" manner than other vintages. Not at all a bruiser. Long finish. This is obviously still quite young and has a ton of upside. Tonight only hinted at the potential of this wine.
This too was double decanted at 7am --- 12 hours prior to dinner.
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Took a full 9 hours at winter roon temp to open, but when it did, it was just about the purest expression of Quilceda Creek I've experienced. Very lush and fine tannin, full ripe--but not overripe--red and black fruits. Early, only tannin, alcohol, and oak came through, but once in full bloom, the oak became totally integrated aromatically and on the palate. Alcoholic heat, too, disappeared in the very full fruit aromas and flavors. I'd suggest keeping this wine another 7-10 years, probably, before opening another bottle, unless you have the time to allow the wine to open. Really a wonderful wine experience, even if it was enjoyed during the Seahawks' loss in Super Bowl XL.
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decanted into a wide bottom decanter for 3 hours, then re-bottled for the restaurant. consumed 2 1/2 hours later (5.5 hrs total air time) out of riedel vinum bordeaux stems.
disclaimer...i'm a huge quilceda creek fan.
wow, this is the first qc i've had with some age on it and i could barely tell. while i didn't get a chance to try this young, i can compare it to other qc's i have had young. this wine is definitely still a baby but it does seem to be starting to wake up.
the color was dark dark dark but not as dark as the 2000 pavie i had along with it. no signs of age in the color as it was solid all the way to the rim. a great qc nose of dark fruits, not too much blueberry though, i guess that goes away with age. another wine with what i would call a sweet nose. great notes of restrained oak. a bit of cassis, spice box and a hint of cocoa. this wine really shines on the palate. what great structure...8 years old and still one hell of a wall of tannin, but it easily has the fruit to support it more many years to come. this wine had a great purity and feel to it, a great mouth coating feel, solid mid-palate and a great finish. iirc i think this is the first vintage of the "new" qc. sadly i only have 1 more of these, but i have a very deep supply of 99-03 and this just reinforced my belief on buying this wine in large quantities every year. bravo!!!
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Initially I was concerned that it was corked. After 1 1/2 hours discovered that it was a terrific. Very dark color. Big nose. Very fruity and the smooth with a dry finiash.
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The nose is intoxicating with aromas of violets, coffee beans, and blackberries. The palate is completely seamless with perfectly balanced fruit and structure. I find tastes of burnt caramel, dark chocolate, French Roast coffee, and blackberries. This wine is still a baby (as great as it is, it doesn't hit all parts of my mouth), but it tremendous at present.
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great promise out of the bottle; pleasant, but subtle nose. nice, velverty-purple color. immense fruit, very good structure, seemed like alcohol burnof has started to let the fruit come out. wait a year to drink the next one
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Qulceda Creek Vertical w/ Alex Golitzin (Vancouver Museum): A mild (not overwhelming) nose, but very classic Cabernet scents. On the palate, a distinct step up in quality over past vintages. Beautifully ripe, but definitely not over-ripe, wine. Quite smooth and well-integrated...this has a silky mouthfeel. This seems lower-acid than previous efforts, but the wine avoids any fatness. Definitely to the black fruit side of the spectrum, but well-judged.
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I've been drinking a lot of '94 to '98 wines from my favorite Washington producers lately, and the two most consistently excellent wines during that time - by far - are Andrew Will's Sorella and Quilceda Creek's cab. They are very different wines, so it's fun to compare them. The '98 QC is still quite young and stern, but there's just unbelievable depth to it. It's fantastic now, but will improve and last a very long time. To me, it is the most similar to the '94 of all the vintages since then. The '98 Sorella is much more mature. It is lush and seemless, with no hard edges whatsoever. Great balance, with a bit more complexity than the QC is showing now, although it doesn't come close to matching the other wine's concentration. There's no question in my mind that Sorella is the best blend being made in Washington.
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Great cabernet. This wine has come so far since i got it but it still has a long way to go. The structure has been overtaken by waves of fruit but it is still lurking underneath if you dive for it. Still a very young wine that will reward more time in the cellar. No longer infanticide though. Everyone loved it.
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Mmm, this is a lovely Cabernet, highly structured, packed with minerality, vitamin, soy sauce, and dark flavors. The nose is reticent, but with three hours of air the Quilceda violets start to dance. What was a nice surprise though was the fruit profile, clearly no longer primary and without some of the almost overbearing intensity of the 2000 and 2002 which are impressive but just too fruit-filled to fully enjoy right now. In contrast this was focused with fine, silky tannins, good grip and overall excellent balance. Quite taut and still clearly quite closed, there was a lovely elegance to this wine. I think it will rise a couple of points in about 5 years as it opens back up, but with good aeration it is already starting to get quite enjoyable.
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This bottle seemed to have advanced a great deal since I last tasted the wine. Very Bordeaux-like this time...the wine seems to have lost its baby fat and is morphing into something very interesting. Consumed after we returned from wine tasting in Napa, and the girlfriend could not believe this was American CS. Nice cassis, cool red fruit and pencil lead with a little dried herbs. A touch of underbrush gives the impression that the wine is moving along. Nice wine.
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Super bottle! We decanted this for an hour or an hour and a half before we drank it. Incredible stuff - just right. Still has some tannin to resolve, so eating a steak with the wine really brought the flavors to life, but this was a tasty, maturing cab
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2/12/2005 98 QUILCEDA CREEK Cab Sauv 1 $68 R 96 2005 **** USA-Wa Washington $68 Gulf 12/18/2001 Prime 112 w S&J and Keith&Phillip 5 hrs Excellent; contined to open; needs 5to10yrs
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Tannic monster without a lot of redeeming qualities. Maybe it will settle down - early 80s ones did - maybe not. Primary fruit had a over-ripe/rot character as well. Really bad.
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Very nice cab. Still quite young and took a long decanting to smooth off the rough edges. Very concentrated with excellent depth and balance. However, didn’t have the wow factor.
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I have had the 98 and the 99 together about 5 times. 4 of those 5 times I have prefered the 1998. In 2025 it will a great taste off, when we taste both to see which is the stronger wine. Interestingly, I was convinced that this was the 00 because of the strong graham and blueberry elements. So many QCs scream blackberry, this night, however, the 98 was all blueberry. I also found a touch of iodine on the nose. As expected the palate was very lush with a strong blueberry pie taste. The fruit is so strong that it overwhelms the structure. The only hint is a smoky, tannic finish.
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dense aroma of dark fruit with hints of earth ... fruity flavors with earth undertones, similar to a good bordeaux ... complex, interesting offering loaded with silky tannins ... long finish
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Tasted at a Boston O/L. Cedar, pine needle and caramel aroma. Very rich and forward, but also quite silky. Medium finish. Could easily be mistaken for a Bordeaux in a blind tasting. Very good.
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(Quilceda Tasting): Nose was blueberries and powdered doughnuts. This wine, although very young, is an incredibly balanced wine. This will be fantastic in 5-10 years. Would purchase again.
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Quilceda tasting. My notes verbatim from the night are: "Deep, dark brooding nose. Wow. Thick, lush, balanced, wow, long." Any wine that gets 2 "wows" from me must be pretty good. Amazing wine.
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Seattle Tasting Group does "American Bordeaux Varietals" (plus 1992-1997 Pahlmeyer Red) (Seattle, WA, USA): Floral, piercing and high-pitched with licorice and some minty notes. On the palate this is very brooding with dark notes of soy and mushroom. This is powerful stuff with impressive acidity, but it seems to be dark, brooding and fairly closed right now. The finish is medium in length, a bit closed off with loads of fine, dusty tannins. This is a monster of a wine with a lot of potential, but it is not terribly pleasurable to drink right now and seems to need a lot more time in the bottle. (Group average 91.75)
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3/13/2024 - rmh66 wrote: 96 Points
Notes from day 2. This bottle is showing some brett, which put me in the mindset of a high-end super Tuscan. Plum, black cherry, cassis, graphite, red licorice, barnyard, new leather, earth, ink, and herbs on the nose. Tart cherry, red currant, red cherry, plum, earth, some bitter fruit skin, graphite, and minerals on the palate. Tart, mouthwatering acidity, lightly chewy tannins, med-long finish. Wow, I loved this bottle. Such an interesting blend of old and new world. Nice complexity, maybe not completely harmonious, but manages to be food friendly, interesting, and delicious. This bottle came across a lot younger than expecting too.
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9/11/2023 - Musinus wrote: 95 Points
Still a dark garnet-purple, glass-staining wine. Amply expresses sweet currant, cherry, pomegranate, raw steak, and iron nose that defiantly betrays the wine’s age. It is so reminiscent of a nicely aged fine burgundy and an utter surprise! A bit alcoholic on the medium long finish, but i so much prefer aged QC cabs from this earlier era than the 2000’s. The ‘98 is great
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9/1/2022 - Peter Z. Likes this wine: 95 Points
Elegance
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8/7/2022 - DougLee wrote:
Opened for a family dinner. Very well made, powerful wine. Portlike with sweet red currant and blackberry fruit. Somewhat monolithic. Family liked it quite a bit, but interestingly did not finish the bottle.
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6/24/2022 - phandley66 wrote: 94 Points
2 years later, opened another bottle. Similar thoughts as last time, though drinking better (or bottle variation ). Lots of cherry cola notes, some graphite, but less pronounced then last bottle. Cherry cola finish lingers for a good while. Quite nice. Would drink up, but no huge hurry. Should easily last another 5 years.
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1/2/2022 - Dberlijn Likes this wine: 93 Points
Youthfull opaque Bordeaux’ish color. Complex aroma of blackberry, juniper berry, bay leaf and tobacco leaf. Medium body. Some tannins left, but mostly resolved. Excellent!
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10/10/2021 - vintage_whine wrote:
Ripe red cheap and plum, with dirty barnyard and Brett. 14.4% but hides it well, oak disappears, but if any criticism it’s a little watery on the finish, all show on the front palate. Though the acid is still sufficient to keep it interesting
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7/19/2021 - brettay Likes this wine: 93 Points
Great aromatics of crushed black raspberry, violets, liquid stones, earth and tobacco leaf. Very left bank Bordeaux in its profile, perhaps most Margaux-like. The palate emphasizes the minerals and earth with the fruit being pushed to the background, despite some tannins that are still present. The nose is heavenly but the palate is a bit hollow and past it’s prime. I prefer my wines a bit younger but fans of aged Bordeaux would probably love this. Bought directly from the winery and stored in perfect conditions since then.
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4/30/2021 - ipp Likes this wine: 91 Points
Wonderful bottle bouquet on first pour. The color is fading, my first indication of possibly past peak. On the palate, a little tired. Tannins have faded. The wine is elegant and enjoyable, but the muscle is gone.
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12/29/2020 - The Vines That Bind wrote: 89 Points
Plump, open, plummy, opulent, new world but vaguely farmy. Sweet red berry fruit. Thinned out and browning a little on the palate. Still fairly pleasant. Either completely deteriorating or more likely I had no idea what I was talking about in 2015 note.
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10/30/2020 - Charlie C wrote: 80 Points
Disappointing bottle. Dull red color. Mild plummy nose. The palate is muted with black cherries, leather, tobacco. Just a bit harsh. Sharp tannins, harsh acidity, bit out of balance. Finishes short with faded red fruits. This was open for 2 hours before I wrote this note; the cork was in great shape. I hope this bottle is an aberration, I have 3 more. If not, I'd drink up.
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6/6/2020 - phandley66 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Drinking perfectly. Decanted for about 2 hours and had with a grilled ribeye. Graphite and black cherries on the nose. If tasted blind, would have pegged it as left bank Bordeaux. Probably at or close to peak. If I had a criticism, it’s a bit thin on the finish but overall excellent. Wonderful wine.
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5/22/2020 - hsacks Likes this wine: 93 Points
Dark garnet color. Aromas of black cherries, red currants, graphite and tobacco. Ripe, well-structured, medium-bodied fruit in the mouth with excellent depth and length and still noticeable ripe tannins. Nicely supple and lingering on the palate. This delicious wine evolved into a complex, very balanced California Cabernet that was a stellar match with a grilled rib eye steak. At peak, with maybe a prime drinking window of another 2-4 years.
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3/22/2020 - Redteeth wrote:
Drank my last bottle. This cork was better than the last one but showing signs of age. The wine was quite nice but very tight, even after decanting twice. About half the bottle remained after the first evening and consumed the next evening. It was much more enjoyable on the second day with rich, mature fruit and mellowed tannins emerging.
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12/31/2019 - tomlee wrote: 94 Points
Crimson in color. 14.4% ABV. Stunning nose of red fruits, leather, cedar and mint. Soft, supple and plush. Exceptional mouthfeel with warm, caressing fruit. Currants, cassis liqueur, spiced plums, mint and smoke on the palate. The finish is long and seamless with ever so silky tannins. Gorgeous Cabernet that presents in an old school way when compared to the more versions circa 2002 and beyond. Just a pleasure to drink on the eve of New Years Eve. Best over the next 1-2 years.
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12/31/2018 - jcorsico Likes this wine: 93 Points
Ready to drink now. Tannins have largely faded and the wine comes across as soft and smooth. A bit of barnyard funk / manure, which came through clearly across all three bottles that I opened. Decanting for an hour helped smooth everything out even more. A fair amount of sediment in the bottle.
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12/28/2018 - jlgnml Likes this wine: 96 Points
Huge fragrant nose, could smell it a table away. Deep garnet color, wonderful palate fell, berries, with blueberry hint. Lovey finish and lasting. Awesome.
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11/30/2018 - Zweder wrote: 95 Points
A good wine friend's 50th birthday. (@ PCr): Beautiful and expressive bouquet with earth and sweet spices. On the palate complex and still powerful, some autumn impressions and beautifully juicy acidity. Still a great pleasure.
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11/30/2018 - jkoenen wrote: 95 Points
Youth and balance. Great stuff.
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11/5/2018 - Quiet Lion Likes this wine: 94 Points
Pop and pour. Beautifully aged Quilceda. Well balanced and elegant on the palate, more old-world than other QCs I've had. Showing well now.
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9/23/2018 - Easter Everywhere Likes this wine:
Fantastic. Plenty of life left here.
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8/11/2018 - Ron Slye wrote: 89 Points
Drank with the 2000:
The 1998 is a little more cloudy than the 2000. Both pulled out of the cellar at the same time. The 98 has a strong nose of tar, rubber, and dark fruits. A bit of bitterness on the mid palate—but some nice flavors lurking underneath. The 2000 seems a bit brighter and slightly tighter—though still with the bitterness, but the latter is balanced with some equally present dark fruits.
These are very different wines. The 2000 feels very smart and well put together. The 1998 is a bit disjointed, murky.
After a bit of time, the 98 starts to soften a bit. The bitterness recedes a bit, and a bit more savory flavors start to emerge. Though softened, the bitterness is still distracting and unpleasant.
The 2000, on the other hand, is starting to sweeten. Some nice red fruits are emerging, along with some sous bois, and slight hint of violets.
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7/5/2018 - Bladams13 Likes this wine: 94 Points
Similar to my last note. This time decanted for sediment and an hour of air. Which was beneficial. Another wonderful bottle. 94+
Had a little extra time to add some details. Day two, color garnet with very nice clarity. The nose seems improved today, with cassis, Marion berry, florals, and a sweetened oak. The smokiness faded away. It tastes much like it smells. It has medium acidity, and still has a drying tannic presence, but less than day one.
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1/21/2018 - llindahl Likes this wine: 99 Points
Complex and smooth. Extremely good wine
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12/31/2017 - MikeW Likes this wine: 90 Points
Drank for 2018 New Years Eve. Very nice and typical QC quality. Is starting to lose some fruit but has a nice mouthfeel and good finish. It's time to start drinking up what you have left in the cellar.
The wine looks ruby colored. The legs are slow. There is moderate sediment in the bottle. It smells like blackberry and black currant (cassis). It tastes like blackberry and black currant (cassis). The body is medium/full. The wine has smooth texture. The wine finishes long. The wine has medium acidity.
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12/28/2017 - NoTrollingerPlease Likes this wine: 94 Points
Glass: Riedel Sommelier Bordeaux
Popped and poured, drunk over 2 days. Clear, medium garnet color with tawny reflexes, unfiltered with fine sediment. Clean, medium+ intense and fully developed nose. Dark fruit (plum, berries), tobacco, spices, leather, green pepper, oak and some brett that vanished completely on day two. Complex, multi-layered, fine and elegant nose that is certainly more cool-climate old world than new world. Beautiful!
Dry, medium+ ripe acidity, medium+ very fine grained tannin. High alcohol (14,4% abv) that is mostly well integrated.
On the palate pronounced flavors of primary dark fruit (plum, berries), perfectly blended with tertiary aromas of spices, herbs and leather. Silky, velvet mouthfeel, great tension and depth. That is a very serious but also very joyful wine with a long, lingering finish. With 1-2% less alcohol it would have been perfect. I guess it is at its peak, but will certainly stay there for at least 5+ years. 93-94. PQR is ok.
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12/25/2017 - Matthesen Likes this wine: 96 Points
Dark color showing little sign of age. Quite pretty nose. A bit restrained, but lovely dark berry fruit, graphite, and a nice mineral note. Palate has a robust Med+ body with lovely balance and long finish. Nice acid and tannin. Tastes like a Bordeaux of the same age but with a bit more fruit. Really quite nice. One of the nicer Quilceda I have tasted. Even better than the 1994.
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11/20/2017 - Duce wrote: 95 Points
Excellent, peaking drink over next 2 years
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8/19/2017 - RickyT12 Likes this wine: 94 Points
PNP
Takes a while to open up. Needs a couple hours at least.
Currently peaking. A little bitterness in the beginning, but then opens up and leather, black truffle, pepper, dried fig on the nose.
Leather, Roast beef juices flavors.
Nice wine in a good place.
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7/15/2017 - RickyT12 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Nice wine
Smells of leather, soy sauce, dried fig, hints of truffle all on nose.
Currant, roast beef, a bit of sour apple, cherry flavor feels a bit tired, and light.
Actually the next day it opened up quite well. The wine became fuller bodied and less acidic. Fig, black currant and leather. Still had life. I recommend a slow Ox on this wine or a long decant.
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5/18/2017 - Ron Slye wrote:
Brought to Travis house with Scott. Drinking quite nicely. At first a bit bitter on the finish, but that blew off. Still bold and dark. Did not take notes, so hesitant to describe it more than we all really enjoyed it. I will not score, but this was drinking well and should be alive and kicking for years to come.
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4/28/2017 - Bladams13 Likes this wine: 94 Points
My first time trying QC. Enjoyed at a restaurant PnP. This was really good from the start and got better with more air. I didn't take notes but a few things stood out. On the nose this had a smokiness and with more air it picked up a maple sugar note. It had a very nice texture with a slight tannic grip and a very long finish. It continued to get better with air for the couple of hours that it lasted. Next time I will give it more air and decant, because fine sediment inclusion made the last glass or two more tannic and bitter.
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4/16/2017 - Ron Slye wrote: 92 Points
Still holding up really well. On day two still going strong, with nose of plums and cassis, a bit of heat in the nose, very smooth on the palate with only a slight bitterness in the finish.
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2/11/2017 - Redteeth wrote:
The cork in this bottle was secure but on its last legs; fell apart. The bottle was decanted. The wine had a great aroma and the palate opened up quickly in the glass. The short story is that the wine was great and really opened up over the evening. I 'm sure this vintage will last longer if the corks hold up. But, why wait? It is almost 20 years old and very enjoyable now.
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1/15/2017 - bobvictor wrote: 94 Points
Don't touch for at least 2 hours after opening. Made that mistake and almost poured the bottle down the drain. Wow, this is drinking fabulously. Got better and better from hour 2 to 4 (bottle empty at hour 4). Lighter color than I was expecting with a subdued nose. But explosive, smooth, licorice and dark deep soulful fruit. Long lingering finish. Fantastic.
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12/10/2016 - caldocane Likes this wine: 89 Points
Bottle was past its prime. There were some nice earthy aromas, but they were unsupported once it hit the palate, and I was left with a hot, unbalanced wine with little pleasure left in the glass. Purchased on Winebid, so provenance could have played a part.
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11/22/2016 - whybuyone Likes this wine:
I see why Quilceda is popular. I bought this bottle figuring it would be a good reference point based on the reviews. The wine is excellent. It's a bit too high priced for me but I can't knock it. You will not be disappointed. I do recommend drinking now. It probably has a few years left but it's on the downward slope at this point. I seriously doubt it's getting any better.
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9/30/2016 - MAXIMUM SATISFACTION wrote: 94 Points
Showing age but still going strong with deep fruit, menthol, tannin, and structure. Opened for 3-4 hours and continued to improve. Definately a green note accompanied by smokey leather throughout. Given me a new perspective on Washington wine.
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5/8/2016 - Knicksfan wrote: 94 Points
What a wonderful treat to find these bottles in such perfect condition. Just in a wonderful spot; still full of fruit but mellowed into a lovely complex blend with soft tannin and a long tasty finish. Bravo.
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3/21/2016 - Stirling Likes this wine: 96 Points
If you had served me this wine blind, I would have been very confident it was a left bank Bordeaux. At age 18 it has developed beautifully, is now fully mature but showing no signs of breaking down. The fruit is gorgeous; black currants and black cherries come through with power but restraint. This is no New World fruit bomb. Lots of secondary nuance has developed and gives up notes of cedar, damp earth, menthol, and slight floral notes on the nose. The palate is full with still plenty of ripe tannins to counter balance the fruit. The mouthfeel is silky smooth, and while all of its dimensions are big, they are also proportionate and so the wine shows great poise and balance. Could have been a Palmer or a Margaux, but at a fraction of the price. Outstanding! www.advinetures.ca
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2/22/2016 - Ron Slye wrote: 93 Points
This started somewhat closed and slightly bitter -- and started with a score of 90 but increased to 93 on day 2.
This has a lovely cabernet nose -- subtle currants, other dark fruits, wet earth. The palate follows, though it is slightly bitter for the first hour or two. After a few hours the bitterness dissipates and some nice fruit starts to emerge. This is definitely more European style -- not the more fruit forward wine that apparently they started making a few years later. I think this may get better with more age.
Wow, on day 2 there has improved markedly. A lovely subtle nose of dark currants, cedar, with hints of tobacco and capsicum. The bitterness is mostly gone, replaced with some lovely savory flavors that evolve near the end into some nice solid dark red fruits and a medium long and lovely finish. I am increasing the score from 90 to 93. I think this could go higher with some more time.
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1/16/2016 - napasoutherner Likes this wine: 95 Points
Beautiful wine from Washington state. Approachable and well within it's window this is a nice but powerful wine. Lots of dark fruit, a little spice but lots of ink. Still a bit of syrup but with some more time in the bottle (1-2 years) that should mellow out. Wish I had more!
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1/4/2016 - rhalbert wrote: 92 Points
Had with mom at Jak's for our traditional dinner when she visits. Very nice, fully evolved but just seemed a it muted. A more elegant style to be sure and very Bordeaux-esque.
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12/4/2015 - Zweder wrote: 94 Points
Game dinner with friends and 11 special wines.: Beautiful and luxurious bouquet with dark fruits and some rustic flavors. On the palate a beautiful and expressive wine with ripe fruits, beautiful acidity and round tannin. Luxurious and lush with a great length. The wine is completely ready now, but no hurry at all.
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11/27/2015 - The Vines That Bind wrote: 91 Points
Ripe black currant, black cherry, some menthol, and wet leathers on the nose. Palate follows through with a tremendous dose of powerful fruit, but maturing nicely and actually totally approachable. Developing secondary notes of liquorice, damp soil, and drying leathery fruit. This is a fantastic example of the state new world wines can achieve if left alone for 15+ years. Still a little rich and syrupy, but very enjoyable.
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7/13/2015 - iamandyc Likes this wine: 92 Points
Drinking very well. Everything integrated and balanced. A bit velvety in the mouth. Cherry and casks fruit was deep but dry. Missing complexity and a bit short on the finish. A bit pleasantly herbal on the nose.
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5/16/2015 - Radboy wrote: 93 Points
Still drinking well. A good, not great, wine.
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4/5/2015 - prufrocksabogado wrote: 92 Points
Still going strong. Great juice but lacks secondary complexity. No added benefit from the aging.
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3/28/2015 - thalver wrote:
very cabernet on the nose and palate..hint of green (enough to add interest, in no way off-putting) very well balanced, lingering finish. Not a lot of tertiary development....it drank more CA than Bordeaux 93
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12/7/2014 - Radboy wrote: 94 Points
Delicious!
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10/26/2014 - Agreenblatt wrote:
Drank at craft with wagyu. Like all Quicedas I've had; it should breathe for 3+ hours to open up.
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10/2/2014 - AlexHop wrote: 95 Points
Surprising light color & nose but big flavor with dark dark fruit. Solid tannins still. Long finish. Subtle nose emerges over time. Bright mouthfeel. Still appears to potentially benefit from more aging. Tasted at Esquin Quilceda tasting.
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7/2/2014 - dederer Likes this wine: 95 Points
This was mostly a pop n pour except that I decanted first. Clearly an exceptional wine from the first taste. Very smooth and an excellent finish. All sorts of spices that a wine taster would detail.
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5/31/2014 - Harry Cantrell wrote: flawed
corked badly. Too bad.
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4/11/2014 - gdbarton1@gmail.com wrote: 92 Points
Very dark purple, opaque dense. Ripe sweet black fruit. Full bodied, sweet black fruit, slightly sweet tannins, long black fruit finish. Mature, balanced great fruit.
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3/30/2014 - Jason Likes this wine: 97 Points
Wonderful wine. Power. Balance. Complexity. Intense violet nose. Spicy palate. Doesn't seem to have aged much in last 10 years. A little less fruit forward, perhaps, but loads of time left.
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2/19/2014 - FLI Likes this wine: 91 Points
Big nose, rich on the palate. A bit hot to me. Not much tannic structure. It's a hedonistic hit. Good if you like these big new world fruit bombs.
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1/16/2014 - Eric wrote: 96 Points
Wow, this is one of the best Quilceda that I have had in a long time. It has the textbook, glorious, soaring nose of violets and touches of cedar. The palate is so pure and clean, Cabernet to its root, slightly savory, cassis and some high-toned aspects, silky and fresh. Yum!
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1/12/2014 - perlasteve wrote: 95 Points
saved one pour from the 98 on New Years. Air was removed. Sniffed it and finally drank it over 2 hours of the Seahawks game. WOW! Did it open up. There was black cherry and plum, tannins and unfortunately a lot of acidiity but still great. Over the two hours, the fruit became mostly replaced with earthy flavors and less tannins. I do think this was coming out of the "dumb" phase. My cellar sometimes dips to 50 - 52 degrees in winter and the aging process may be a little slower than the other fortunate tasters. Hats off to this vintage, my last bottle but may look for more.
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1/11/2014 - Winevestor Likes this wine: 94 Points
This was my first Quilceda and I bowled over. Bramble, pencil, black fruit. Fine tannin, middling acidity. Drinking really well now and will probably go for a while more. A little lighter than a CA Cab, but with more complexity. A little less structure and more pure fruit than the general Bordeaux. Therefore a Cab that clearly makes a case for a WA Cab typicity. Now if only it was a little cheaper...
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1/2/2014 - perlasteve wrote: 92 Points
Learned from my 2 other '98s to give plenty of air. 6 hours, half in a decanter. Very closed at first but eventually opened and had had still good fruit. Color slightly amber around the edges. Not a lot of tannins left, initially acidic but that resolved. Not as complex or multidimensional as I was hoping but still delicious. I think the 98 is coming out of it's "closed" period and should be good to drink as long as it gets air time.
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10/31/2013 - Bb87 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Very nice overall experience. Wine evolved significantly over 3-4 hours. Nose began very currant focused followed by leather and faint berry. Initial taste was long and thin even in mid palate, pleasant but not yet unfolded and much lighter than anticipated. 2+ hours in the nose really opened up. Nose was palate was dominant cherry with richer mid palate. Matched fabulously with prime strip on cognac sauce.
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8/28/2013 - petitblanc wrote: 92 Points
Deep cherry-garnet color. Interesting spicy carrot cake nose, with cherry and Quilceda violets and pine eventually emerging with air, along with a less pleasant mineral, medicinal edge. Short and linear, but showing great structure for drinking now, and excellent balance despite a touch of heat mid-palate. Bottle variation is increasing as these age, but this relatively weak bottle still gave much pleasure.
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8/25/2013 - uberoh wrote: 95 Points
Big surprise (to me) - great wine - terrific fruit w/o being sappy - great structure and balance - classic cab at its best.
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7/13/2013 - TEKinsider wrote: 95 Points
Decanted and drank over 2 hours. Sweet spicy black fruit. Nice long finish. Mild tannins with a medium mouthfeel. Overall a very nice wine with a lot of years left.
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6/30/2013 - perlasteve wrote:
magnum of '98. Opened for 1 hour, decanted at restaraunt. Very tight with no fruit. Started to evolve but very slowly. This wine needs lots of air time (minimum of 3 hours in decant if not more). I think this would have been a fabulous wine if opened/decanted sooner yesterday, but was consumed before it reached it's potential.
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4/6/2013 - Gordavis wrote: 95 Points
Magnum bottle was decanted 3 hrs before tasting. It had the nose of a great older Napa style cab, a little musty and dusty. Bottle was absolutely drinking great now and think it had several more years left. Had just the right amount of tannins and acidity
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3/2/2013 - ed-d wrote: 91 Points
Beautiful old cabernet that's drinking nice right now. Good currant fruit flavors with moderate tannins & a nice streak of acidity for balance.
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2/18/2013 - poshaugh Likes this wine: 90 Points
Took a long-time to open up. First few tastes were very dissappointing, led me to be concerned it was a flawed bottle. Double decanted over a full day before it really showed its potential.
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2/3/2013 - G-Man555 Likes this wine: 99 Points
What a great, interesting wine - had it right after a 97 Tignello, and it was so much better. Great fruit, intensity and smoothness at the same time. Seemed a bit smoky to me, others did not agree, but definitely elegant and special.
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11/26/2012 - JDRFoster Likes this wine: 95 Points
Beautifully balanced with great layered complexity, rich cherry, eucalyptus, dark berries, among other notes. Long finish.
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11/1/2012 - tp096255 wrote: 82 Points
---
COLOR: Deep garnet with a brick-garnet rim
NOTE: Color betrays its age. Got this bottle from WineBid, so I can't attest to the provenance. My experience is much less delightful than the last dozen notes, so perhaps this is an abused bottle. Cork was fine and labeling/capsule was in great shape, but initial and subsequent nose was that familiar "Bordeaux-served-in-a-dirty-ashtray" complemented by pepperoni. Yuck. Some hints of red fruits barely peek through. The mouth actually starts with some nice, medium-opulence raspberry liqueur but then quickly fades back to the ashtray, and the opulence disappears in the finish and all my left with is ashtray. This is the oldest QC Cab I've had, so perhaps the style was different back then? I'm hesitant to call this flawed because so many tasters here like this kind of crap in their wines. Not me. Very disappointing since I paid relatively big bones for this one.
DECANT: 1-4 hours (no change)
GLASS USED: Bordeaux
TASTE: 8.2
OTHER:
COST: 118
VALUE: 0.1 (awful)
PREVIOUSLY TASTED: n/a
TRY AGAIN: never, hopefully
PAIRING: n/a
Inquiries can be addressed to troypeterson@usa.net
---
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10/21/2012 - rexmerlot wrote: 93 Points
Clear dark purple in colour. Clean nose of black fruit, cedar, and spice. Dry, med acidity, smooth tannin, med body, black berry, current, cedar, some bell pepper, and vanilla on palate. Nice finish. Needed an hour in decanter to open up. But once open, a great wine. Wish I had more. Drinking very well right now.
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9/7/2012 - GSW wrote: 94 Points
Still a thoroughly lovely Cab.
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8/25/2012 - nogohawk wrote: 94 Points
Decant 1 hr - dark purple color w loads of black fruit - excellent finish; drink now
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8/18/2012 - perlasteve wrote:
disappointed. maybe did not give enough airtime, but fruit never came through. not smooth, this bottle was past it's time. great reviews, have 2 bottles left, will give plenty of air next time.
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4/21/2012 - jkoenen wrote: 95 Points
Dreamtasting #4 (Restaurant de Watermolen, Kasterlee): (*) Soft and seductive, a real crowd-pleaser. Supple and generous, open and lascivious. Deepens while it sits in the glass. Cedar, cinnamon, cassis, cuban cigars, saddle leather, mixed spice, chocolate chip cookies, refreshing acidity, it's all there... I could drink this all night, since it's so easy to drink, yet enormously complex and intellectual. Utterly impressive. 18.5-19/20
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3/29/2012 - Jeff Leve wrote: 85 Points
Over the top with jam, licorice, jammy blackberry, liqueur and incense, the offered too much of everything. It was hot and out of balance. Taste is subjective. I am sure many people love this style of wine. I just did not find it attractive.
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3/9/2012 - danielk168 wrote: 92 Points
Did not decant and probably a mistake, took about two hours toreally open up, areal pitty as wealmost finnished the bottle by then. some sign of bricking, probably peaked.
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2/25/2012 - Zweder Likes this wine: 96 Points
Just a few notes; lush, silky soft tannin, juicy black fruits. Complex, full bodied and yet elegant delicious and complete wine. Ready now and no hurry at all.
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2/10/2012 - W2WineGuy Likes this wine: 95 Points
wow, loved it. brought to el gaucho in seattle to have with dinner, celebrating early VDay. Great color, incredible boquet, long lingering well integrated taste. Amazing wine, glad I have more!
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2/3/2012 - TexasBob wrote: 96 Points
Lovely garnet color with the slightest hint of the beginning of bricking. Nose of strawberry cheesecake with a hint of raspberry and the slightest sprinkle of black pepper. Light red berries - pleasantly sweet strawberry initially that is immediately eclipsed by wonderful raspberry. Cocoa powder with a wonderful raspberry core at the mid-palate. Lingering finish that lasts forever of nuanced raspberry, chocolate, and wonderfulness. Decanted for almost 3 hours, and it needed every minute to breathe. It is drinking ideally now and will probably last a few more years before it starts to head downhill.
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1/21/2012 - Radboy wrote: 94 Points
Damn fine grape juice! This took well over 2 hours of decant to get going but it really fleshed out with deep berry and chocolate nuances.
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1/8/2012 - fredb Likes this wine:
Decanted off of moderate amount of sediment. Medium red color. Medium transparency. Aromas of berry, chocolate, vanilla, sweet cedar, and currant. Palate is red fruited with plum and currant dominant followed by blueberry and blackberry that lead into a finish dominated by chocolate and vanilla notes. With a day of air, the leftovers show more chocolate and vanilla notes. Overall, this goes down very easily but fails to register on the wow meter. Solid and great with grilled steak and lamb. Drink or hold.
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9/29/2011 - norsktorsk wrote: 92 Points
This bottle fell down from others I have had in past though right in its window. Air time helps and the tannins are fully integrated.
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9/7/2011 - danielk168 wrote: 93 Points
After an hour in the decanter, starting to open and can find mutltiple aromas, not powerful yet, just starting. We worked on the Ponsot and gave it more time, another 30 mins and nose turned to wonderful mixture of floral and black fruit, well balanced, strong but not overpowering, wonderful balance. Palate is full, complex, pleasing. Long finnish. Loved it!
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9/6/2011 - dcasper wrote: 91 Points
Very good, with dark fruit on the nose. Smokey taste with some rasberry and a great finish. Not as complex as the 2000 but a great wine!
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8/16/2011 - petitblanc wrote: 95 Points
Another superb bottle, showing unusually great depth of fruit and smooth oak. Many years of life ahead.
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7/1/2011 - Zweder Likes this wine: 95 Points
Some random exclusive wines (@ TBa): Enormously tempting in all ways; tempting sweetness, but also elegant acidity. Beautiful black and also some red fruits. Deep and complex with beautiful components like smoke, luxurious oak etc. Beautiful and silky soft tannin. Long, elegant and complex finish.
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6/25/2011 - floydtp wrote: 90 Points
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. Barnyard on the nose. Starts with some sweet red fruit but finishes dry. Not very complex. Enjoyable but not great. The finish is consistent with the taste with some sour rubber at the very end. Drink now.
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6/25/2011 - wineismylife wrote: 92 Points
CellarTracker Wisconsin Offline I - Part Two - Double Vertical Tasting (petiteblanc's house in Madison, WI): WIML92+
Tasted non blind at an offline. Double decanted and left cork out for four hours before serving.
Garnet to dark garnet color in the glass, clear looking throughout. Good, solid nose of tobacco, smoke, garam marsala, currants and plums. Good, solid flavors of berries and plums with a bit of cherries and minerals. 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: 92 Points
CT Wisconsin Offline (Madison, WI): Dark fruit, mocha, meaty component on the nose. Nice tart plum/cherries on the palate. Dry tannins. Long finish.
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6/25/2011 - petitblanc wrote: 94 Points
CT Wisconsin Offline; 6/24/2011-6/25/2011 (Madison, WI): A great showing, just a bit lacking in Quilceda aromatics.
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4/29/2011 - mwanasheria wrote: 95 Points
Quilceda Creek Vertical (Zum Hirschen, Aarau, Switzerland): Very classy Bordeaux-like Quilceda. Red fruit, cassis, silky tannins well integrated. Long finish.
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4/14/2011 - MC wrote:
I was impressed by this wine. Still has some energy for its age, and shows good fruit as well as some earth and game. Solid wine with a solid finish. Probably not worth the premium, but a very good New World Cab with some interesting elements to it. A-
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4/5/2011 - morellyn wrote: 91 Points
Decanted for 3 hours. Nose of high alcohol for first 2, almost overwhelming. Taste was sharp about 1.5 hours into decant, and I was getting very worried. 2 hrs and 15 min into decant, notes of menthol and sweet fruit were starting to emerge. Improving, but still a long way to go. In my opinion, it never got there. Black fruit, some mint, and a little cedar were present from the 3 hour through 5 hour mark, but the fruit was definitely subdued compared to more modern QCs. Good, but not great. Everyone enjoyed it, but it never quite hit that next level. In fact, opinions were split between this and a '98 Stag's Leap Fay Cab we were also blind tasting alongside.
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3/2/2011 - sadiebear wrote: 93 Points
Just amazing!
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2/3/2011 - mwanasheria wrote: 95 Points
Undoubtedly Left Bank ... Red fruit, cassis, silky tannins well integrated. Long finish.
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11/8/2010 - dcasper wrote: 92 Points
very dark color, filled with Berries on the nose. It decanted for about an hour and opened up nicely. I'm sure it could have used more time - but I was thirsty!
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9/12/2010 - Mark wrote: 92 Points
No tasting notes recorded at the time. This wine needs time, more than I gave it. It finally resolved at about two hours and progressed from there for another three. Fantastic bottle, looking forward to trying more.
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8/16/2010 - CMz wrote: 94 Points
Opened and decanted for 60 minutes; not long enough (another 60). Dark ruby, dark to the edge w beautiful nose of dark berry, spice and oak. The same and more on the palate - blackberry, blueberry, plum, spice, oak and smoke. Very smooth w long wonderful finish. Still has structure to age but does not seem to suggest the aging power of other QC vintages.
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7/17/2010 - petitblanc wrote: 94 Points
A pleasure from start to finish, full of violets, sweet red and dark berries, and oak. Such ripeness and depth, yet so graceful and balanced. Perhaps just a bit soft, but the tannins are elegant and the alcohol lends a restrained warmth. This bottle was fresh and still quite primary, and a great example of this wine, which has always seemed to me a transitional blend of the classic and the modern Quilceda Creek styles. Likely to mature slowly, this may never develop the subtleties of previous vintages, and it may eventually fall victim to its alcohol, but it is sure to show beautifully at any point in its drinking life.
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7/9/2010 - EricBe wrote: 91 Points
LET IT BREATHE! tasted awful on first sip, let it open up and it was wonderful.
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6/18/2010 - Montecalvo wrote: 93 Points
light red to red. still more primary than secondary. nose is mostly black fruit with some oak notes. in the mouth quite a bit of smokey integrated oak with some fruit and mint notes. mid-palate is somewhat weak but the finish is better. overall probably close to a peak but definitely not past.
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5/22/2010 - GalvezGuy wrote: 95 Points
CellarTracker Texas Offline; 5/21/2010-5/22/2010 (San Antonio): Nose of blackberry, tobacco, cedar, red currant, blueberry, mint, green pepper. On the palate, black cherry, tobacco, cedar, blueberry, blackberry, mint. Finishes long and strong, can go for a few more years, I think it has some more upside. My #2 of the QCs. Classic
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5/21/2010 - wineismylife Likes this wine: 91 Points
CellarTracker Texas Offline - Part One (San Antonio, TX): WIML91-92
Garnet to dark garnet color in the glass. slightly cloudy looking Nose is still a little tight giving way to aromas of herbs, currants and raspberries. Solid flavors of berries and currants with a bit each of raspberries and plums. Medium acidity, tannins and body. Drink or hold.
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4/8/2010 - salil wrote: 74 Points
Really disappointing; there's a core of bold blueberry and blackcurrant fruit but it's smothered with a ton of oak that dominates the fruit and any other nuances here.
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3/1/2010 - Easter Everywhere wrote: 92 Points
Superb, hints of brett, earthy delicious cab, plenty life lerft
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1/26/2010 - ed-d wrote: 93 Points
A bit of menthol on the nose. Very cool & clean black fruit flavors with a sense of elevated alcohol creeping in on the finish. A bit restrained at this point, but very good pedigree. Tasted blind.
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1/7/2010 - Redteeth wrote:
Drank a magnum without decanting. This wine was very good from the start but really opened up over the course of the evening. There was some remaining which was excellent the next day. Lesson - decant this stuff. This wine showed positive signs of age but seems to have several years (at least) left.
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12/25/2009 - Charlie Carnes wrote: 89 Points
Black fruit, sweet oak, a little short on the finish; fairly ordinary as someone else wrote.
For the record, Julie loved this wine. She said it was very drinkable, and she didn't have to think about it too much. She asked if it was in the $30-$40 range!
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12/25/2009 - skifree wrote: 94 Points
Beautiful wine. Decanted for 90 minutes before drinking. Black fruit, cedar, hint of mint, hint of herb. Still has a nice back bone. Great accompaniment to prime rib.
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12/25/2009 - tquinn wrote:
ordinary, drink/hold 12/09
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11/28/2009 - jkoenen wrote: 94 Points
Hedonistic Diner (Restaurant Le Défi, Sprang-Capelle): (*) Tasted blind. No formal note. 18.5/20
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11/8/2009 - tbabes wrote: 93 Points
Good fill and solid cork. Opened about 1 hour prior to dinner. A touch of ruby at the edge, with notes of ripe dark fruits, licorice and cigar box. Medium-bodied, with a bit more structure than previous bottles, but with a velvety texture, wonderful concentration, with laser-like focus on the finish.
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10/30/2009 - Zweder wrote: 95 Points
What a sexy wine this is! I did not make many notes; just enjoying the wine. Very complete and smooth with a perfect amount of sweetness and acidity and soft tannin. Long finish. A beauty now, but certainly for the next 5+ years.
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9/26/2009 - tyvoodoo wrote: 93 Points
Really drinkable with an hour or so of air. Nice lead pencil shavings, toasty oak, great dark fruits and plenty of structure. Really enjoyable now and will continue to drink well for many more years.
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8/22/2009 - stevedg wrote: 94 Points
- Tannins still strong ,nice fruit with peppery and mint flavors, rich dark color. Long finish good have used more time to decant.Could have used at least one hour opened before drinking
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7/15/2009 - CMCLR wrote: 95 Points
Wow.
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6/22/2009 - KenK wrote: 92 Points
Wild red fruit nose with jazzy balck earthy component and hint of mint. Sweet dark black fruit flavors with bell pepper notes. Quality fruit, nice balance, and texture. Hints of complexity that may flush out with more time. Served blind and I guessed QC. Yeah Baby!
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6/17/2009 - Amerique wrote: 95 Points
Full-bodied, rich, delicious black cherry fruit with chocolate and clove flavors, multilayed, excellent structure and depth, beautiful finish, very ready to drink, much more open than when last tasted
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6/14/2009 - Greg Pierce wrote:
No formal note, but this drank very well tonite with grilled ribeye, braised collards, baked potato and grilled corn on the cob.
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5/19/2009 - petitblanc wrote: 90 Points
This disappointed just a bit, perhaps suffering in comparison to the 1997 alongside it. Lacking that great Quilceda perfume, showing restrained buttery wood on the palate, and delicious fruit that was largely masked by alcohol. This needs time to integrate its tannins, but the alcohol is elevated and obtrusive, definitely tending toward the newer Quilceda style that I do not love.
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4/25/2009 - tbabes wrote: 97 Points
Drank in honor of CellarTracker's 5-year anniversary. The fill was into the neck and the cork was sound. Purple core with some bricking at the rim. Lovely bouquet of cassis, lilly, white truffle and cedar. Medium bodied, with an opulent texture - the tannins were ripe and velvety - fine concentration of fruit, good dileneation, and a long and focused finish. What a treat!
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4/21/2009 - Night Train wrote: 94 Points
Oh mama! Decanted about 1/2 hour. Continued to evolve and improve over next two hours. Somewhat shy nose at first. Very rich, very deep, w/ terrific finsh. Chocolate and raspberries. Probably at its peak, with several years left (too bad it was my last bottle).
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4/19/2009 - cadamson wrote: 94 Points
Make no mistake, this is a dark, big wine. Huge black fruit. But it retains incredible freshness (is very, very young) and incredible balance for such a beast. Mouthcoating in flavor and texture, long finish with some pepper and dark cherry, sweet tannins. Will look forward to another in 10 years.
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4/17/2009 - jivey wrote: 94 Points
Best showing ever: Blackberry jam, juniper berries, and spices can be found in the rich aromatics. this full-bodied beauty is crammed with lush layers of blackberries, plums, and cassis. This offering's prodigious fruit envelopes its copious silky tannin. Additionally, it displays an extraordinarily long finish.
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4/17/2009 - kstoddard wrote: 90 Points
Dark ruby color. Aromatics of sweet blackberries and pepper. Tastes of blackcurrant, blackberry, charred oak with a touch of bell pepper. Chewy tannins. Rich, ripe finish. An enormous wine that is still quite young tasting for being 10 years old. Needs time. Reasonably well balanced with good acidity. Probably one of the best examples of Quilceda Creek I have ever tasted. 14.4% alcohol.
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3/28/2009 - michaelgor wrote: 94 Points
decanted 3 hours..medium see through purple in glass..no sign of brown on the meniscus..
a nose of dark cherry, plum, some pencil..in the mouth, the wine is supple and graceful..
now with flavors of blueberry added..a long smooth finish.. a really nice wine, drinking well now,
though it needs the decant time
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3/22/2009 - jcbrand wrote: 93 Points
dark cherry, tobacco, leather, a little heat as the night went on. this is good juice, a big wine.
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3/14/2009 - tyvoodoo wrote: 94 Points
Pretty nose of crème de casis, creamy oak, lilacs, blueberry reduction and minerality. Nose evolved a bit more to reveal more earthy like floral notes which gave this wine another layer of depth and complexity. Palate is extremely structured and a tad tight. Tannins are present but integrate with the fruit and oak perfectly. Finish lasts for days including more minerality, road tar, pepper and creamy oak. Nose continues to expand with air showing more blue fruit and spice. This wine has impeccable balance, great weight and palate presence. Similar showing to the last bottle and no inclination of letting up anytime soon.
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1/26/2009 - EatWine wrote: 92 Points
Restrained nose - slight stewed fruit and floral notes, and a little hot. Palate of scorched earth, sour cherry, finishes with prominent tannins. Probably needs more time, but doesn't seem to have the balance to turn into something great.
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1/11/2009 - zimmy07 wrote: 92 Points
dark cherry, tobacco, plum and some slight leather. very bordeaux like, drinking in a real good window right now
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1/10/2009 - psmith wrote:
Dark, blue fruits, but more Washingtonesque than just overtly ripe. Hard tannins, with no signs of maturity. Lots of vanilla wood influence. Pretty standard profile. Fine.
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12/31/2008 - GSW wrote: 95 Points
A truly wonderful Cab. Decanted about 30 minutes before tasting. Beautiful balance and depth, smooth, long finish. Dark fruits, spice, smoke. Paired well with grilled beef tenderloin, roasted brussels sprouts, braised carrots, and popovers.
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11/4/2008 - Blair Curtis wrote: 94 Points
Lucky 7 Bottles With the Boys (Vancouver): A little pleasant brett/barnyard starts us off. This is a more elegant wine on this evening. Quite Bordeaux like. Nice earthy and leathery elements go hand in hand with lovely black currant fruit. This wine is young yet, but turning into something lovely.
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8/4/2008 - Amerique wrote: 92 Points
nice chocolate, cherry nose and fruit, little restrained, smooth, a little disappointing
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4/26/2008 - DougLee wrote: 93 Points
Decanted for 2 hours then consumed over the next 2. Purple with garnet glint. Nose was loaded with dark fruits, violets, crushed berries, and anise. Palate showed surprisingly primary black raspberry and marionberry fruit with hints of earth and moca, very well balanced by structured but moderated tannins. Persistent finish, with plush raspberry notes and gentle grip at the end. Impeccably made, beautifully-balanced wine.
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4/20/2008 - kins wrote: 96 Points
Beautifully smooth after opening 2 hours prior to drinking. Tannins have mellowed nicely, but the wine still had lots of substance.
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4/5/2008 - budman wrote: 93 Points
I was hoping for better, but the provenance on this bottle may have been shaky.
It wasn't bad at all. It just didn't wow me like I had hoped.
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1/31/2008 - budman wrote: flawed
This is like 2 out of 3 for me with this wine.
The nose and palate had a musty smell.
The flavors were wonderful, but there was this funk present.
I hope this isn't indicative of QC.
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12/18/2007 - plitton wrote: 93 Points
Quilceda Creek Cab vertical of '89, '98, '99, popped and poured: The best of the three. Old world profile with brown edges in the rim. Rich, dusty and mature fruit. Very drinkable and light tannins. Sadly, last bottle.
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11/30/2007 - budman wrote: 93 Points
Decanted for 8 hours. Smooth dark fruit, with slightly chalky tannins.
Excellent!
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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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10/20/2007 - budman wrote: 94 Points
Excellent dark fruit. It took 3 hours in the decanter for it to start opening up. Plenty of life left in this one!!!
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9/22/2007 - petitblanc wrote: 95 Points
Lovely, youthful cherry color. Unbelievable perfumed nose, also showing blackberry, rare beef, smoke and resiny wood. Very elegant palate, with caressing tannins that promise a long life still ahead. Depending on the secondary flavors that emerge with time, this could be a near perfect wine, but it's great already. Off the list at Titi de Paris with J&K.
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8/1/2007 - Easter Everywhere wrote: 92 Points
Excellent, silky, full, great flavors, just a touch of heat, no brett!
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6/17/2007 - dbkitc wrote: 88 Points
The first of the reds tonight to show a bit of ruby. Bordeaux like nose with a strong cherry aspect – maybe Bordeaux like because it was softer than the others. Medium bodied and weird on the finish. Not the bruiser of more recent vintages, but to me, really not that special. (88)
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1/28/2007 - Cracker Barrel wrote: 92 Points
Still young, cross between bordaux and california cab
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1/16/2007 - ml wrote: 94 Points
Drinking beautifully.
Nose of blueberry, chocolate, graphite, violets, and other floral elements. Really gorgeous. The nose did seem to shut down a bit after a few hours - perhaps it needs far more decanting, or perhaps it just needs more time in general.
Seems wonderfully balanced, with copious fruit and acidity at this point in its development. Hard to believe this is over eight years old given the complete abscence of any taste or smell of age. No mushrooms here.
Very nice flavors reflecting that which is found in the nose. Silky, fine tannins and a very long finish that is mouthwatering.
50+5+13+18+8
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1/13/2007 - ssouth wrote: 95 Points
Decanted 2.5 hrs, served with London Broil
Rich "Cab nose" with some oak showing. Very rich and wonderful on the palate. Great fruit and structure. No oak discernable on the palate. Tannins are partially resolved and the finish is long and sweet. Drinking very well but has many years ahead of it.
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12/1/2006 - 3daywinereview.com wrote: 94 Points
Quilceda Creek Vertical (Michael's House, St. Louis Park): Outstanding wine with plum, blueberries, smoke, underbrush and subtle funk. Long finish and a long life ahead. Have always enjoyed the 98 vintage from Washington.
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12/1/2006 - burcusabrews wrote: 95 Points
Quilceda Creek Vertical 1990-2003 (My house): This was the first QC to wow me on the nose. I found toast, cherries, graham cracker and mocha. Noticable tannins in the mouth and had just a great balance. This was also the first QC of the night to have any lingering finish.
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9/21/2006 - KellyW wrote: 94 Points
Loads of graphite, floral nose and fine tannin. Still a baby but drinking very well.
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9/16/2006 - ipp wrote: 95 Points
deep color ... huge nose of rose pedal, a hint of watermelon ... Full-bodied and tannic ... Can use more time 5-10 years
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8/4/2006 - trankin wrote: 91 Points
Stamford OL - bring a nice red (Telluride Restaurant - downtown Stamford): Nose of chocolate and leather, with rich earth and sous-bois. Lovely chocolate and coca. Nice round wine, with mello dark raspberries. Ripe with just a touch of green. Very nice. While I liked the wines tonight, given the reputation I'd have to say this was a modest disappointment.
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7/20/2006 - Nanda wrote: 93 Points
Thinkin' About a 10 Vintage Quilceda Creek Vertical ('89 to '03) (Think Cafe - Chicago, IL): Nose is reticent and not giving much - though a layer of dense dark fruit is just waiting to be coaxed out. Palate is loaded with fruit and tannin though its presented in a more "elegant" manner than other vintages. Not at all a bruiser. Long finish. This is obviously still quite young and has a ton of upside. Tonight only hinted at the potential of this wine.
This too was double decanted at 7am --- 12 hours prior to dinner.
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3/12/2006 - cdlater wrote: 95 Points
Took a full 9 hours at winter roon temp to open, but when it did, it was just about the purest expression of Quilceda Creek I've experienced. Very lush and fine tannin, full ripe--but not overripe--red and black fruits. Early, only tannin, alcohol, and oak came through, but once in full bloom, the oak became totally integrated aromatically and on the palate. Alcoholic heat, too, disappeared in the very full fruit aromas and flavors. I'd suggest keeping this wine another 7-10 years, probably, before opening another bottle, unless you have the time to allow the wine to open. Really a wonderful wine experience, even if it was enjoyed during the Seahawks' loss in Super Bowl XL.
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2/25/2006 - anthonyiez wrote: 97 Points
decanted into a wide bottom decanter for 3 hours, then re-bottled for the restaurant. consumed 2 1/2 hours later (5.5 hrs total air time) out of riedel vinum bordeaux stems.
disclaimer...i'm a huge quilceda creek fan.
wow, this is the first qc i've had with some age on it and i could barely tell. while i didn't get a chance to try this young, i can compare it to other qc's i have had young. this wine is definitely still a baby but it does seem to be starting to wake up.
the color was dark dark dark but not as dark as the 2000 pavie i had along with it. no signs of age in the color as it was solid all the way to the rim. a great qc nose of dark fruits, not too much blueberry though, i guess that goes away with age. another wine with what i would call a sweet nose. great notes of restrained oak. a bit of cassis, spice box and a hint of cocoa. this wine really shines on the palate. what great structure...8 years old and still one hell of a wall of tannin, but it easily has the fruit to support it more many years to come. this wine had a great purity and feel to it, a great mouth coating feel, solid mid-palate and a great finish. iirc i think this is the first vintage of the "new" qc. sadly i only have 1 more of these, but i have a very deep supply of 99-03 and this just reinforced my belief on buying this wine in large quantities every year. bravo!!!
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2/12/2006 - MTC wrote: 95 Points
Initially I was concerned that it was corked. After 1 1/2 hours discovered that it was a terrific. Very dark color. Big nose. Very fruity and the smooth with a dry finiash.
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1/27/2006 - Jason wrote: 97 Points
The nose is intoxicating with aromas of violets, coffee beans, and blackberries. The palate is completely seamless with perfectly balanced fruit and structure. I find tastes of burnt caramel, dark chocolate, French Roast coffee, and blackberries. This wine is still a baby (as great as it is, it doesn't hit all parts of my mouth), but it tremendous at present.
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1/22/2006 - Alohawino wrote:
great promise out of the bottle; pleasant, but subtle nose. nice, velverty-purple color. immense fruit, very good structure, seemed like alcohol burnof has started to let the fruit come out. wait a year to drink the next one
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1/20/2006 - Blair Curtis wrote: 95 Points
Qulceda Creek Vertical w/ Alex Golitzin (Vancouver Museum): A mild (not overwhelming) nose, but very classic Cabernet scents. On the palate, a distinct step up in quality over past vintages. Beautifully ripe, but definitely not over-ripe, wine. Quite smooth and well-integrated...this has a silky mouthfeel. This seems lower-acid than previous efforts, but the wine avoids any fatness. Definitely to the black fruit side of the spectrum, but well-judged.
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1/14/2006 - winefool wrote: 92 Points
CFTG Quilceda Creek Vertical (Glen's): Deep opaque black purple color. Subdued secondary aroma - nice and round. Rich spicy black fruit on the palate.
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1/14/2006 - GlenD wrote: 93 Points
Quilceda Creek 1996-2002 vertical (Chicago suburbs): Not giving up much initially, but the oak on the finish was very tasty. Gained depth and spice with air time. Smooth.
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12/25/2005 - Spencer wrote: 97 Points
I've been drinking a lot of '94 to '98 wines from my favorite Washington producers lately, and the two most consistently excellent wines during that time - by far - are Andrew Will's Sorella and Quilceda Creek's cab. They are very different wines, so it's fun to compare them. The '98 QC is still quite young and stern, but there's just unbelievable depth to it. It's fantastic now, but will improve and last a very long time. To me, it is the most similar to the '94 of all the vintages since then. The '98 Sorella is much more mature. It is lush and seemless, with no hard edges whatsoever. Great balance, with a bit more complexity than the QC is showing now, although it doesn't come close to matching the other wine's concentration. There's no question in my mind that Sorella is the best blend being made in Washington.
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12/24/2005 - MikeW wrote: 95 Points
Christmas Eve - barbecued tenderloin steaks, twice-baked potatoes and this wonderful Cabernet, a feast to remember. Enjoyed by all!
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12/4/2005 - Tubbs wrote: flawed
corked
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12/1/2005 - Easter Everywhere wrote: 94 Points
Med ruby, aromas of currant, vanilla, toast, blackberry, charred wood, black fruit, truffles, some funk (brett?), leather, b3, a3, t2, very nice
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11/12/2005 - Deadbird wrote: 95 Points
Great cabernet. This wine has come so far since i got it but it still has a long way to go. The structure has been overtaken by waves of fruit but it is still lurking underneath if you dive for it. Still a very young wine that will reward more time in the cellar. No longer infanticide though. Everyone loved it.
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11/1/2005 - caldwell wrote:
This decanted for two solid hours, but was a marvellous medium-bodied cab with a great nose and beautiful, beautiful palate presence.
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10/8/2005 - Eric wrote: 94 Points
Mmm, this is a lovely Cabernet, highly structured, packed with minerality, vitamin, soy sauce, and dark flavors. The nose is reticent, but with three hours of air the Quilceda violets start to dance. What was a nice surprise though was the fruit profile, clearly no longer primary and without some of the almost overbearing intensity of the 2000 and 2002 which are impressive but just too fruit-filled to fully enjoy right now. In contrast this was focused with fine, silky tannins, good grip and overall excellent balance. Quite taut and still clearly quite closed, there was a lovely elegance to this wine. I think it will rise a couple of points in about 5 years as it opens back up, but with good aeration it is already starting to get quite enjoyable.
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8/2/2005 - Blair Curtis wrote: 94 Points
This bottle seemed to have advanced a great deal since I last tasted the wine. Very Bordeaux-like this time...the wine seems to have lost its baby fat and is morphing into something very interesting. Consumed after we returned from wine tasting in Napa, and the girlfriend could not believe this was American CS. Nice cassis, cool red fruit and pencil lead with a little dried herbs. A touch of underbrush gives the impression that the wine is moving along. Nice wine.
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6/26/2005 - norsktorsk wrote: 93 Points
Beautiful nose. Cassis, raspberry, dark cherry. Balanced. Long life predicted. Will look forward to the next bottle.
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6/1/2005 - Eric wrote: flawed
Washington wine offline with Chris Cook (Bellevue, WA): High pitched, mineral, soy. Corked!
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2/14/2005 - caldwell wrote:
Super bottle! We decanted this for an hour or an hour and a half before we drank it. Incredible stuff - just right. Still has some tannin to resolve, so eating a steak with the wine really brought the flavors to life, but this was a tasty, maturing cab
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2/12/2005 - markellen.foodies@gmail.com wrote:
2/12/2005 98 QUILCEDA CREEK Cab Sauv 1 $68 R 96 2005 **** USA-Wa Washington $68 Gulf 12/18/2001 Prime 112 w S&J and Keith&Phillip 5 hrs Excellent; contined to open; needs 5to10yrs
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1/12/2005 - AndrewSGHall wrote:
Tannic monster without a lot of redeeming qualities. Maybe it will settle down - early 80s ones did - maybe not. Primary fruit had a over-ripe/rot character as well. Really bad.
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11/10/2004 - bdenuyl wrote: 93 Points
Very nice cab. Still quite young and took a long decanting to smooth off the rough edges. Very concentrated with excellent depth and balance. However, didn’t have the wow factor.
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6/8/2004 - Jason wrote: 97 Points
I have had the 98 and the 99 together about 5 times. 4 of those 5 times I have prefered the 1998. In 2025 it will a great taste off, when we taste both to see which is the stronger wine. Interestingly, I was convinced that this was the 00 because of the strong graham and blueberry elements. So many QCs scream blackberry, this night, however, the 98 was all blueberry. I also found a touch of iodine on the nose. As expected the palate was very lush with a strong blueberry pie taste. The fruit is so strong that it overwhelms the structure. The only hint is a smoky, tannic finish.
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2/17/2004 - ipp wrote: 96 Points
dense aroma of dark fruit with hints of earth ... fruity flavors with earth undertones, similar to a good bordeaux ... complex, interesting offering loaded with silky tannins ... long finish
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1/18/2004 - Rani wrote: 93 Points
Tasted at a Boston O/L. Cedar, pine needle and caramel aroma. Very rich and forward, but also quite silky. Medium finish. Could easily be mistaken for a Bordeaux in a blind tasting. Very good.
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12/21/2003 - Tracy wrote: 94 Points
(Quilceda Tasting): Nose was blueberries and powdered doughnuts. This wine, although very young, is an incredibly balanced wine. This will be fantastic in 5-10 years. Would purchase again.
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12/21/2003 - Jason wrote: 98 Points
Quilceda tasting. My notes verbatim from the night are: "Deep, dark brooding nose. Wow. Thick, lush, balanced, wow, long." Any wine that gets 2 "wows" from me must be pretty good. Amazing wine.
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10/10/2003 - Eric wrote: 90 Points
Seattle Tasting Group does "American Bordeaux Varietals" (plus 1992-1997 Pahlmeyer Red) (Seattle, WA, USA): Floral, piercing and high-pitched with licorice and some minty notes. On the palate this is very brooding with dark notes of soy and mushroom. This is powerful stuff with impressive acidity, but it seems to be dark, brooding and fairly closed right now. The finish is medium in length, a bit closed off with loads of fine, dusty tannins. This is a monster of a wine with a lot of potential, but it is not terribly pleasurable to drink right now and seems to need a lot more time in the bottle. (Group average 91.75)
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