Double decanted for sediment and air about 90 minutes before consumption. Very good balance for a big wine. Tannins mostly resolved. Dark fruits and spice box on the nose, those follow to the pallet. Long finish. Have a few more and plan to wait 2-3 years for the next one.
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My final bottle of this vintage and I shared it with 5 other members of my wine group. I have to say they liked it much more than I did. I felt it was a little past its prime, almost all spice notes, some oxidation on the nose, and very little fruit showing. Still good, but nowhere near as good as it was a few years ago. But like I said, most of my group liked it much more than I did.
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Had the 2007 and the 2010 on consecutive nights, so felt the need to try this one tonight.
This is a good wine - however, I decanted for 90 and it was still quite disjointed - took until hour 3 for the heat to burn off and it settled in. This is dark fruit (blackberry, plum) especially relative to the aforementioned vintages; runs hotter with more tobacco vs. toasted spice as well.
Very chewy as it opened up, and then settled into a more pleasant texture with a long finish.
I very much like it, very happy to drink it, but if you can get the '07, '09, '10 or '12 instead of this? Go for those.
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This wine showed quite well once it warmed a bit and had been exposed to air for about 90 minutes. Didn’t have time to warm it or for a lengthy decant, so - lesson learned. As to the wine once it was showing well, it’s a big, black, deep wine but not brutish or, as QCs often are, alcoholic. Big black and blue fruit, some nice Christmas spices (timely) and baker’s chocolate. I wish we would have had a magnum of it - though that would have made for a late night and a less rational tasting note. Good stuff.
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Big cab city. Aromatically open for business. Palate is open, ripe and luscious. Graphite and hint of green. Good example of what it is, however, don't look for subtlety.
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Nose opens with blackberry, blueberry notes along with cedar and vanilla gousse. The kept opening more and more with additional notes of black currant, black cherry, pencil shavings. Medium body, melted tannins and still some biting acidity. A lot of dark cherry, and black currant with nicely integrated oak. It’s very well made. My only critic is a rather simple and weak mid palate
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TOP SHELF WINE WEEKEND: This was a blind bottle of some sort of Cabernet Sauvignon-type or Cab-blend, presented by sfwinelover1. The profile was a bit funky and brambly, and certainly not immediately steering me toward Napa, with Ridge Monte Bello or perhaps a Sonoma Cabernet in a “quieter” vintage coming to the forefront of my initial pondering. I had just come off the 2013 Verite La Joie, which was especially herbal and earthy, so I suspect that may have played a role in my deliberations (as erroneous as they were). With air, the funk and green notes became elevated but so too did the dusty black cherry and macerated plum. The alcohol and earth pushed forward as well, but in a way that held balance. I was centered on Sonoma Cabernet – and was wrong. At the last second, after sfwinelover1 made a comment about this being a wine he has adored in the past, I did say QC, but quickly retracted, thinking he may have tried to double dupe us all with some goofy experiment to trick us into liking Italian wine, again! As it often is the case, I wouldn’t have called this out as a 2008 QC, especially if it was a true blind and I did not know who had brought it and what the “theme” of the evening was. Washington makes sense of course after the fact.
To the wine, I found it very pleasurable, most especially as a nicely scenic detour from some of the megawines at the counter. My palate longed for a bit more refinement overall, but its rusticity offers an attractive person(wine)ality. Not everyone at the party has to wear Ivy League Cardigan vest sweaters, salmon pants, and canvas loafers.
Best of the World Wine Night (ex-Italy) (The csimm_M Estate): Consistent with my aeration ablutions and general traits from my 6/22 TN. Writing separately but not scoring again for reasons below. Brought by me to winefest, with a twist. I knew the Colgin and Aubert I brought were labels familiar to many of the guests, even if perhaps the individual cuvees and/or vintages may not have been. But in searching the TNs of the guests I could find and the cellars, to the extent open, on CT, I couldn’t find a one who’d ever had this bottling. As someone who places this bottling among his favorites—and I’m unapologetically more cost conscious than many of the attendees, so if price were less of a consideration, it would move down the list, but only slightly—I found this absolutely shocking, since this producer has been around 25+ years, year in and out gets outstanding, often perfect scores from the pros and is deeply loved on CT. Sooo, sfwl’s impish side came out, suggesting to the host I’d like to pour this blind, with the following descriptors: it met his price criteria ($200+, just barely, ever so slightly better with careful shopping), was New World (the theme of the night, Grange, VSU, etc. not withstanding), wasn’t made by Mark Aubert nor contained Roman numerals on the label (a small, self-referential joke to the Colgin and Aubert), and was a CS or BDX blend. So, maybe just a bit less than halfway into the night, someone noticed the wrapped bottle, and the game was on. Whether out of politeness or genuine fondness, the comments were almost uniformly positive (about the only one that was critical, and was fair, was that it lacked the acidity to bring it to the next level), but the guesses of vintage and producer were all over the place, most not close (lest that be taken as a criticism of my esteemed friends, my doing this with any random wine would likely have been at least as far afield), with almost everyone guessing a far more recent vintage—yah, the fruit is really vibrant—and the guesses almost all Napa producers, even though most if not all were producers the guests had had before, which I told them wasn’t the case here. Several thought the dominant grape merlot, one, I think, CF. In addition, out of the back of the room came at least one for one of the SOS wines (Italy in the New World? I don’t think so) and a sheepish one, without conviction, for Cayuse, no cuvee specified (the best guesses, IMO, were Larkmead and Spottswoode, but again, previously consumed by many, so definitionally out). When we had the big reveal, there was lots of mirth and head nodding, and, to my continuing satisfaction, compliments of great pull from It winemaker Alex and well-versed CT friend WBW. Thanks everyone for participating so good naturedly.
One final thought. If scoring, I’d be 95-96+, a bit lower than my TN from a year ago. In no way did this perform worse (it was indistinguishable, IMO), but that night, there were no Harlans, Colgins, Abreus, LaFleurs, etc. around. In the land of the giants, this impressively held its own, as IRBDW points out, all the more impressively, at its price point, but it clearly was just a bit less giant than the amazons of the night. It’s a fabulous wine—and a VG vintage to boot—but not an extraordinary one, but when you find one of those at this price point (other than guest/friend Alex’s, which, alas, as someone not on the list, is far dearer to me), please LMK, preferably before you buy the last bottle.
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Wild and Crazy Memorial Weekend - Sunday (Chris' Castle aka Melissa's Manor): This was served blind. Pegged new world and cabernet, but thought California....never even considered WA....would like to think it was because I drank too much, but who am I kidding? I really would have never guessed WA anyway (although after the reveal, it certainly made sense...but hindsight is 20/20!)
Delicious wine that didn't get lost amount a group of superstars! While I will say that this tasting (both day 1 and day 2) was the best tasting I have ever had the privilege of attending, the down side is that all the superstars had to share the spotlight, even though each one deserved their own spotlight! This wine was no exception!
2008 Quilceda Creek - A very nice Cab that could pass for Bordeaux blend, as it has the dark fruit of a cab, but also seems to have the chocolate covered cherry you often see in Merlot (I did peg it for Cab, but in retrospect, I wouldn't have been surprised if it was a blend). The oak was well integrated and the wine showed notes of earth, bramble, anise and spice. The wine is very solid and would be a standout wine on its own...a nice and humbling blind wine that could stand proud with wines costing two to four times as much! Definitely a great QPR! Solid 94 for my palate, and that may be slightly conservative.
Aromas of rich blueberries, cassis and black roses.
Flavors of dark fruits and rich earth, decent integration already.
I had no idea what to guess here and with my limited rolodex of producers. I threw out a random Paul Hobbs without ever even tasting them before. This was a very pleasant surprise. Very approachable and tasty. Blinds are always fun!
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Raisin, chocolate, prune, tobacco. It felt disjointed and hot. Too much of a high alcohol bruiser for me. To be fair, this had traveled 1,000s of miles on our bus, unintentionally. May have effected it. I also suspect it was not stored perfectly.
(Had backstage with Todd and Jeff. Nice gift from Dick.)
Charlie nailed it: "Sold cherry red with slightly translucent rim. Complex nose of black cherry, tobacco, bitter-sweet chocolate. Lush and deep on the palate, blackberry, black cherry, chocolate, cedar box, sweet tobacco. Bright cherry on the mid-palate. Smooth tannins, great acidity, fabulous balance. Finishes long..."
Simply a beautifully made wine. One of the best QC's I've had.
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again, very stern / dark and not giving much of anything... could this open up in 5-7 years... maybe but not sure... for a lot of producers in CA cab land the post 2000 decade was a dark moment with alcohol levels going high (this btl is 15.2%) and wines made with an "in your face!!" style... bummer... I continue to love the 70's / 80's and early 90's ('74 and '78 in particular... this is not one of those wines... sad
Sold cherry red with slightly translucent rim. Complex nose of black cherry, tobacco, bitter-sweet chocolate. Lush and deep on the palate, blackberry, black cherry, chocolate, cedar box, sweet tobacco. Bright cherry on the mid-palate. Smooth tannins, great acidity, fabulous balance. Finishes long, long and dark-fruited. Fabulous wine. Drink next 10 years, perhaps longer.
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14 years old and decanted 4 hours at 61 degrees. The oldest cab I've ever tried so the comparison is hard to make. It was much easier to drink than a young cab and the fruit was very muted revealing the wood flavor underneath. A wonderful experience especially because we compared directly to 2018 Napa cab after and the difference was striking.
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What a treat. Notes are as we wrap up the bottle following 3.5 hrs in the decanter. Sampled side-by-side this was consistently better from a std cab stem rather than Somm stems.
Black and blue nose is extremely floral. For the first 2 hrs you'd have never imagined this wine was a 14 YO wine, dark and lush but clearly mature;not tight.
With the air afforded there's considerable heft but man this is well balanced. Dark black fruit is ripe and luscious but not overpowering or extracted. Mouthfeel is medium to heavy with a satiny finish that envelops the entire plate lasting 20-30 secs. After 5 hrs in the decanter this seems more old world than new. While still a cab rather than a blend, I now see a wine that better matches its age.
Sadly this is our last bottle as remaining bottles could last another 7-15 years. To those w more stock, I'm happy to buy a bottle, or cheers to your enjoyment when the occasion suits you!
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Decanted 4 hours. Still showing ample tannin, this was an outstanding wine, especially when paired with grilled NY steaks and mashed potatoes. Cassis and cherry fruit, oak, black tea, vanilla, espresso, tar and violets all coming together in perfect harmony. Still has many years of development in front of it, so no rush to open these if you have them. Drink now with air - 2038.
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Side by side with '06. G30; 4.5*+9*+4.5*+9*+9+4.5+4.5*=96+; Dark purple color. This was great from the start, but needed G30 to harmonize. After that it was improving with aromatics leading the way; more dark berry than leather and smoke. Palate certainly followed, but the evolution seemed most apparent in the aromatics with the palate continuing to smooth while maintaining really great complexity. No flaws, just change and evolution as it opened. Super well-balanced wine with good complexity and finish. Strong tannins and acidity on the finish until it has time to mellow in the glass. This is likely years away from its peak and 10 more beyond that for a plateau. No hurry.
Dark purple, slight bricking. My last 750 of this vintage. Decanted for 1 hr and vinturi'd at home before bringing to local restaurant where we drank over 1.5 hours. Dark purple with slight bricking. Powerful, room-filling aromas of licorice, sweet wood, spices, and pepper. Similar notes as prior review, but fruit is more pronounced and better integrated. Just a lovely wine. Few points higher than prior bottle in 2019. Drink or hold, no hurry--might improve a little going forward?
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This was another great bottle opened at a celebration for my friends birthday. Opened up nicely and was both smooth as well as had a forest floor note going on to match the blueberry 🫐 and blackberry notes I pulled from this. It also had a hint of plum and spice on the finish. I loved it. I have one more of this vintage.
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Deep glass staining purple. A very good and powerful wine, although I struggled at times to get past the pronounced coconut on the nose behind which lay blackberry, vanilla and notions of dark plum, creosote and mesquite charcoal. The palate was rich, dark fruit with soft tannins and great length. But again, even on day 2, the strong coconut aromatics diminished the overall experience for me.
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First of 3 ($125@) from a recent auction purchase. On the intense nose and palate, blue and blackberries, cassis, plums, prunes, anise, cigar box, espresso, graphite, dark florals, incense, Cascadian notes of Eucalyptus and pine needles, and after a while, subtle notes of dark chocolate. Opaquely purple with just a touch of brown, full bodied with thick, thick legs. Medium++ tannins, lightish acidity, a bit of heat on the pour which dissipated over the first night. Massively complex, persistent and intense. This came out of the bottle absolutely huge, with a lot of sweetness, which lessened but still remained, largely mitigated by the graphite/espresso notes and with a bit of heat, but by the time of my first glass 2 hours and 15 minutes after opening, this was balancing out memorably, with waves of flavors emerging which continued to deepen and extend over the 3 nights I drank this (there wasn’t a hint of oxidation or loss of intensity over that time). These QCs are a thing unto themselves—I feel confident I could pick them out of a blind tasting lineup—with fruit you might find in a CA cult cab, but with far more structure than I’d expect from many of those wines and with the almost foresty notes that make me think of the Pacific NW, the latter of 2 of which keep it from teetering into the fruit bomb territory of some of our local wares. Unsurprisingly, with a strong tannic backbone, these consistently excel with food, in this case, burgers, red sauce and pizza on different nights, but this is a really magnificent cocktail wine as well. I agree with other observers that the best may still be to come for this beauty, although if you have several and air it out, there’s absolutely nothing wrong with popping one now (air with this, like the prior Saffredi, is a huge friend, to my palate). I’m scoring this just below the ‘06–although I’ll confess that if I had them side by side, that might not be the case—as that wine seemed just a little closer to its peak, and this wine suffered, through no fault of its own, of being consumed during a rare SF heat wave (before you guffaw too hard and ask if the mercury hit 75, it was almost 100). At the risk of my CT friends thinking I’m a total yutz, after drinking this bottling, Peter Michael LP and Flaccinello across vintages, all at price points similar to this, I think I could be pretty happy quaffing just these three wines (well, that would still be 2x+ my typical wine spend, but what price happiness, right?) if someone were to stick me on a desert island. I’ll hold my next bottle of this for at least another year or 2 while looking for more of this and its sibs Galitzine and Palenget (I just bought 3 ‘15 Galitzines). As always, mourning that the locals have such a hard time matching this at what I paid, but it makes it easier to meet my NY resolution of drinking more WA wine (pretty marginal resolution, right? Maybe I should shoot higher and try to cure cancer?). 97++, with a good chance of advancing a point in the years to come.
This bottle of 2008 Quilceda Creek is quite a bit more mature than I expected so perhaps this bottle wasn't stored properly. However, it is drinking well if you ignore the vintage with blue and red fruit, cedar, smoke. Smooth and velvety on the too short of a finish.
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Decanted 3 hours. Dark dark purple. Still very powerful. Ink, iodine, sea salt, underripe raspberry and blackberries. Alcohol is powerful. Mint mixed berries. Very fruit forward. Long finish. Good velvety mouthfeel. The alcohol is a bit too much still, which is shocking to me. Great wine, but probably should have waited another 3 years minimum, it still has not smoothed out.
Incredible wine. Decanted for 3 hours and it needed every bit of it. Outstanding nose of currants, tobacco, and earth. Deep taste with many layers. Tobacco, dark berries, currants, faint hint of citrus, graphite. Smooth tannins. Very long finish. Still has many years before it peaks. Serve with your best steak and enjoy!
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94++. Over three years have passed since I last had this wine and it is still incredibly youthful. This is a very large scale wine with a tannic structure that is built for the long haul. This will continue tk improve for next 5 years or better. Drink with decant or Hold.
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WWC - GA (FWC): Tasted blind - deep red in the glass, and lots of red fruit, jumbled together, on the nose. Almost stewed red fruit, and jammy, but did not smell like an older wine. Somewhat green on the palate, but not like green pepper or a cab franc, just a little disorganized. I called a bordeaux, as the cabernet stood out, but I think this one could use some more cellar time.
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Tremendous wine. They counted over two hours. Smooth enveloping tanninsAnd velvety texture, fully encompassing mouth feel. Flavor Notes dark fruits, cherry reduction with tobacco, graphite and earth-forest notes. Chocolate and burnt toast complement the heaviness of his wine. Truly a winner
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Purple in color. 15.2% ABV. Towering nose of blue fruits, scorched earth, Whitman Sampler box and violets. Full bodied with tremendous power and concentration. Exceptional balance. Currants, cassis liqueur, raspberry and chocolate truffle on the palate. The finish on the wine is incredibly long with pronounced silky tannins. This Cabernet is appealing and approachable now but rest assured it will age well for another decade.
Decanted for 2 hours, drank over next 2. Didn’t start to fully open until hour 3.
Has the “creamy” finish associated with QC. Little bit jammy - dark fruit and pepper. The tannins and acid had really faded. Huge, long finish. Enjoyed a great deal, but not on par with some of the other great QC vintages that justify a whole bottle (at least) by yourself.
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Burned sunberries, blood, hint of pepper; very soft and rounded, little tannic hint but not much, although slightly mouthplucking ending, some light caramel; nice, but given price point a bit disappointing - no “extra features”
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Friday Night Uptown Brown Bagger (R&D's): Double blind. Aromas of lavender, black raspberry, cassis, licorice and something a touch green. Flavors of red and black fruits and vanilla. A hint of spice in the background as well. Long finish; well-balanced. Very nice. (R&R)
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Quick decant to celebrate Washington wine month. The nose is a bit hot (15.2%), but none of that shows through. Lucious blue fruits, cedar, pencil lead, and cigar box round out the long and singing finish. This is certainly from a cooler year and drinking well already, but with plenty of structure for additional aging. A winning wine for sure!
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I had not tried a bottle since my good friend Michael served it at his house one night a few years back. I opened it and slow ox'd for 6 hours. Put the cork in and took to my club for steak night. We poured though a vintorio. Dark fruit on the nose, the palate was alive with blackberry, burnt cherry, fig, tobacco and hints coffee. The finish was long and full. I think it slightly overshadowed the 2010 Realm Farella we drank alongside. My wife thinks different which is why I do the writeups early when she is sleeping.
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had this over two nights, I didn't like it at all, but others were more positive, this felt to me like a great example of what I didn't like about the late 90's through early 2010's style shift for CA cabs... big alcohol, ripe fruit at harvest, loads of oak, in your face, etc etc... have four more so hoping age takes the volume down a notch or two... this was a well made version of a wine type I don't like, so others may love it
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Popped this beauty open to celebrate my grandson’s 2nd birthday - none for him though! Just a beautiful wine with layer upon layer of flavor, luxurious, velvety mouthfeel and a long finish. As one might say, a typical QC.
This wine has aged beautifully.
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I let it breathe for 2 hours. Drank over 3. Similar tasting experience as AJRez below. Needed a lot of time out of the bottle and not sure there was much improvement. Muted fruit. Not much on the nose. Lets see what shows on day 2.
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Feels like an awkward period. After 6 hours open, still a lot of heat, muted nose that eventually opened up a bit. Old world style, fruit is secondary, will try the other half of the bottle on day 2.
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Election night 2020, so I picked a vintage from another memorable political year. This wine is great, a full, heady aroma of dark fruit and fresh earth hit the nose. Big, full condensed dark berries lead pencil and compacted awesomeness on the palate. I vote for Quilceda Creek.
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Excellent, Mike said it was the best cab he has had which is saying alot. We took to a restaurant so the decant was very short, but the wine shined from the start. Nice dark fruit, cherry. Very well balanced, did not notice the tannins. I would guess that this is at it's peak right now
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Decanted 2hrs. Blueberry skin, ink, toast, a bit tannic, cream, hints of tar. Vegetal, mint. Creamy palette. This bottle is missing a little something. Nice wine though.
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Decanted half the bottle which we slowly followed over 2 hrs. Balance went straight into the glass, with the bottle put to bed four hours after first opened.
Blueberry aromas filled the wine cellar when the bottle was uncorked; fine grained tannins coated the palate.
Three hours after opening there is black fruit, tar, vanilla and a hint of alcohol on the nose. There’s a dry finish that coats the front and mid palate, with dark fruit, aged oak, and faint earth and spice in the background. Finish really lingers.
I’ve got one more bottle of this and there’s no rush to get to it at all. Good through 2025+. This is what Quilceda is all about!
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Pop and pour (I know!) - Pretty sharp graphite nose But the fruit comes through. Big berry taste. Gonna give this some air and come back in a bit......
And we are back - 2 hrs later. Deep fruit, pretty heavy graphite. Very expressive and mouth filling. Tannins abated. Drinking quite well with a long finish. A little tartness on the back end which is disconcerting.
I am comfortable with my previous ratings.
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Similar to the Aubert tasted previously, this is not built in my preferred style. However, I can see why people love it. This is the Del Dotto “The Beast” of Columbia Valley. They extract so much flavor out of their grapes. A strong flavor of black cherry with an almost medicinal/ Ludens cough drop on the finish. I can still taste some alcohol on the finish and hope this will integrate with more time in the cellar. This is a massive wine that can stand up to any cut of meat. It is almost a meal by itself.
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Woodward Cellar Emptying; 5/15/2020-5/16/2020 (Woodyville): WOTW(eekend), tied for WOTY(ear). This was a great bottle! Deep dark almost still brooding, with blackberry, black cherry, creme de cassis, stone, and mocha/ oak. Tannins are there but integrating, another 25 year wine. I'd actually wait a year or two if you only had a couple. 97+
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Just amazing right now, so silky and satisfying. Went up against 09 bordeaux and 2012 schrader rbs and came away the winner, WOTN for sure. So fun to be able to see this evolve, will be interested if it can be even better down the line. Enjoyed with Grinner.
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Corivin over 2 days Perfumie, earth, smoke, ripe cherry, over ripe blackberries, graphite, orange zest. Great balance. Weight medium plus, acid medium. Very silky tannins. Alcohol is a bit high. Needs a decant for sure.prune. Would have better decanted and drunk in one day. IMO
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Decanted 2.5 hours. It needed the decant. Big juicy character. Ink, blueberries, prune, really nice wine. Pepper, green pepper, a little bitter vegetable flavors. Dark chocolate. Powerful wine, a bit high on alcohol, but not too bothersome. Very creamy milk chocolate texture. Great wine that should be even better in 5 years or so.
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Needs a solid decant... I failed there, so won’t score it but it was a powerhouse & showed potential for greatness (big serious fruit, graphite but very tight).
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Perfect cork, no bricking, opaque purple. Decanted for 2 hours before serving with prime rib. Still tight, with mere glimpses of what is to come. Firm but silky-smooth tannins seem to be holding back an avalanche of fruit that never quite materializes. Surprisingly, overshadowed by an '04 Cayuse cab that was closer to peak and more open. Suggest a 3+ hour decant at this stage or better yet let it sit 2-10 more years.
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Drinking very well right now. Decanted 2 hours. Classic QC - cassis, black currants, mission figs, black plum, a little pine, some fragrant spice, pleasant wet sidewalk, hint of rose water. Full body, nice long finish.
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The 2008 Quilceda Creek was a little shy at first, taking over an hour in the decanter before it opened up. But when it did, oh boy, what a great and unique vintage of the Quilceda Creek flagship. This a very black fruit dominated vintage. Texturally, the 2008 is silky smooth and plush which is quite different experience than other vintages, especially this young. There’s also that signature Washington “tree bark” that you get in every bottle of Quilceda Creek. The finish is warm with a little green apple.
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Blue fruits, leather, smoke, pencil, earth. Full bodied and well balanced. 30 second length on the finish, silky tannins. Rock solid cabernet sauvignon. While this may develop secondary flavors, I don't see this getting better. Best over the next 3-5 years.
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Decanted one hour. Decent nose of black currant, flowers and a touch of herbs. The palate is thick and full bodied with concentrated black fruits, smoked meats, lead pencil and some herbaceousness. I felt this wine need more time to unwind because it felt a little monolithic and the oak hasn’t fully integrated into the wine yet but the underlying materials are excellent. My score will probably be higher next time I try it.
I love the Quilceda Creek Cabs and this did not disappoint. A deep blackberry nose. The palate showed deeply flavored dark fruits, black cherries, some currants, tobacco, coffee. It mellowed with the food (grilled bavette steak). Long, lingering finish of dark fruits.
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Was not able to decant. The cork was sound, the was color deep and rich, the nose was just right, and the wine was delicious. Very pleasing and easy to drink. Fully ready to enjoy but should hold for a few more years if you choose.
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Very elegant texture and length. The edges have rounded since my last tasting. It is well integrated and complex. The fruit is dark and rich. Black olives and licorice. Oak and gravel. Nice slightly floral finish. So enjoyable. I could take it take it take it take it.
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Our first bottle out of case purchased from QC at release. Dark red color, aromas of black currants, mixed raspberry, spice and chocolate. Maybe a hint of mint in there too. Rich dense fruit on palate, spice, chocolate, sweet tannins with a long smooth finish. Very tasty now but will age well. We opened and decanted 90 minutes before dinner. It continued to expand and improve over the next 3 hours and then it was all gone! Next bottle will get more air time but this bottle was delicious.
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Served with rack of lamb at Christmas dinner. Worked well with the meal. Decanted 4 hours before dinner. Was drinking best at the 7 hour mark. Smooth, silky, big, full bodied and very rich. Touch of heat on the finish. Nose has a nice lavender, floral note. Palate is rich and full. Very much wants to be the center of attention. This is not a wine to complement dinner. It is a wine to build dinner around. In that regard it was rather exhausting to drink since it kept demanding so much attention. This is a big wine, a balanced wine and a well made wine. For those who like bigger styles this will thrill you. For those who like wines to complement your food and enjoy with dinner, this may tire you out quickly. I tend towards the Wine Spectator's opinion rather than the Advocate's.
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As expected, a great bottle of Cab from Q Creek. PnP and drank with grilled tenderloin. Delicious wine with loads of fruit, sweet tannin and good balance. Drink or hold.
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Slight hint of green bellpepper, hints of tobacco on the palate with dark fruit. Nice defintion with well defined and integrated tannins. A beautiful expression of Washington cabernet. Great body and mid-palate. It is a bit extracted on the finish. Overall a nice wine but pales in cmparison to a good Bordeaux of similar price.
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A beautiful pure cab expression. Tons of dark fruit, exotic spices and Cabernet sweetness. This wine is extremely high quality and needs very little decant. The wine seem to fade a bit after 1.5 hours but it’s delicious and fully mature. Tanins fully resolved.
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At my good friends Michael's house. He opened it and decanted it for a few hours. Dark fruit on the nose, the palate was alive with blackberry, burnt cherry, fig, tobacco and hints of sage. The finish was long and full.
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Extraction levels are fine and it trends a little toward red fruit with a long finish. My issue though is that this wine drinks very hot. The alcohol really sticks out and kills the whole experience.
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Transcendental. As anyone cn see, I am quite fond of QC, but the 2008 was the best I have ever had. Dark and red fruit, chocolate, layer upon layer of flavor, incredibly long finish and a lush texture. Served with steak and it could not have been more perfect.
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Wow. Had with wagyu New York strips seared and for nished in oven. Unreal. Sliced through the fat with a rich bouquet and hint of chocolate. Perfect balance but plenty of tannin left. Just awesome.
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Such solid and dark black and red fruit - many years left on this beauty. It also doesn’t drink like the 15+% it is, but is wonderfully integrated and drinking really well, if still a touch primary. Wish I had another bottle.
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I opened this when friends came to our 5/11/18 grilled Ribeye dinner. It had a deep, rich, layered and beautifully harmonious bouquet of black currant, blackberry, blueberry, mocha, cocoa, licorice, cinnamon and spice aromas. The palate was rich, powerful, dense and elegant with flavors of black currant, blackberry, blueberry, mocha, cocoa, licorice, cinnamon, herb and spice.
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2008 Napa Cab Retrospective (Fresno): 91-92 Sweet dark fruits on the nose, near the bottom of the pack for me, albeit still a very nice CS. Not sure that this would have the saying power of some of the others tasted during this tasting.
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Fantastic depth and complexity. Had an enjoyable vanilla sweetness on the front, and a more traditional long Cabernet finish on the back. As expected, it was the WOTN compared to a much younger Chappellet Pritchard Hill.
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Tasted some time ago. I recall the family loving it. It had good fruit in balance with acid and some earth. This held up over hours and I suspect can continue to age well for several more years.
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Very good but needs more time. Wonderful penetrating nose and silky texture. Acid is a bit heavy right now but QC wine always seems find balance eventually. Blueberry, caramel, hot oak and fresh leather. This is obviously well made in QC style, just a bit hit right now.
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Deep, dark fruit with an earth nose. Polished fruit with a medium length finish. Very tasty. Not as complex as I prefer. I guess I drink too many Bordeaux.
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Decanted for 1 hour. Amazing nose, deep purple color, dark black fruit, great balance with a long finish. One of the best Cabs I have had the pleasure of drinking.
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Deep purple color with a bouquet and flavor of pure cassis and toasty oak. Excellent balance with a very smooth feeling in the mouth. Great definition and a long wonderful finish. This is a Wow wine, not unexpected from this winemaker. There is nothing better anywhere in the world of wine. This was the first of a trinity of Washington Cabernets drunk on the evening of a beautiful day in a lovely mountain setting on our way to Walla Walla on my family's great tour of the Washington wine region. The other wines were DeLille Cellars Grand Ciel Cabernet Sauvignon 2005, and Doubleback Cabernet Sauvignon 2012. This made for a nice comparison.
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Dark crimson. Expressive nose of ripe dark fruit, blueberry, some smoke and earth, bakery, very Napa from a style perspective. Ripe and rich fruit on the palate as well without being too sweet or extracted. Good freshness, aromatics and length, Balanced. A bit too sweet for my Medoc trained palate but a very convincing US CabSav for sure. This is from Washington state, not California as I initially thought.
Fantastic in 11/16 and even better on 05/17. Coravin'd this bottle last year to see what was up. It was up. Not much change in six months, so here we go:
Nose is full of mulberry fruit juice and baking spices, mouth takes on blackberry liqueur and saigon cinnamon, and then the finish is just so lovely, thick and elegant, with all the black fruit preserves and baking spices you could want.
The only real knock on this is that it's just not opulent. Very rich, fruity, structured, but not opulent. I enjoyed this each time and I think it will be drinking fantastically well for another decade. It's a tamed beast, but full of vigor.
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Bordeaux blend dinner with friends: Third flight. Dark garnet to the rim. Amazing depth of fruit here, the sweetness clearly pointing to new world but the lovely acidity on the attack creating a fantastic balance. The cooler Washington State climate obviously helps. Exceptionally long finish. A wow wine and clearly WOTN for me. While just a touch too sweet for my taste, the quality of this Quilceda Creek was evident as it not only stood up to the more classic 2000 Pichon Baron next to it but also had both more depth and length than the Bordeaux.
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Should have read my own 2013 review. It wasn't ready then and isn't ready now. This needs at least five more years. Deep berry fruit along with coffee and earthiness are clearly present and it's well balanced with a nice finish, but it's closed and not showing it's best in 2017. Be patient!
Opened and splash decanted, then poured back in the bottle, re-corked and put in the fridge for 12 hours. Pulled the cork and let it aerate at room temp for another hour before consuming. Nose of dark fruits (blueberry/blackberry), licorice, tobacco and some clove. Has serious structure but the tannins are so well polished and loads of fruit to disguise them. Very long finish, lasts for at least 60 seconds in the mouth. Absolutely delish. Fantastic wine that has some room for improvement.
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Nose of blackberry, vanilla, raspberry liquor, licorice, tobacco. Slightly off putting initial palate with some alcohol, astringency and formaldehyde- but needs time to air out. In decanter now. Nice full mouthfeel and finish.
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2008 Quilceda Horizontal (Homebase): I did a Coravin taste-off between 2008 Quilceda wines, the Bordeaux blend Palengat, the Galitzine and their flagship Cabernet. This was the WOTN as it weaved that magical spell of complexity and balance but all three wines were very close and you could tell the same wine-making yielded some very good results as it was hard to differentiate them. I will leave this in the cellar and trust the Coravin system to preserve it and will post detailed notes once we pull the actual cork.
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Very much a Washington red. A little heat on the nose to go with some menthol and dark fruit. On the palate, lots of crème de cassis and dark fruit, with some fine-grained tannins. In a good place.
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Decanted 1.5 hours before serving. Aromas of vanilla, blackberry, dark cherry, herb and a touch of lead pencil. On the palate, this has big flavors of vanilla, toasted almond, blackberry, currant, and roasted nuts. End with a super long blackberry infused finish of 50 seconds. This really coats the mouth and lingers. Much better than the 07 I had a while back and certainly high octane stuff.
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Decanted 2 hours. Still young but the tannins have started to mellow. Sweet black fruit, toasted vanilla, river rock, and bitter raspberry. Still very chalky and needing time to calm.
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Opened the bottle this morning, expecting to drink it in celebration of today's big election. Instead, we drank the bottle in quiet, sad consolation. A wonderful bottle of wine, and a terrible day for our country.
Decanted for about 3 hours. Beautiful nose of deep dark crushed up black fruit and maybe some spices and floral. Very dark wine and a classic cab on the palate which was mouth coating. No hard edges but softening tannins throughout. Long finish!
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Fantastic first sips from the bottle, but we decanted for three hours and drank over another two. Color was very dark and inky. On the nose was a nice balance of ripe fruit and some floral. The sip was smooth on the tongue and not too dry or acidic. A mild burn of earth, cedar, and cigar was felt on the throat, but enjoyable. So much complexity in the taste, ranging from hints of lavender and rose petal, to ripe fruit and spices. This was a deep, deep cab. And as the night went on, the floral/fruit forward came out more. This rivals any cab from Napa. I really enjoyed it and my wife thought it was one of the best she has had all year.
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Super dark inky purple in color. On the nose intense blue berry smells and hints of cassis and vanilla. On the palate this is a big extracted wine, lots of dark fruit with strong tannins but good balance yet powerful. Finish is long. This wine will get better but it's drinking pretty good right now
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excellent - but hard to stand up to the 2005 Colgin Cariad we had with it in a side by side. this was younger, hotter, a bit more dark fruit versus the brighter notes from the Colgin. An oustanding wine no doubt, but could have used more time in the bottle and a longer decant and wasnt as polished, and bright as the colgin.
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This is really good after 5 hour decant. Loads of blueberry, loganberry, mocha, chocolate, and pipe tobacco. Finish is 30+ seconds. Rich flavors with Medium body. Really great stuff. It will get better with more time.
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Agree with Levinsb: slightly sweet balanced smooth silky cab. Very refined tannins make this an easy wine to drink till the last drop. Remains the top cab in the state.
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Beautiful aroma from the get go. As it opened over three hours, the tannins smoothed out, and the fruit did not diminish, dark, intense, complex, massive. Fantastic!
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Solid, smooth, Washington cab. About as good as it gets from the state. On the reserve side, even for a Quilceda Creek, this is a supremely easy wine to drink.
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This is really in its prime right now. The oak and tannin that were overbearing when this was young have fully integrated, and the wine is seriously delicious. Honestly it's the first time I've understood why quilceda creek is a big deal.
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Took to the CT SEA Maison Harbour tasting to help show off Washington wines to Nicholas, founder and wine-maker. However, his palate (and wines) lean towards a lighter, less high-powered wine than this - LOL! This had the classic cassis, mineral, and spice of QC, which I enjoy immensely.
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I am sitting here with a glass right now! Upon opening, the first sip was rough, as usual, for QC. After an hour decant, we have something really special going on. The nose has a lot of toasted oak and a slight floral character with a hint of spice candy which I love as this is reminiscent of Bordeaux. The sip is loaded with mocha, dark berries, cassis, and a hint of licorice, and then some very mild acidity. The finish has soft tannins that go down elegantly, but quickly. This wine seems a little thin in the mouth and is by no means heavy to me (nothing like a Syrah). This QC is in a drinking window to be enjoyed. I can't Ouija Board for how long, but it is very drinkable right now!
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Way too young. Decanted for several hours and was unable to shake the tightness and unlock the full amount of fruit. Nose and initial palate reminded me of Sangiovese. Dusty red and black fruit, sage, and espresso. Nice length on the finish. Needs to settle for at least a few more years.
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Prior tasting notes were all over the place on long decant vs PnP. So, did a two hour decant, at that point was a pretty bold, fruit forward 95 point cab. But after another hour, fruit started fading and it became more earthy and smoky, kind of aged Bordeaux like. If your preference is a fruit dominant US cab, suggest a pop & pour, if you are more a left bank Bordeaux fan, a two hour decant will get you there.
So opulent, glycerol, and fruit forward. Where’s the complexity of earth, spice, and suppleness? Judging by the rave reviews (not to mention the price), my palate is obviously off tonight...or maybe it really is a not-so-brave New World style.
Deep, dark, reddish-purple garnet in color; almost opaque. Full, forward & attractive nose of ripe deep, dark fruit aromas of cherries, blackberries & cassis with lovely floral notes & earthy/dusty overtones, some mint, spices, herbs, minerals, dark cocoa, tar, smoky, some cedar and a hint of vanilla in the background. Medium-full bodied with a very good concentration of well balanced, smooth & polished textured, ripe dark fruit flavors of cherries, blackberries & plums with spices, herbs, earthy, dark cocoa, minerals and a hint of toasty oak & vanilla. Long lingering finish. Drinks quite well at present with decanting and extended airing but needs & should continue to develop further with additional aging.
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I think Mtolerico nailed this one. "Good balance, amazing silky texture, lots of toasted oak and tar" behind the smooth black fruit. It is drinking beautifully right now.
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Tasted at a party. Got a decent taste of this. I recall not thinking highly of this wine at the release. My mind was changed with this taste. Very rich with nice complexity on the nose and palate. One of the wines of the night for me.
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Decanted for an hour. Probably the best bottle of QC cabernet that I've had - maybe because we tend to open them too early. Big flavors of cherry, blackberry, chocolate, and oak, with some tobacco flavor adding to the mix. Tannins are still a bit drying on the back end, but the wine was softer and smoother than other QCs that we have had. Everyone really liked it.
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Tannins still quite prevalent. Strong long flavors. Still quite young. Very similar to previous bottle but really think this needs a few more years. But what a finish.'c my goodness.
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Dinner and Tasting @ 83 1/2 - Triple Play of Bordeaux Varietals. One of 8 wines we had for 10 people, and it was tasted blind. This might have been WOTN.
Washington seems to occupy an interesting place in Bordeaux type wines. Not as fruit driven as Napa, but more so that Bordeaux. This wine had a lot going for it. Long finish, complex taste. I am sure this has many years of life left, but who wants to wait? It is outstanding now.
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absolutely beautiful. Been somewhat disappointed in QC lately but this wow'd all of us. Perla's BD, Steph, Josie, Espie, Katrina. pesto calamari and handmade ravioli and butternut squash. Nose with chocolate or butterscotch, balanced palate of fruit and tannins and acid. Medium but very good finish. Have 6 more bottles, this is going to be fun. Actually does not need decant. Just gave air in the bottle for few hours.
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this was a wonderful expression of what QC offers. Big opulent wine with great fruit,nice tannins, just dry enough. The 15.2 % alcohol though high was not noticeable.
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Absolute perfection. We carried this to Hy's Steakhouse in Whistler to close out the holiday season - and it paired brilliantly with one of the best meal experiences we've had. [Along with an 07 Cayuse En Chamberlin: this is the highest I've ever scored a wine.]
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One of the best bottles ever, excellent, rich, with a long finish. No noticeable tannins, wine was decanted for 3 hrs. We also drank an 06 Quilceda galtizine cab (94) pts. My first bottle of the QUILCEDA CAB was an 06 and very disappointing, not this time. Really excellent
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Thrown into the decanter at 8am and funneled back into the bottle and put the cork back in. Stuck in the fridge until 8 pm, pulled out the cork and let sit on the counter for a couple hours. Nose of Charcoal, blueberry, blackberry, spices and graphite. Ridiculous brooding nose, a lot of fun to smell. In the mouth, very smooth polished. Very classy Cabernet, with loads of fruit and structure to go many more years, but drinking so well with the long decant. Absolutely stunning wine.
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Herbacious aroma on the nose. Very green initially on the palate. Certainly not what I expected. Hugely disappointing. Maybe a poorly stored bottle. We'll see on the next one.
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The tannins were gripping when I first opened the bottle so I went ahead and decanted for several hours. Wow! Wow! The tannins softened and allowed for a beautifully balanced wine. Gorgeous nose of blackberry, blueberry, sweet tobacco and earth. We loved every last drop....sad it is my last bottle of the '08.
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Drank with the 2007. Both superb, 08 is a bigger bolder wine. The 2007 is more nuanced, and beautifully integrated. tough to call the winner, will have to retest next year...
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Fairly strong deep Cabernet nose. Mint, eucalyptus, oak, and some pencil shavings. Explosive front taste. Clean fresh berries. Just keeps going. Tannins quite low/integrated. Very pure and polished. Finish lasts half a minute. Solid cab. Distinctly not Napa as it is not a monster just polished and refined. Really good!!!
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NYE dinner at Seattle Ruth's Chris: No one does godly silken ambrosia like QC do in their flagship cabs. This particular young gun proved no different, and was achingly perfect after little time in decanter at all. This was nothing short of a beautifully regal offering that hit right where the rare, marbled meat called for it. Still, fans have to be concerned at the price point here. Subsequent vintages are now approaching the 150 mark .. somewhat ridiculous for WA wine .. even at this level. And so - the 2008s were the last vintage I partook in from the winery, as I find Cayuse to be the state standard - and at half the price.
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DECANTED FOR FOUR HOURS BUT CLEARLY NOT READY, DEEP DARK BERRY FRUIT IN THE NOSE AND FLAVOR WITH BLACK CURRANTS AND BLACKBERRIES NICE COMPLEXITY AND A LONG FINISH. NEEDS 5-7 MORE YEARS MINIMUM
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I decanted this for 3 hours and drank it with a cheese plate on 8/18/13. It had a deep, ripe bouquet of cassis, blackberry, blueberry, mocha, burnt toast, baking spice and sage aromas. The palate was dense, rich and layered with moderate tannins...flavors of black currant, blackberry, blueberry, burnt toast, mocha, and spice. It needs a few more years to completely integrate. 93+
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With filet mignon. While young, drinking well already - great bouquet, remarkable lingering finish. Tasted against the '09 and this was definitely the winner.
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Don't get me wrong, this is a wonderful wine. However, when we had it stacked up blind against a 2001 Rojas and a 2009 CDP, it did not come out on top. Again, don't get me wrong, everyone loved the wine, but they also loved the others as well. What I walked away from the evening with is that you do NOT have to spend $135 a bottle to have a really incredible wine experience. If prestige is important, I get have a QC on the table. But if you're trying to serve a great wine with your meal, there are multiple better options. I am on the Quilceda mailing list, and may never order another bottle until I win the lottery.
Love what rich volcanic soil does to the cab grape! Nice dark florals and earth on the nose which give way to boysenberry syrup and mocha on the tongue. Tannins are well integrated but prevalent enough to give the wine some back edge grip. Touches of acidity don't compromise the fruit which I do sometimes experience with Washington State cabs... another 3-5 years will be a great drinking window for this wine.
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Very disappointing, especially given the price and the hype. Popped and poured a bit; very tight and not showing much. Double-decanted, re-corked, and kept in the cellar for 5 hours before serving. This wine is very thin. The fruit is subtle, but fine. What this wine is missing is body, backbone, and structure. Maybe it has closed down, but with the decant and air it got, I fear not. I'll see if it improves on Day Two, but I'm not expecting much.
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D60; G10; 4.5+9*+4.5+9*+9*+4.5+5; Know why this wine is so good? Because it is not an over-extracted cab-bomb, yet it has enough fruit along with texture and complexity to continually pique your interest as it evolves over the evening. One of the few wines that nearing the end of dinner I was wishing there were another 250 ml in that bottle because I wanted to experience more evolution. Not till the next bottle....... Aerated into decanter with heavy swishing through the course of the evening. Opened nicely in the glass. Definitely ready to drink with this minimal preparation. Great clean deep purple; nose of blackberry, spice, mocha; nicely textured mouthfeel from silky tannin and light acid; palate is well layered with subtle dark fruits, anise, and an earthy leather back note that maintains a slight chewy texture into a very long finish with no aftertaste or constriction. The wine's balance is wonderful with many great years ahead. My guess is this one will evolve for another 10 years and hold well for 10 beyond that. Will reach 97+. Glad I have several bottles.
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Tasted blind with 17 other cabs from around the world. Nice spicy nose, if a bit muted. Very nice notes of cherry and spice, with some tar and tobacco. This was excellent but it was absolutely murdered by the another wine next to it that turned out to be 1/5th of the price.
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After all the hype on this wine I expected so much more. We let it decant for almost two hours. The nose was nearly non-existant. There were bright cherries on the front of the palate then "nothing" in the middle finishing with some cedar and big silky tannins. For a bottle this expensive and with so much hype I expected far more body and distinction in the wine. It was truly disappointing. Cellaring the wine wild mellow some of the tannins, but there will never be a middle body to it. Too bad
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Steaks and wines at Dan's house (Bellevue, Washington): Tasted single blind. Decanted for several hours. Blackberry, cassis, herbs, and a little mocha on the nose. Cassis, blackberry, black cherry, cassis, and a little oak on the palate. Great mouth-feel, good finish. Tannins are quite prominent. Was it me or the wine? For some reason, this wasn't performing very well. Even after the reveal and re-tasting, my notes were consistent. Others in the group were giving this 97 points, so it was probably me. Will try again in a few years. 89 points.
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Wow, what a stunning wine. Perfectly balanced with ripe and sweet flavors of blackberry and wild cherry balanced by massive yet ultra sikly tannins. Well integrated oak and just enough earth and funk to give it complexity. Drinking beautifully now, but has a very long life ahead of it. Bravo!
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FWOTN. This couldn't be much better. Decanted for an hour, then let it sit in the glass for another hour and it kept getting better. Fruit was big but balanced by the tanins, which were only slightly oaky. I have a feeling it will only get better over the next 5-10 years, but why wait?
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from the cellar, double decanted, did the shake, placed decanter in warm bath for three minutes, rebottled, let rest for two hours. First the nose ripe cab, fresh and dark. smooth and mouth filling, very rich blend of cab with a slight spike of white pepper that quickly leaves you in a long slow decent through the sent of white flowers. Every sip, your brain starts the whole process over again, what is this, this is good, long mouth pleasing finish. easy 99 points
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Quilceda Creek Comparison - '03-'08; 11/19/2011-11/25/2011 (At the Homestead....): Decanted for three hours. Inky violet and garnet. Sweet tobacco, blackberry, dried red fruit, nut meg and plums. More concentrated than the '07 and even more approachable. There's a long, tight finish that exhibits a lot of polished tannins, then fruit as well. Not ultra-feminine, but still shows some class. Pure chiffon and gleaming on all fronts. Drink 2013 - 2028.
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Dinner at Capital Grill with friends and we had two bottles. For a young wine its drinking very well right now but a few more years in bottle will be worth the wait I am sure.
I cant go as high as everyone here, but I came in at 93 points. The attack was powerful, the nose of the wine leapt from the glass with cassis, touch of allspice, red fruits and leather. The tannin’s are well integrated and the complexity was good.
Paired with the porterhouse and it was amazing! I have some ’02 and ’04 that I will pop this year and see how it compares to the older vintages.
None the less…. A great Cabernet!
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Gave the 2008 QCCS to one of my best friend for his 60th birthday. Had a birthday dinner with 8 of us to enjoy his day and grill out. Host and hostess provided the NY Strips and Salmon, my wife did the twice baked potatoes, etc. In Atlanta QC is a rare sighting for most wine lovers. I was not expecting the birthday boy to suggest that we have the wine since he was traveling back to South America on Monday afternoon. We opened, poured the wine into 7 glasses to open up for about 20 minutes. The birthday boy got the best pour from me because he deserved it. The nose started out very light but started opening up after about 10 more minutes. We took our time with the QC allocation. I immediate hit the blackberry, plum, bits of licorice and it was earthy. The tannins and acidity were there in a pleasant way. The color was dark and beauty. With my third (small) tasting it opened up and moved nicely across my palate. It gave multiple layers while perfectly structured to create an extended finish. How lucky am I to give and yet receive. Thanks again QC. I await the July 2011 releases.
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One of the best Cabs I've ever had. Smooth, light tannins. After 5 min all tannins were softened and the rich fruit flavor came through. Also had an amazing Vanilla finish that was incredible. Had it with Beef Tips---mouth watering.
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Smooth, enjoyable, nicely integrated oak but still lots of it, tasted youthful, syrupy. Not as intense as I was expecting. Did not have opportunity to decant or breath. Well rounded in terms of color, nose, tannins and finish.
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Couldn't resisit popping the cork on one of these. Was surprised how approachable the wine was, especially having tried an '07 QC Columbia Valley Red, which was far too tannic and astringent. This bottle was very nice but didn't show the full QC profile. Nevertheless, enjoyed the rich fruit and very long finish. Lots of currant, berry/cherry, and floral notes going on. Will likely improve
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Best QC i've tasted at release yet. Very ready to drink. The palate was balanced, smooth and approachable. Nose of cassis, berry, coffee, some spice and herbs. Plenty of fruit, tannins and acids to stand up for years. I expect it to be better than at least the 07, 06 amd 02.
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This is more like the 05 than the 07. The main difference is that this is softer and more accessible than the 07. It has a beautiful freshness and structure.
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A friend and I tasted this at the 3/20/11 release party. It had a great bouquet of cassis, blackberry, mocha, burnt toast, baking spice and sage aromas. The palate was balanced, incredibly smooth and very approachable with flavors of cassis, blackberry, burnt toast, mocha, coffee, spice and sage.
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to me this vintage is just a bit below the quality of the 07 (i gave the 07' 94 pts). first thing i noticed was the difference in texture, the 07 was almost port-like in viscosity, while the 08 is more traditional. at this point the nose is giving up little but did develop as it got a bit more air. the big difference to me is the early approachability of this vintage. the 07 had such prominent tannins that by the end of my sample, it seemed that i had eaten a piece of cedar. the 08 still has plenty of oak, but it is much smoother. also shows less heat in this vintage. the palate does show a bit less intensity, although it seemed to be opening a bit with some swirling and did have noticeably more peppery spice. just as last year, this did not show as well as the red wine, imo, though with time it is sure to develop into a better wine.
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tasted at release weekend......great appetzers. Tasted yummy with the duck slider....we will put it in the cellar and wait a few years. Also tasted the 2008 Red Wine 81% Cab 13% merlot the rest Cab Franc and Malbec . It was delicious, delicious... with short rib tapa. I have already planned a case to enter the cellar when allocated for Oct . Had a great time at the release weekend sure wished I would have had a couple more tasting tokens. Quilceda.....how about putting your tapa recipes online?
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Had a pour at wine release weekend. Hard to rate but not as good as prior years. More tart and thin than I remember from last year. Obviously needs a few years to start balancing.
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4/20/2024 - deadwax Likes this wine: 95 Points
Double decanted for sediment and air about 90 minutes before consumption. Very good balance for a big wine. Tannins mostly resolved. Dark fruits and spice box on the nose, those follow to the pallet. Long finish. Have a few more and plan to wait 2-3 years for the next one.
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4/8/2024 - Quaffable Likes this wine: 95 Points
Wow, a friend brought it over tonight. Beautiful wine. Wish I had some. Might be fully mature, but no sign of fading.
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3/30/2024 - Dnordh wrote: 95 Points
Very good, full body, fruity. Have not had it for several years. Used to be one of my favourite wines and still is.
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3/24/2024 - jkwoodward Likes this wine: 96 Points
Just keeps getting better. Perfectly integrated, mocha and cassis on the nose. Delicious with ribeye.
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1/21/2024 - SMHalps Likes this wine: 91 Points
My final bottle of this vintage and I shared it with 5 other members of my wine group. I have to say they liked it much more than I did. I felt it was a little past its prime, almost all spice notes, some oxidation on the nose, and very little fruit showing. Still good, but nowhere near as good as it was a few years ago. But like I said, most of my group liked it much more than I did.
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1/14/2024 - Esmags7 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Had the 2007 and the 2010 on consecutive nights, so felt the need to try this one tonight.
This is a good wine - however, I decanted for 90 and it was still quite disjointed - took until hour 3 for the heat to burn off and it settled in. This is dark fruit (blackberry, plum) especially relative to the aforementioned vintages; runs hotter with more tobacco vs. toasted spice as well.
Very chewy as it opened up, and then settled into a more pleasant texture with a long finish.
I very much like it, very happy to drink it, but if you can get the '07, '09, '10 or '12 instead of this? Go for those.
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12/13/2023 - randyjc wrote: 93 Points
This wine showed quite well once it warmed a bit and had been exposed to air for about 90 minutes. Didn’t have time to warm it or for a lengthy decant, so - lesson learned. As to the wine once it was showing well, it’s a big, black, deep wine but not brutish or, as QCs often are, alcoholic. Big black and blue fruit, some nice Christmas spices (timely) and baker’s chocolate. I wish we would have had a magnum of it - though that would have made for a late night and a less rational tasting note. Good stuff.
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12/11/2023 - le_franc_de_pied wrote: 92 Points
Big cab city. Aromatically open for business. Palate is open, ripe and luscious. Graphite and hint of green. Good example of what it is, however, don't look for subtlety.
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12/2/2023 - Julien D Likes this wine: 93 Points
Nose opens with blackberry, blueberry notes along with cedar and vanilla gousse. The kept opening more and more with additional notes of black currant, black cherry, pencil shavings. Medium body, melted tannins and still some biting acidity. A lot of dark cherry, and black currant with nicely integrated oak. It’s very well made. My only critic is a rather simple and weak mid palate
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11/18/2023 - RickyT12 Likes this wine: 90 Points
This bottle was a bit underwhelming. Had a hint of flatness to the wine. Seemed dead.
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6/6/2023 - johnnyo wrote: 95 Points
Exquisite wine!
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6/6/2023 - csimm wrote: 93 Points
TOP SHELF WINE WEEKEND: This was a blind bottle of some sort of Cabernet Sauvignon-type or Cab-blend, presented by sfwinelover1. The profile was a bit funky and brambly, and certainly not immediately steering me toward Napa, with Ridge Monte Bello or perhaps a Sonoma Cabernet in a “quieter” vintage coming to the forefront of my initial pondering. I had just come off the 2013 Verite La Joie, which was especially herbal and earthy, so I suspect that may have played a role in my deliberations (as erroneous as they were). With air, the funk and green notes became elevated but so too did the dusty black cherry and macerated plum. The alcohol and earth pushed forward as well, but in a way that held balance. I was centered on Sonoma Cabernet – and was wrong. At the last second, after sfwinelover1 made a comment about this being a wine he has adored in the past, I did say QC, but quickly retracted, thinking he may have tried to double dupe us all with some goofy experiment to trick us into liking Italian wine, again! As it often is the case, I wouldn’t have called this out as a 2008 QC, especially if it was a true blind and I did not know who had brought it and what the “theme” of the evening was. Washington makes sense of course after the fact.
To the wine, I found it very pleasurable, most especially as a nicely scenic detour from some of the megawines at the counter. My palate longed for a bit more refinement overall, but its rusticity offers an attractive person(wine)ality. Not everyone at the party has to wear Ivy League Cardigan vest sweaters, salmon pants, and canvas loafers.
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5/28/2023 - sfwinelover1 Likes this wine:
Best of the World Wine Night (ex-Italy) (The csimm_M Estate): Consistent with my aeration ablutions and general traits from my 6/22 TN. Writing separately but not scoring again for reasons below. Brought by me to winefest, with a twist. I knew the Colgin and Aubert I brought were labels familiar to many of the guests, even if perhaps the individual cuvees and/or vintages may not have been. But in searching the TNs of the guests I could find and the cellars, to the extent open, on CT, I couldn’t find a one who’d ever had this bottling. As someone who places this bottling among his favorites—and I’m unapologetically more cost conscious than many of the attendees, so if price were less of a consideration, it would move down the list, but only slightly—I found this absolutely shocking, since this producer has been around 25+ years, year in and out gets outstanding, often perfect scores from the pros and is deeply loved on CT. Sooo, sfwl’s impish side came out, suggesting to the host I’d like to pour this blind, with the following descriptors: it met his price criteria ($200+, just barely, ever so slightly better with careful shopping), was New World (the theme of the night, Grange, VSU, etc. not withstanding), wasn’t made by Mark Aubert nor contained Roman numerals on the label (a small, self-referential joke to the Colgin and Aubert), and was a CS or BDX blend. So, maybe just a bit less than halfway into the night, someone noticed the wrapped bottle, and the game was on. Whether out of politeness or genuine fondness, the comments were almost uniformly positive (about the only one that was critical, and was fair, was that it lacked the acidity to bring it to the next level), but the guesses of vintage and producer were all over the place, most not close (lest that be taken as a criticism of my esteemed friends, my doing this with any random wine would likely have been at least as far afield), with almost everyone guessing a far more recent vintage—yah, the fruit is really vibrant—and the guesses almost all Napa producers, even though most if not all were producers the guests had had before, which I told them wasn’t the case here. Several thought the dominant grape merlot, one, I think, CF. In addition, out of the back of the room came at least one for one of the SOS wines (Italy in the New World? I don’t think so) and a sheepish one, without conviction, for Cayuse, no cuvee specified (the best guesses, IMO, were Larkmead and Spottswoode, but again, previously consumed by many, so definitionally out). When we had the big reveal, there was lots of mirth and head nodding, and, to my continuing satisfaction, compliments of great pull from It winemaker Alex and well-versed CT friend WBW. Thanks everyone for participating so good naturedly.
One final thought. If scoring, I’d be 95-96+, a bit lower than my TN from a year ago. In no way did this perform worse (it was indistinguishable, IMO), but that night, there were no Harlans, Colgins, Abreus, LaFleurs, etc. around. In the land of the giants, this impressively held its own, as IRBDW points out, all the more impressively, at its price point, but it clearly was just a bit less giant than the amazons of the night. It’s a fabulous wine—and a VG vintage to boot—but not an extraordinary one, but when you find one of those at this price point (other than guest/friend Alex’s, which, alas, as someone not on the list, is far dearer to me), please LMK, preferably before you buy the last bottle.
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5/28/2023 - I'd Rather Be Drinking Wine Likes this wine: 94 Points
Wild and Crazy Memorial Weekend - Sunday (Chris' Castle aka Melissa's Manor): This was served blind. Pegged new world and cabernet, but thought California....never even considered WA....would like to think it was because I drank too much, but who am I kidding? I really would have never guessed WA anyway (although after the reveal, it certainly made sense...but hindsight is 20/20!)
Delicious wine that didn't get lost amount a group of superstars! While I will say that this tasting (both day 1 and day 2) was the best tasting I have ever had the privilege of attending, the down side is that all the superstars had to share the spotlight, even though each one deserved their own spotlight! This wine was no exception!
2008 Quilceda Creek - A very nice Cab that could pass for Bordeaux blend, as it has the dark fruit of a cab, but also seems to have the chocolate covered cherry you often see in Merlot (I did peg it for Cab, but in retrospect, I wouldn't have been surprised if it was a blend). The oak was well integrated and the wine showed notes of earth, bramble, anise and spice. The wine is very solid and would be a standout wine on its own...a nice and humbling blind wine that could stand proud with wines costing two to four times as much! Definitely a great QPR! Solid 94 for my palate, and that may be slightly conservative.
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5/28/2023 - WineBurrowingWombat Likes this wine: 95 Points
Memorial Day Weekend, Day 2: The Great Gatsby: d-.-b <BLIND BOTTLE PULL> d-.-b
Aromas of rich blueberries, cassis and black roses.
Flavors of dark fruits and rich earth, decent integration already.
I had no idea what to guess here and with my limited rolodex of producers. I threw out a random Paul Hobbs without ever even tasting them before. This was a very pleasant surprise. Very approachable and tasty. Blinds are always fun!
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4/27/2023 - acc_123 wrote: 98 Points
Amazing. Full bodied and fleshy but with refreshing, high tones for a perfect balance. Finish goes on and on. This is in a great spot.
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4/8/2023 - GrandeSerataFuori wrote: 85 Points
Raisin, chocolate, prune, tobacco. It felt disjointed and hot. Too much of a high alcohol bruiser for me.
To be fair, this had traveled 1,000s of miles on our bus, unintentionally. May have effected it. I also suspect it was not stored perfectly.
(Had backstage with Todd and Jeff. Nice gift from Dick.)
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3/26/2023 - Neecies Likes this wine:
Charlie nailed it: "Sold cherry red with slightly translucent rim. Complex nose of black cherry, tobacco, bitter-sweet chocolate. Lush and deep on the palate, blackberry, black cherry, chocolate, cedar box, sweet tobacco. Bright cherry on the mid-palate. Smooth tannins, great acidity, fabulous balance. Finishes long..."
Simply a beautifully made wine. One of the best QC's I've had.
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2/12/2023 - WoodieBayArea wrote: 89 Points
again, very stern / dark and not giving much of anything... could this open up in 5-7 years... maybe but not sure... for a lot of producers in CA cab land the post 2000 decade was a dark moment with alcohol levels going high (this btl is 15.2%) and wines made with an "in your face!!" style... bummer... I continue to love the 70's / 80's and early 90's ('74 and '78 in particular... this is not one of those wines... sad
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1/29/2023 - mlawren1 wrote: 92 Points
Dark and silky. Plums, currants and cherries melt into a hint of chocolate on the finish.
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1/15/2023 - Charlie C Likes this wine: 98 Points
Sold cherry red with slightly translucent rim. Complex nose of black cherry, tobacco, bitter-sweet chocolate. Lush and deep on the palate, blackberry, black cherry, chocolate, cedar box, sweet tobacco. Bright cherry on the mid-palate. Smooth tannins, great acidity, fabulous balance. Finishes long, long and dark-fruited. Fabulous wine. Drink next 10 years, perhaps longer.
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12/25/2022 - Jheinlen Likes this wine: 91 Points
14 years old and decanted 4 hours at 61 degrees. The oldest cab I've ever tried so the comparison is hard to make. It was much easier to drink than a young cab and the fruit was very muted revealing the wood flavor underneath. A wonderful experience especially because we compared directly to 2018 Napa cab after and the difference was striking.
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11/27/2022 - davidandrose Likes this wine: 96 Points
What a treat. Notes are as we wrap up the bottle following 3.5 hrs in the decanter. Sampled side-by-side this was consistently better from a std cab stem rather than Somm stems.
Black and blue nose is extremely floral. For the first 2 hrs you'd have never imagined this wine was a 14 YO wine, dark and lush but clearly mature;not tight.
With the air afforded there's considerable heft but man this is well balanced. Dark black fruit is ripe and luscious but not overpowering or extracted. Mouthfeel is medium to heavy with a satiny finish that envelops the entire plate lasting 20-30 secs. After 5 hrs in the decanter this seems more old world than new. While still a cab rather than a blend, I now see a wine that better matches its age.
Sadly this is our last bottle as remaining bottles could last another 7-15 years. To those w more stock, I'm happy to buy a bottle, or cheers to your enjoyment when the occasion suits you!
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11/24/2022 - RPerro Likes this wine: 96 Points
Decanted 4 hours. Still showing ample tannin, this was an outstanding wine, especially when paired with grilled NY steaks and mashed potatoes. Cassis and cherry fruit, oak, black tea, vanilla, espresso, tar and violets all coming together in perfect harmony. Still has many years of development in front of it, so no rush to open these if you have them. Drink now with air - 2038.
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11/3/2022 - learningandenjoying Likes this wine: 96 Points
Side by side with '06. G30; 4.5*+9*+4.5*+9*+9+4.5+4.5*=96+; Dark purple color. This was great from the start, but needed G30 to harmonize. After that it was improving with aromatics leading the way; more dark berry than leather and smoke. Palate certainly followed, but the evolution seemed most apparent in the aromatics with the palate continuing to smooth while maintaining really great complexity. No flaws, just change and evolution as it opened. Super well-balanced wine with good complexity and finish. Strong tannins and acidity on the finish until it has time to mellow in the glass. This is likely years away from its peak and 10 more beyond that for a plateau. No hurry.
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10/24/2022 - Magnolian Likes this wine: 96 Points
Dark purple, slight bricking. My last 750 of this vintage. Decanted for 1 hr and vinturi'd at home before bringing to local restaurant where we drank over 1.5 hours. Dark purple with slight bricking. Powerful, room-filling aromas of licorice, sweet wood, spices, and pepper. Similar notes as prior review, but fruit is more pronounced and better integrated. Just a lovely wine. Few points higher than prior bottle in 2019. Drink or hold, no hurry--might improve a little going forward?
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10/17/2022 - Meanblond wrote:
99 point
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9/10/2022 - travelme Likes this wine: 96 Points
This was another great bottle opened at a celebration for my friends birthday. Opened up nicely and was both smooth as well as had a forest floor note going on to match the blueberry 🫐 and blackberry notes I pulled from this. It also had a hint of plum and spice on the finish. I loved it. I have one more of this vintage.
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8/14/2022 - dsimmons Likes this wine: 95 Points
Delicious but still not quite ready. Drink or hold. Super concentrated. Some unresolved tannin.
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7/27/2022 - hkbob Likes this wine: 93 Points
Deep glass staining purple. A very good and powerful wine, although I struggled at times to get past the pronounced coconut on the nose behind which lay blackberry, vanilla and notions of dark plum, creosote and mesquite charcoal. The palate was rich, dark fruit with soft tannins and great length. But again, even on day 2, the strong coconut aromatics diminished the overall experience for me.
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6/21/2022 - sfwinelover1 Likes this wine: 97 Points
First of 3 ($125@) from a recent auction purchase. On the intense nose and palate, blue and blackberries, cassis, plums, prunes, anise, cigar box, espresso, graphite, dark florals, incense, Cascadian notes of Eucalyptus and pine needles, and after a while, subtle notes of dark chocolate. Opaquely purple with just a touch of brown, full bodied with thick, thick legs. Medium++ tannins, lightish acidity, a bit of heat on the pour which dissipated over the first night. Massively complex, persistent and intense. This came out of the bottle absolutely huge, with a lot of sweetness, which lessened but still remained, largely mitigated by the graphite/espresso notes and with a bit of heat, but by the time of my first glass 2 hours and 15 minutes after opening, this was balancing out memorably, with waves of flavors emerging which continued to deepen and extend over the 3 nights I drank this (there wasn’t a hint of oxidation or loss of intensity over that time). These QCs are a thing unto themselves—I feel confident I could pick them out of a blind tasting lineup—with fruit you might find in a CA cult cab, but with far more structure than I’d expect from many of those wines and with the almost foresty notes that make me think of the Pacific NW, the latter of 2 of which keep it from teetering into the fruit bomb territory of some of our local wares. Unsurprisingly, with a strong tannic backbone, these consistently excel with food, in this case, burgers, red sauce and pizza on different nights, but this is a really magnificent cocktail wine as well. I agree with other observers that the best may still be to come for this beauty, although if you have several and air it out, there’s absolutely nothing wrong with popping one now (air with this, like the prior Saffredi, is a huge friend, to my palate). I’m scoring this just below the ‘06–although I’ll confess that if I had them side by side, that might not be the case—as that wine seemed just a little closer to its peak, and this wine suffered, through no fault of its own, of being consumed during a rare SF heat wave (before you guffaw too hard and ask if the mercury hit 75, it was almost 100). At the risk of my CT friends thinking I’m a total yutz, after drinking this bottling, Peter Michael LP and Flaccinello across vintages, all at price points similar to this, I think I could be pretty happy quaffing just these three wines (well, that would still be 2x+ my typical wine spend, but what price happiness, right?) if someone were to stick me on a desert island. I’ll hold my next bottle of this for at least another year or 2 while looking for more of this and its sibs Galitzine and Palenget (I just bought 3 ‘15 Galitzines). As always, mourning that the locals have such a hard time matching this at what I paid, but it makes it easier to meet my NY resolution of drinking more WA wine (pretty marginal resolution, right? Maybe I should shoot higher and try to cure cancer?). 97++, with a good chance of advancing a point in the years to come.
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3/12/2022 - jgreco Does not like this wine: 90 Points
This bottle of 2008 Quilceda Creek is quite a bit more mature than I expected so perhaps this bottle wasn't stored properly. However, it is drinking well if you ignore the vintage with blue and red fruit, cedar, smoke. Smooth and velvety on the too short of a finish.
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3/7/2022 - RickyT12 Likes this wine: 93 Points
Decanted 3 hours.
Dark dark purple.
Still very powerful. Ink, iodine, sea salt, underripe raspberry and blackberries. Alcohol is powerful. Mint mixed berries. Very fruit forward. Long finish. Good velvety mouthfeel. The alcohol is a bit too much still, which is shocking to me. Great wine, but probably should have waited another 3 years minimum, it still has not smoothed out.
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2/27/2022 - Vincenzos Wines Likes this wine: 99 Points
Incredible wine. Decanted for 3 hours and it needed every bit of it. Outstanding nose of currants, tobacco, and earth. Deep taste with many layers. Tobacco, dark berries, currants, faint hint of citrus, graphite. Smooth tannins. Very long finish. Still has many years before it peaks. Serve with your best steak and enjoy!
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2/27/2022 - UFGators Likes this wine: 94 Points
94++. Over three years have passed since I last had this wine and it is still incredibly youthful. This is a very large scale wine with a tannic structure that is built for the long haul. This will continue tk improve for next 5 years or better. Drink with decant or Hold.
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1/26/2022 - Gregmonroe wrote:
WWC - GA (FWC): Tasted blind - deep red in the glass, and lots of red fruit, jumbled together, on the nose. Almost stewed red fruit, and jammy, but did not smell like an older wine. Somewhat green on the palate, but not like green pepper or a cab franc, just a little disorganized. I called a bordeaux, as the cabernet stood out, but I think this one could use some more cellar time.
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1/12/2022 - D3S Likes this wine: 97 Points
The wine was outstanding. I decanted for an hour and paired with braised short ribs.
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11/25/2021 - Cholera Likes this wine: 98 Points
Tremendous wine. They counted over two hours. Smooth enveloping tanninsAnd velvety texture, fully encompassing mouth feel. Flavor Notes dark fruits, cherry reduction with tobacco, graphite and earth-forest notes. Chocolate and burnt toast complement the heaviness of his wine. Truly a winner
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11/6/2021 - Zambraia Likes this wine: 99 Points
Perfectly banlanced. Plums, hint of clove. Creamy.
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9/4/2021 - tomlee wrote: 97 Points
Purple in color. 15.2% ABV. Towering nose of blue fruits, scorched earth, Whitman Sampler box and violets. Full bodied with tremendous power and concentration. Exceptional balance. Currants, cassis liqueur, raspberry and chocolate truffle on the palate. The finish on the wine is incredibly long with pronounced silky tannins. This Cabernet is appealing and approachable now but rest assured it will age well for another decade.
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7/17/2021 - Esmags7 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Decanted for 2 hours, drank over next 2. Didn’t start to fully open until hour 3.
Has the “creamy” finish associated with QC. Little bit jammy - dark fruit and pepper. The tannins and acid had really faded. Huge, long finish. Enjoyed a great deal, but not on par with some of the other great QC vintages that justify a whole bottle (at least) by yourself.
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4/9/2021 - Miceri Likes this wine: 90 Points
Burned sunberries, blood, hint of pepper; very soft and rounded, little tannic hint but not much, although slightly mouthplucking ending, some light caramel; nice, but given price point a bit disappointing - no “extra features”
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4/2/2021 - AllRed wrote: 93 Points
Friday Night Uptown Brown Bagger (R&D's): Double blind. Aromas of lavender, black raspberry, cassis, licorice and something a touch green. Flavors of red and black fruits and vanilla. A hint of spice in the background as well. Long finish; well-balanced. Very nice. (R&R)
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3/30/2021 - Winning_Wines Likes this wine: 94 Points
Quick decant to celebrate Washington wine month. The nose is a bit hot (15.2%), but none of that shows through. Lucious blue fruits, cedar, pencil lead, and cigar box round out the long and singing finish. This is certainly from a cooler year and drinking well already, but with plenty of structure for additional aging. A winning wine for sure!
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2/28/2021 - markcic Likes this wine: 94 Points
I had not tried a bottle since my good friend Michael served it at his house one night a few years back. I opened it and slow ox'd for 6 hours. Put the cork in and took to my club for steak night. We poured though a vintorio. Dark fruit on the nose, the palate was alive with blackberry, burnt cherry, fig, tobacco and hints coffee. The finish was long and full. I think it slightly overshadowed the 2010 Realm Farella we drank alongside. My wife thinks different which is why I do the writeups early when she is sleeping.
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2/23/2021 - WoodieBayArea wrote: 89 Points
had this over two nights, I didn't like it at all, but others were more positive, this felt to me like a great example of what I didn't like about the late 90's through early 2010's style shift for CA cabs... big alcohol, ripe fruit at harvest, loads of oak, in your face, etc etc... have four more so hoping age takes the volume down a notch or two... this was a well made version of a wine type I don't like, so others may love it
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2/15/2021 - Dough Boy Likes this wine: 94 Points
A solid wine but unnoteworthy, especially from this producer. I hope next time it shows much better.
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2/3/2021 - bobvictor Likes this wine: 94 Points
Drank over three nights. Wonderful on the first two nights. Deep dark purple. Great vibrant fruit well balanced. Drink or hold
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1/4/2021 - cabsrgreat wrote: 99 Points
Just a wonderful wine. Tannins well integrated. Drinking really well now.
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12/28/2020 - EvanRose Likes this wine: 98 Points
Popped this beauty open to celebrate my grandson’s 2nd birthday - none for him though! Just a beautiful wine with layer upon layer of flavor, luxurious, velvety mouthfeel and a long finish. As one might say, a typical QC.
This wine has aged beautifully.
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12/23/2020 - mdvillaverde wrote: 92 Points
I let it breathe for 2 hours. Drank over 3. Similar tasting experience as AJRez below. Needed a lot of time out of the bottle and not sure there was much improvement. Muted fruit. Not much on the nose. Lets see what shows on day 2.
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12/12/2020 - ajrez wrote: 92 Points
Feels like an awkward period. After 6 hours open, still a lot of heat, muted nose that eventually opened up a bit. Old world style, fruit is secondary, will try the other half of the bottle on day 2.
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11/3/2020 - BobbaWA Likes this wine: 97 Points
Election night 2020, so I picked a vintage from another memorable political year. This wine is great, a full, heady aroma of dark fruit and fresh earth hit the nose. Big, full condensed dark berries lead pencil and compacted awesomeness on the palate. I vote for Quilceda Creek.
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9/2/2020 - michigan dogs Likes this wine: 97 Points
Excellent, Mike said it was the best cab he has had which is saying alot.
We took to a restaurant so the decant was very short, but the wine shined from the start. Nice dark fruit, cherry. Very well balanced, did not notice the tannins. I would guess that this is at it's peak right now
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6/27/2020 - Eventrider wrote: 94 Points
Amazing, drinking beautifully. Blackberry, tar, leather, little menthol, creamy. Integrated tannins. No decant.
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6/27/2020 - Stevethebeav Likes this wine: 97 Points
This just keeps getting better.
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6/22/2020 - dsimmons wrote:
This bottle was drinkable but a bit off.
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6/6/2020 - RickyT12 Likes this wine: 93 Points
Decanted 2hrs.
Blueberry skin, ink, toast, a bit tannic, cream, hints of tar. Vegetal, mint. Creamy palette. This bottle is missing a little something. Nice wine though.
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6/5/2020 - BobbaWA Likes this wine: 95 Points
Rich, deep nose; plums and earth. Full finish.
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6/2/2020 - davidandrose wrote: 94 Points
Decanted half the bottle which we slowly followed over 2 hrs. Balance went straight into the glass, with the bottle put to bed four hours after first opened.
Blueberry aromas filled the wine cellar when the bottle was uncorked; fine grained tannins coated the palate.
Three hours after opening there is black fruit, tar, vanilla and a hint of alcohol on the nose. There’s a dry finish that coats the front and mid palate, with dark fruit, aged oak, and faint earth and spice in the background. Finish really lingers.
I’ve got one more bottle of this and there’s no rush to get to it at all. Good through 2025+. This is what Quilceda is all about!
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5/23/2020 - NTR wrote: 94 Points
Pop and pour (I know!) - Pretty sharp graphite nose But the fruit comes through. Big berry taste. Gonna give this some air and come back in a bit......
And we are back - 2 hrs later. Deep fruit, pretty heavy graphite. Very expressive and mouth filling. Tannins abated. Drinking quite well with a long finish. A little tartness on the back end which is disconcerting.
I am comfortable with my previous ratings.
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5/22/2020 - Francophile1 Likes this wine:
Similar to the Aubert tasted previously, this is not built in my preferred style. However, I can see why people love it. This is the Del Dotto “The Beast” of Columbia Valley. They extract so much flavor out of their grapes. A strong flavor of black cherry with an almost medicinal/ Ludens cough drop on the finish. I can still taste some alcohol on the finish and hope this will integrate with more time in the cellar. This is a massive wine that can stand up to any cut of meat. It is almost a meal by itself.
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5/16/2020 - Grinner wrote: 97 Points
Woodward Cellar Emptying; 5/15/2020-5/16/2020 (Woodyville): WOTW(eekend), tied for WOTY(ear). This was a great bottle! Deep dark almost still brooding, with blackberry, black cherry, creme de cassis, stone, and mocha/ oak. Tannins are there but integrating, another 25 year wine. I'd actually wait a year or two if you only had a couple. 97+
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5/16/2020 - jkwoodward Likes this wine: 97 Points
Just amazing right now, so silky and satisfying. Went up against 09 bordeaux and 2012 schrader rbs and came away the winner, WOTN for sure. So fun to be able to see this evolve, will be interested if it can be even better down the line. Enjoyed with Grinner.
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4/17/2020 - RickyT12 Likes this wine: 94 Points
Corivin over 2 days
Perfumie, earth, smoke, ripe cherry, over ripe blackberries, graphite, orange zest.
Great balance. Weight medium plus, acid medium. Very silky tannins. Alcohol is a bit high. Needs a decant for sure.prune. Would have better decanted and drunk in one day. IMO
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3/29/2020 - RickyT12 Likes this wine: 94 Points
Decanted 2.5 hours. It needed the decant. Big juicy character. Ink, blueberries, prune, really nice wine. Pepper, green pepper, a little bitter vegetable flavors. Dark chocolate. Powerful wine, a bit high on alcohol, but not too bothersome. Very creamy milk chocolate texture. Great wine that should be even better in 5 years or so.
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3/15/2020 - Rhone Rick Likes this wine:
Needs a solid decant... I failed there, so won’t score it but it was a powerhouse & showed potential for greatness (big serious fruit, graphite but very tight).
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12/25/2019 - Magnolian Likes this wine: 93 Points
Perfect cork, no bricking, opaque purple. Decanted for 2 hours before serving with prime rib. Still tight, with mere glimpses of what is to come. Firm but silky-smooth tannins seem to be holding back an avalanche of fruit that never quite materializes. Surprisingly, overshadowed by an '04 Cayuse cab that was closer to peak and more open. Suggest a 3+ hour decant at this stage or better yet let it sit 2-10 more years.
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11/29/2019 - WizardNeedsFood Likes this wine: 95 Points
Drinking very well right now. Decanted 2 hours. Classic QC - cassis, black currants, mission figs, black plum, a little pine, some fragrant spice, pleasant wet sidewalk, hint of rose water. Full body, nice long finish.
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10/27/2019 - Franziafanboy wrote: 94 Points
Deliciously dry and big, could use a bit more time on the bottle
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10/7/2019 - jgreco Likes this wine: 96 Points
The 2008 Quilceda Creek was a little shy at first, taking over an hour in the decanter before it opened up. But when it did, oh boy, what a great and unique vintage of the Quilceda Creek flagship. This a very black fruit dominated vintage. Texturally, the 2008 is silky smooth and plush which is quite different experience than other vintages, especially this young. There’s also that signature Washington “tree bark” that you get in every bottle of Quilceda Creek. The finish is warm with a little green apple.
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10/6/2019 - Elkcims Likes this wine: 96 Points
Blue fruits, leather, smoke, pencil, earth. Full bodied and well balanced. 30 second length on the finish, silky tannins. Rock solid cabernet sauvignon. While this may develop secondary flavors, I don't see this getting better. Best over the next 3-5 years.
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9/25/2019 - mclanew wrote: 91 Points
Decanted one hour. Decent nose of black currant, flowers and a touch of herbs. The palate is thick and full bodied with concentrated black fruits, smoked meats, lead pencil and some herbaceousness. I felt this wine need more time to unwind because it felt a little monolithic and the oak hasn’t fully integrated into the wine yet but the underlying materials are excellent. My score will probably be higher next time I try it.
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7/12/2019 - Charlie C Likes this wine: 96 Points
I love the Quilceda Creek Cabs and this did not disappoint. A deep blackberry nose. The palate showed deeply flavored dark fruits, black cherries, some currants, tobacco, coffee. It mellowed with the food (grilled bavette steak). Long, lingering finish of dark fruits.
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6/19/2019 - Redteeth wrote:
Was not able to decant. The cork was sound, the was color deep and rich, the nose was just right, and the wine was delicious. Very pleasing and easy to drink. Fully ready to enjoy but should hold for a few more years if you choose.
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5/11/2019 - depdoc Likes this wine: 95 Points
Gigantic aroma of plum and cocoa. Super smooth, polished, balanced, lots of dark fruit.
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4/14/2019 - jviz wrote: 94 Points
Big and voluptuous, soft, plush tannins with full fruit. Prime window for this style?
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3/24/2019 - Stevethebeav wrote: 95 Points
Very elegant texture and length. The edges have rounded since my last tasting. It is well integrated and complex. The fruit is dark and rich. Black olives and licorice. Oak and gravel. Nice slightly floral finish. So enjoyable. I could take it take it take it take it.
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3/10/2019 - mjf@ulkner wrote: 93 Points
Dark purple. Ripe plum and black currant fruit. Prominent cassis in finish. Fine tannins on the finish. Very nicely balanced, drinking well now.
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1/16/2019 - davidandrose Likes this wine: 96 Points
Decanted, followed over 3 hours. Exquisite and elegant nose w a bouquet of leather, crushed stone, fig and dark fruit.
Outstanding balance on the palate; Silky smooth, several layers, and a rewarding finish that’s more difficult to describe than android.
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1/11/2019 - Schwarzer Hund Likes this wine:
Our first bottle out of case purchased from QC at release. Dark red color, aromas of black currants, mixed raspberry, spice and chocolate. Maybe a hint of mint in there too. Rich dense fruit on palate, spice, chocolate, sweet tannins with a long smooth finish. Very tasty now but will age well. We opened and decanted 90 minutes before dinner. It continued to expand and improve over the next 3 hours and then it was all gone! Next bottle will get more air time but this bottle was delicious.
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12/25/2018 - hiker_guy Likes this wine:
Served with rack of lamb at Christmas dinner. Worked well with the meal.
Decanted 4 hours before dinner. Was drinking best at the 7 hour mark.
Smooth, silky, big, full bodied and very rich. Touch of heat on the finish.
Nose has a nice lavender, floral note.
Palate is rich and full. Very much wants to be the center of attention. This is not a wine to complement dinner. It is a wine to build dinner around. In that regard it was rather exhausting to drink since it kept demanding so much attention. This is a big wine, a balanced wine and a well made wine. For those who like bigger styles this will thrill you. For those who like wines to complement your food and enjoy with dinner, this may tire you out quickly.
I tend towards the Wine Spectator's opinion rather than the Advocate's.
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12/16/2018 - Sebacca Likes this wine: 95 Points
Absolutely terrific. We drank it as a family in December 2018. Marcel, Ethel, Andre, Joni, Sandy, Peter, Stella, Nara, and Max.
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10/30/2018 - dsimmons Likes this wine: 95 Points
As expected, a great bottle of Cab from Q Creek. PnP and drank with grilled tenderloin. Delicious wine with loads of fruit, sweet tannin and good balance. Drink or hold.
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9/22/2018 - Radboy wrote: 94 Points
Slight hint of green bellpepper, hints of tobacco on the palate with dark fruit. Nice defintion with well defined and integrated tannins. A beautiful expression of Washington cabernet. Great body and mid-palate. It is a bit extracted on the finish. Overall a nice wine but pales in cmparison to a good Bordeaux of similar price.
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9/22/2018 - bonedoc wrote: 93 Points
Big, ripe, chocolate, some coffee notes.
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9/18/2018 - UFGators Likes this wine: 94 Points
A beautiful pure cab expression. Tons of dark fruit, exotic spices and Cabernet sweetness. This wine is extremely high quality and needs very little decant. The wine seem to fade a bit after 1.5 hours but it’s delicious and fully mature. Tanins fully resolved.
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9/15/2018 - markcic Likes this wine: 94 Points
At my good friends Michael's house. He opened it and decanted it for a few hours. Dark fruit on the nose, the palate was alive with blackberry, burnt cherry, fig, tobacco and hints of sage. The finish was long and full.
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8/9/2018 - SlimShaney Likes this wine: 95 Points
Gorgeous blueberry levitating gracefully over the steadfast earth
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7/24/2018 - qcwino wrote:
Extraction levels are fine and it trends a little toward red fruit with a long finish. My issue though is that this wine drinks very hot. The alcohol really sticks out and kills the whole experience.
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6/15/2018 - mlawren1 wrote: 91 Points
Was a bit tight. Some berries and currants, but muted.
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6/9/2018 - EvanRose Likes this wine: 99 Points
Transcendental. As anyone cn see, I am quite fond of QC, but the 2008 was the best I have ever had. Dark and red fruit, chocolate, layer upon layer of flavor, incredibly long finish and a lush texture. Served with steak and it could not have been more perfect.
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6/3/2018 - jkwoodward Likes this wine: 97 Points
Wow. Had with wagyu New York strips seared and for nished in oven. Unreal. Sliced through the fat with a rich bouquet and hint of chocolate. Perfect balance but plenty of tannin left. Just awesome.
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5/26/2018 - Mkaz Likes this wine: 96 Points
Gave it a long decant of 5 hours in prep for a milestone birthday and it didn't disappoint. Truly amazing.
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5/19/2018 - Bob23 Likes this wine: 94 Points
Such solid and dark black and red fruit - many years left on this beauty. It also doesn’t drink like the 15+% it is, but is wonderfully integrated and drinking really well, if still a touch primary. Wish I had another bottle.
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5/11/2018 - garambler Likes this wine: 95 Points
I opened this when friends came to our 5/11/18 grilled Ribeye dinner. It had a deep, rich, layered and beautifully harmonious bouquet of black currant, blackberry, blueberry, mocha, cocoa, licorice, cinnamon and spice aromas. The palate was rich, powerful, dense and elegant with flavors of black currant, blackberry, blueberry, mocha, cocoa, licorice, cinnamon, herb and spice.
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4/20/2018 - Vinophiliac559 wrote: 92 Points
2008 Napa Cab Retrospective (Fresno): 91-92 Sweet dark fruits on the nose, near the bottom of the pack for me, albeit still a very nice CS. Not sure that this would have the saying power of some of the others tasted during this tasting.
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1/1/2018 - Stevethebeav Likes this wine: 94 Points
so good right now. the fruit is alive and the balance is awesome.
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12/26/2017 - dsimmons Likes this wine: 95 Points
With rib roast Xmas dinner. Delicious.
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12/11/2017 - MelroseCellars Likes this wine: 95 Points
Fantastic depth and complexity. Had an enjoyable vanilla sweetness on the front, and a more traditional long Cabernet finish on the back. As expected, it was the WOTN compared to a much younger Chappellet Pritchard Hill.
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11/29/2017 - Vinomnivore Likes this wine: 93 Points
Tasted some time ago. I recall the family loving it. It had good fruit in balance with acid and some earth. This held up over hours and I suspect can continue to age well for several more years.
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11/26/2017 - chrish399 Likes this wine: 94 Points
Decanter for an hour and half. Started strong and got even better. Amazing WA cab!
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10/29/2017 - Stevethebeav wrote: 92 Points
Very good but needs more time. Wonderful penetrating nose and silky texture. Acid is a bit heavy right now but QC wine always seems find balance eventually. Blueberry, caramel, hot oak and fresh leather. This is obviously well made in QC style, just a bit hit right now.
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10/14/2017 - Radboy wrote: 94 Points
Deep, dark fruit with an earth nose. Polished fruit with a medium length finish. Very tasty. Not as complex as I prefer. I guess I drink too many Bordeaux.
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9/16/2017 - ekirby wrote: 92 Points
Drank with Brad and Alice. Kabobs for dinner. Drank alongside a 2014 DeLille Four Flags which compared better, who’d a thunk?
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9/16/2017 - etc Likes this wine:
From memory. Lovely dark fruited nose and funk. Well balanced and a hint of tobacco that I always love in a wine. Good structure and finish.
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8/26/2017 - jsapping Likes this wine: 98 Points
Decanted for 1 hour. Amazing nose, deep purple color, dark black fruit, great balance with a long finish. One of the best Cabs I have had the pleasure of drinking.
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8/21/2017 - norsktorsk wrote: 93 Points
Waiting for the tannins to attenuate. always great.
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8/14/2017 - tcosgriff Likes this wine: 97 Points
Deep purple color with a bouquet and flavor of pure cassis and toasty oak. Excellent balance with a very smooth feeling in the mouth. Great definition and a long wonderful finish. This is a Wow wine, not unexpected from this winemaker. There is nothing better anywhere in the world of wine. This was the first of a trinity of Washington Cabernets drunk on the evening of a beautiful day in a lovely mountain setting on our way to Walla Walla on my family's great tour of the Washington wine region. The other wines were DeLille Cellars Grand Ciel Cabernet Sauvignon 2005, and Doubleback Cabernet Sauvignon 2012. This made for a nice comparison.
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7/7/2017 - norsktorsk wrote: 95 Points
very nice right now.
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6/6/2017 - Collector1855 wrote: 96 Points
Dark crimson. Expressive nose of ripe dark fruit, blueberry, some smoke and earth, bakery, very Napa from a style perspective. Ripe and rich fruit on the palate as well without being too sweet or extracted. Good freshness, aromatics and length, Balanced. A bit too sweet for my Medoc trained palate but a very convincing US CabSav for sure. This is from Washington state, not California as I initially thought.
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5/30/2017 - tp096255 Likes this wine: 94 Points
Fantastic in 11/16 and even better on 05/17. Coravin'd this bottle last year to see what was up. It was up. Not much change in six months, so here we go:
Nose is full of mulberry fruit juice and baking spices, mouth takes on blackberry liqueur and saigon cinnamon, and then the finish is just so lovely, thick and elegant, with all the black fruit preserves and baking spices you could want.
The only real knock on this is that it's just not opulent. Very rich, fruity, structured, but not opulent. I enjoyed this each time and I think it will be drinking fantastically well for another decade. It's a tamed beast, but full of vigor.
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5/27/2017 - pavel_p Likes this wine: 95 Points
Bordeaux blend dinner with friends: Third flight. Dark garnet to the rim. Amazing depth of fruit here, the sweetness clearly pointing to new world but the lovely acidity on the attack creating a fantastic balance. The cooler Washington State climate obviously helps. Exceptionally long finish.
A wow wine and clearly WOTN for me. While just a touch too sweet for my taste, the quality of this Quilceda Creek was evident as it not only stood up to the more classic 2000 Pichon Baron next to it but also had both more depth and length than the Bordeaux.
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4/30/2017 - Amerique wrote: 95 Points
Rich, delicious dark red fruit with cassis, plum, and bing cherry flavors, excellent structure, great depth, length, and intensity, long finish
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3/18/2017 - buckeye76 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Should have read my own 2013 review. It wasn't ready then and isn't ready now. This needs at least five more years. Deep berry fruit along with coffee and earthiness are clearly present and it's well balanced with a nice finish, but it's closed and not showing it's best in 2017. Be patient!
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3/9/2017 - bubbachumps wrote: 95 Points
Opened and splash decanted, then poured back in the bottle, re-corked and put in the fridge for 12 hours. Pulled the cork and let it aerate at room temp for another hour before consuming. Nose of dark fruits (blueberry/blackberry), licorice, tobacco and some clove. Has serious structure but the tannins are so well polished and loads of fruit to disguise them. Very long finish, lasts for at least 60 seconds in the mouth. Absolutely delish. Fantastic wine that has some room for improvement.
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2/5/2017 - dlcass Likes this wine: 94 Points
Nose of blackberry, vanilla, raspberry liquor, licorice, tobacco. Slightly off putting initial palate with some alcohol, astringency and formaldehyde- but needs time to air out. In decanter now. Nice full mouthfeel and finish.
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1/14/2017 - Arch57 Likes this wine: 95 Points
2008 Quilceda Horizontal (Homebase): I did a Coravin taste-off between 2008 Quilceda wines, the Bordeaux blend Palengat, the Galitzine and their flagship Cabernet. This was the WOTN as it weaved that magical spell of complexity and balance but all three wines were very close and you could tell the same wine-making yielded some very good results as it was hard to differentiate them. I will leave this in the cellar and trust the Coravin system to preserve it and will post detailed notes once we pull the actual cork.
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12/31/2016 - skifree wrote: 93 Points
Very much a Washington red. A little heat on the nose to go with some menthol and dark fruit. On the palate, lots of crème de cassis and dark fruit, with some fine-grained tannins. In a good place.
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12/25/2016 - slywka7 Likes this wine: 97 Points
Decanted 1.5 hours before serving. Aromas of vanilla, blackberry, dark cherry, herb and a touch of lead pencil. On the palate, this has big flavors of vanilla, toasted almond, blackberry, currant, and roasted nuts. End with a super long blackberry infused finish of 50 seconds. This really coats the mouth and lingers. Much better than the 07 I had a while back and certainly high octane stuff.
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12/24/2016 - MAXIMUM SATISFACTION wrote: 95 Points
Decanted 2 hours. Still young but the tannins have started to mellow. Sweet black fruit, toasted vanilla, river rock, and bitter raspberry. Still very chalky and needing time to calm.
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11/8/2016 - Wine12345 Likes this wine: 95 Points
Opened the bottle this morning, expecting to drink it in celebration of today's big election. Instead, we drank the bottle in quiet, sad consolation. A wonderful bottle of wine, and a terrible day for our country.
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10/19/2016 - bonedoc wrote: 93 Points
Solid, well made wine w good concentration and balance, more of a medium body wine rather than a blockbuster.
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9/3/2016 - enjoyvino wrote: 94 Points
Decanted for about 3 hours. Beautiful nose of deep dark crushed up black fruit and maybe some spices and floral. Very dark wine and a classic cab on the palate which was mouth coating. No hard edges but softening tannins throughout. Long finish!
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8/20/2016 - MelroseCellars Likes this wine: 95 Points
Fantastic first sips from the bottle, but we decanted for three hours and drank over another two. Color was very dark and inky. On the nose was a nice balance of ripe fruit and some floral. The sip was smooth on the tongue and not too dry or acidic. A mild burn of earth, cedar, and cigar was felt on the throat, but enjoyable. So much complexity in the taste, ranging from hints of lavender and rose petal, to ripe fruit and spices. This was a deep, deep cab. And as the night went on, the floral/fruit forward came out more. This rivals any cab from Napa. I really enjoyed it and my wife thought it was one of the best she has had all year.
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8/18/2016 - jnocera Likes this wine: 94 Points
Super dark inky purple in color. On the nose intense blue berry smells and hints of cassis and vanilla. On the palate this is a big extracted wine, lots of dark fruit with strong tannins but good balance yet powerful. Finish is long. This wine will get better but it's drinking pretty good right now
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8/13/2016 - winelover1808 wrote: 94 Points
excellent - but hard to stand up to the 2005 Colgin Cariad we had with it in a side by side. this was younger, hotter, a bit more dark fruit versus the brighter notes from the Colgin. An oustanding wine no doubt, but could have used more time in the bottle and a longer decant and wasnt as polished, and bright as the colgin.
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8/13/2016 - floridawinedrkr Likes this wine: 96 Points
This is really good after 5 hour decant. Loads of blueberry, loganberry, mocha, chocolate, and pipe tobacco. Finish is 30+ seconds. Rich flavors with Medium body. Really great stuff. It will get better with more time.
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8/5/2016 - theoz wrote: 94 Points
Very impressive. A very refined and distinguished big cab. I think this will show even better in a few more years.
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6/12/2016 - Nbkat8 wrote: 96 Points
Agree with Levinsb: slightly sweet balanced smooth silky cab. Very refined tannins make this an easy wine to drink till the last drop. Remains the top cab in the state.
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5/7/2016 - depdoc Likes this wine: 95 Points
Beautiful aroma from the get go. As it opened over three hours, the tannins smoothed out, and the fruit did not diminish, dark, intense, complex, massive. Fantastic!
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4/9/2016 - Levinsb wrote: 95 Points
Beautiful. A massive wine but balanced. A tad sweet and oaky but the smoky graphite edge and acidity balances the raw power. Dig this.
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3/13/2016 - pdemaio wrote: 94 Points
Solid, smooth, Washington cab. About as good as it gets from the state. On the reserve side, even for a Quilceda Creek, this is a supremely easy wine to drink.
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2/20/2016 - mreinitz Likes this wine: 95 Points
This is really in its prime right now. The oak and tannin that were overbearing when this was young have fully integrated, and the wine is seriously delicious. Honestly it's the first time I've understood why quilceda creek is a big deal.
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1/4/2016 - pdemaio wrote: 94 Points
Classic Quilceda style.
PDQ94+
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12/26/2015 - norsktorsk wrote: 95 Points
beautiful. drinking nicely.
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12/12/2015 - skifree wrote:
Took to the CT SEA Maison Harbour tasting to help show off Washington wines to Nicholas, founder and wine-maker. However, his palate (and wines) lean towards a lighter, less high-powered wine than this - LOL! This had the classic cassis, mineral, and spice of QC, which I enjoy immensely.
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12/7/2015 - JJA Likes this wine: 94 Points
Outstanding. Very smooth. Full-bodied. Powerful, yet elegant. Long finish. Loved this.
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12/6/2015 - aerosol Likes this wine: 94 Points
I am sitting here with a glass right now! Upon opening, the first sip was rough, as usual, for QC. After an hour decant, we have something really special going on. The nose has a lot of toasted oak and a slight floral character with a hint of spice candy which I love as this is reminiscent of Bordeaux. The sip is loaded with mocha, dark berries, cassis, and a hint of licorice, and then some very mild acidity. The finish has soft tannins that go down elegantly, but quickly. This wine seems a little thin in the mouth and is by no means heavy to me (nothing like a Syrah). This QC is in a drinking window to be enjoyed. I can't Ouija Board for how long, but it is very drinkable right now!
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12/5/2015 - MAXIMUM SATISFACTION wrote: 94 Points
Way too young. Decanted for several hours and was unable to shake the tightness and unlock the full amount of fruit. Nose and initial palate reminded me of Sangiovese. Dusty red and black fruit, sage, and espresso. Nice length on the finish. Needs to settle for at least a few more years.
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11/12/2015 - Coachron13 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Prior tasting notes were all over the place on long decant vs PnP. So, did a two hour decant, at that point was a pretty bold, fruit forward 95 point cab. But after another hour, fruit started fading and it became more earthy and smoky, kind of aged Bordeaux like. If your preference is a fruit dominant US cab, suggest a pop & pour, if you are more a left bank Bordeaux fan, a two hour decant will get you there.
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9/3/2015 - Ron Van Holland wrote: 91 Points
So opulent, glycerol, and fruit forward. Where’s the complexity of earth, spice, and suppleness? Judging by the rave reviews (not to mention the price), my palate is obviously off tonight...or maybe it really is a not-so-brave New World style.
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8/2/2015 - Vinnut Likes this wine: 94 Points
Deep, dark, reddish-purple garnet in color; almost opaque. Full, forward & attractive nose of ripe deep, dark fruit aromas of cherries, blackberries & cassis with lovely floral notes & earthy/dusty overtones, some mint, spices, herbs, minerals, dark cocoa, tar, smoky, some cedar and a hint of vanilla in the background. Medium-full bodied with a very good concentration of well balanced, smooth & polished textured, ripe dark fruit flavors of cherries, blackberries & plums with spices, herbs, earthy, dark cocoa, minerals and a hint of toasty oak & vanilla. Long lingering finish. Drinks quite well at present with decanting and extended airing but needs & should continue to develop further with additional aging.
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6/26/2015 - skifree Likes this wine: 94 Points
I think Mtolerico nailed this one. "Good balance, amazing silky texture, lots of toasted oak and tar" behind the smooth black fruit. It is drinking beautifully right now.
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5/23/2015 - pakabear Likes this wine: 94 Points
Good balance, amazing silky texture, lots of toasted oak and tar as the fruit slowly disapates. I'd drink yup through the next 5 years.
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5/5/2015 - Dnathanson wrote: 92 Points
Tightly wound...far from the 99 points WA gave it.
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4/23/2015 - hiker_guy Likes this wine:
Tasted at a party. Got a decent taste of this.
I recall not thinking highly of this wine at the release. My mind was changed with this taste. Very rich with nice complexity on the nose and palate. One of the wines of the night for me.
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4/21/2015 - sjdcellar wrote: 96 Points
delicious and special - decanted for 2 hours - cherries and mocha and tamed oak. great wine.
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4/6/2015 - mreinitz wrote: 93 Points
Decanted for an hour. Probably the best bottle of QC cabernet that I've had - maybe because we tend to open them too early. Big flavors of cherry, blackberry, chocolate, and oak, with some tobacco flavor adding to the mix. Tannins are still a bit drying on the back end, but the wine was softer and smoother than other QCs that we have had. Everyone really liked it.
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3/29/2015 - NTR wrote: 95 Points
Tannins still quite prevalent. Strong long flavors. Still quite young. Very similar to previous bottle but really think this needs a few more years. But what a finish.'c my goodness.
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3/18/2015 - SMHalps Likes this wine: 95 Points
Dinner and Tasting @ 83 1/2 - Triple Play of Bordeaux Varietals. One of 8 wines we had for 10 people, and it was tasted blind. This might have been WOTN.
Washington seems to occupy an interesting place in Bordeaux type wines. Not as fruit driven as Napa, but more so that Bordeaux. This wine had a lot going for it. Long finish, complex taste. I am sure this has many years of life left, but who wants to wait? It is outstanding now.
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3/1/2015 - perlasteve Likes this wine: 97 Points
absolutely beautiful. Been somewhat disappointed in QC lately but this wow'd all of us. Perla's BD, Steph, Josie, Espie, Katrina. pesto calamari and handmade ravioli and butternut squash. Nose with chocolate or butterscotch, balanced palate of fruit and tannins and acid. Medium but very good finish. Have 6 more bottles, this is going to be fun. Actually does not need decant. Just gave air in the bottle for few hours.
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1/31/2015 - beau11 wrote: 97 Points
Amazing. Beautiful complex flavors. The tannins are long but softening vs 2 years ago. Favorite vs 07 realm drcrane and 09 morlet passionnement
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1/25/2015 - bobwire Likes this wine: 97 Points
this was a wonderful expression of what QC offers.
Big opulent wine with great fruit,nice tannins, just dry enough. The 15.2 % alcohol though high was not noticeable.
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1/3/2015 - fitchbuck Likes this wine: 98 Points
Absolute perfection. We carried this to Hy's Steakhouse in Whistler to close out the holiday season - and it paired brilliantly with one of the best meal experiences we've had. [Along with an 07 Cayuse En Chamberlin: this is the highest I've ever scored a wine.]
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10/20/2014 - traderspartan wrote: 93 Points
Too much alcohol which over powered the fruit.
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10/18/2014 - michigan dogs Likes this wine: 96 Points
One of the best bottles ever, excellent, rich, with a long finish. No noticeable tannins, wine was decanted for 3 hrs. We also drank an 06 Quilceda galtizine cab (94) pts. My first bottle of the QUILCEDA CAB was an 06 and very disappointing, not this time. Really excellent
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6/14/2014 - bubbachumps wrote: 97 Points
Thrown into the decanter at 8am and funneled back into the bottle and put the cork back in. Stuck in the fridge until 8 pm, pulled out the cork and let sit on the counter for a couple hours. Nose of Charcoal, blueberry, blackberry, spices and graphite. Ridiculous brooding nose, a lot of fun to smell. In the mouth, very smooth polished. Very classy Cabernet, with loads of fruit and structure to go many more years, but drinking so well with the long decant. Absolutely stunning wine.
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6/14/2014 - JJA wrote: flawed
Herbacious aroma on the nose. Very green initially on the palate. Certainly not what I expected. Hugely disappointing. Maybe a poorly stored bottle. We'll see on the next one.
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3/31/2014 - Mel-o-Vino Likes this wine: 93 Points
The tannins were gripping when I first opened the bottle so I went ahead and decanted for several hours. Wow! Wow! The tannins softened and allowed for a beautifully balanced wine. Gorgeous nose of blackberry, blueberry, sweet tobacco and earth. We loved every last drop....sad it is my last bottle of the '08.
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3/30/2014 - Acohen Likes this wine: 97 Points
Rich, lush dark fruit with blackberry, coffee, currant. Seamlessly integrated tannins and a tremendous long lingering finish. Decanted for 4 hours
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3/19/2014 - JJB1 Likes this wine: 94 Points
Excellent Wine!
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1/18/2014 - InflationHedge Likes this wine: 93 Points
Drank with the 2007. Both superb, 08 is a bigger bolder wine. The 2007 is more nuanced, and beautifully integrated. tough to call the winner, will have to retest next year...
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1/4/2014 - NTR Likes this wine: 95 Points
Fairly strong deep Cabernet nose. Mint, eucalyptus, oak, and some pencil shavings. Explosive front taste. Clean fresh berries. Just keeps going. Tannins quite low/integrated. Very pure and polished. Finish lasts half a minute. Solid cab. Distinctly not Napa as it is not a monster just polished and refined. Really good!!!
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12/31/2013 - fitchbuck Likes this wine: 97 Points
NYE dinner at Seattle Ruth's Chris: No one does godly silken ambrosia like QC do in their flagship cabs. This particular young gun proved no different, and was achingly perfect after little time in decanter at all. This was nothing short of a beautifully regal offering that hit right where the rare, marbled meat called for it.
Still, fans have to be concerned at the price point here. Subsequent vintages are now approaching the 150 mark .. somewhat ridiculous for WA wine .. even at this level. And so - the 2008s were the last vintage I partook in from the winery, as I find Cayuse to be the state standard - and at half the price.
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9/13/2013 - buckeye76 wrote: 95 Points
DECANTED FOR FOUR HOURS BUT CLEARLY NOT READY, DEEP DARK BERRY FRUIT IN THE NOSE AND FLAVOR WITH BLACK CURRANTS AND BLACKBERRIES NICE COMPLEXITY AND A LONG FINISH. NEEDS 5-7 MORE YEARS MINIMUM
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8/18/2013 - garambler wrote: 94 Points
I decanted this for 3 hours and drank it with a cheese plate on 8/18/13. It had a deep, ripe bouquet of cassis, blackberry, blueberry, mocha, burnt toast, baking spice and sage aromas. The palate was dense, rich and layered with moderate tannins...flavors of black currant, blackberry, blueberry, burnt toast, mocha, and spice. It needs a few more years to completely integrate. 93+
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8/4/2013 - cepageyakima wrote: 94 Points
Very good wine. Still too much oak in the mouth, probably 3 years to settle down.
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6/24/2013 - forcumba Likes this wine: 96 Points
With filet mignon. While young, drinking well already - great bouquet, remarkable lingering finish. Tasted against the '09 and this was definitely the winner.
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3/23/2013 - dkhale4 wrote: 90 Points
Don't get me wrong, this is a wonderful wine. However, when we had it stacked up blind against a 2001 Rojas and a 2009 CDP, it did not come out on top. Again, don't get me wrong, everyone loved the wine, but they also loved the others as well. What I walked away from the evening with is that you do NOT have to spend $135 a bottle to have a really incredible wine experience. If prestige is important, I get have a QC on the table. But if you're trying to serve a great wine with your meal, there are multiple better options. I am on the Quilceda mailing list, and may never order another bottle until I win the lottery.
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1/16/2013 - PGB wrote: 96 Points
Great wine. More forward the the 2007. Smooth, complex, balanced. Why do people pay $250+ for Napa wines that aren't this good?
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1/3/2013 - timapalooza Likes this wine: 98 Points
Love what rich volcanic soil does to the cab grape! Nice dark florals and earth on the nose which give way to boysenberry syrup and mocha on the tongue. Tannins are well integrated but prevalent enough to give the wine some back edge grip. Touches of acidity don't compromise the fruit which I do sometimes experience with Washington State cabs... another 3-5 years will be a great drinking window for this wine.
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12/31/2012 - MLwine wrote: 89 Points
Very disappointing, especially given the price and the hype. Popped and poured a bit; very tight and not showing much. Double-decanted, re-corked, and kept in the cellar for 5 hours before serving. This wine is very thin. The fruit is subtle, but fine. What this wine is missing is body, backbone, and structure. Maybe it has closed down, but with the decant and air it got, I fear not. I'll see if it improves on Day Two, but I'm not expecting much.
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12/9/2012 - learningandenjoying Likes this wine: 96 Points
D60; G10; 4.5+9*+4.5+9*+9*+4.5+5; Know why this wine is so good? Because it is not an over-extracted cab-bomb, yet it has enough fruit along with texture and complexity to continually pique your interest as it evolves over the evening. One of the few wines that nearing the end of dinner I was wishing there were another 250 ml in that bottle because I wanted to experience more evolution. Not till the next bottle.......
Aerated into decanter with heavy swishing through the course of the evening. Opened nicely in the glass. Definitely ready to drink with this minimal preparation. Great clean deep purple; nose of blackberry, spice, mocha; nicely textured mouthfeel from silky tannin and light acid; palate is well layered with subtle dark fruits, anise, and an earthy leather back note that maintains a slight chewy texture into a very long finish with no aftertaste or constriction. The wine's balance is wonderful with many great years ahead. My guess is this one will evolve for another 10 years and hold well for 10 beyond that. Will reach 97+. Glad I have several bottles.
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12/5/2012 - jeffm_fla Likes this wine: 94 Points
Young, but drinking well now. One of the favorites at our recent tasting. It is smooth,well integrated and elegant.
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11/15/2012 - CondorKhan wrote: 91 Points
Tasted blind with 17 other cabs from around the world. Nice spicy nose, if a bit muted. Very nice notes of cherry and spice, with some tar and tobacco. This was excellent but it was absolutely murdered by the another wine next to it that turned out to be 1/5th of the price.
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10/1/2012 - Lotusracer wrote: 80 Points
After all the hype on this wine I expected so much more. We let it decant for almost two hours. The nose was nearly non-existant. There were bright cherries on the front of the palate then "nothing" in the middle finishing with some cedar and big silky tannins. For a bottle this expensive and with so much hype I expected far more body and distinction in the wine. It was truly disappointing. Cellaring the wine wild mellow some of the tannins, but there will never be a middle body to it. Too bad
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6/18/2012 - rmh66 wrote:
Steaks and wines at Dan's house (Bellevue, Washington): Tasted single blind. Decanted for several hours. Blackberry, cassis, herbs, and a little mocha on the nose. Cassis, blackberry, black cherry, cassis, and a little oak on the palate. Great mouth-feel, good finish. Tannins are quite prominent. Was it me or the wine? For some reason, this wasn't performing very well. Even after the reveal and re-tasting, my notes were consistent. Others in the group were giving this 97 points, so it was probably me. Will try again in a few years. 89 points.
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4/5/2012 - stocksandbondage wrote: 98 Points
Wow, what a stunning wine. Perfectly balanced with ripe and sweet flavors of blackberry and wild cherry balanced by massive yet ultra sikly tannins. Well integrated oak and just enough earth and funk to give it complexity. Drinking beautifully now, but has a very long life ahead of it. Bravo!
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3/24/2012 - km5 wrote:
Wonderful wine. Elegant and very well balanced. Makes you beg for more. One of the best ever! I would def rate it higher than the previous tasting!
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2/13/2012 - vinoballo wrote: 99 Points
FWOTN. This couldn't be much better. Decanted for an hour, then let it sit in the glass for another hour and it kept getting better. Fruit was big but balanced by the tanins, which were only slightly oaky. I have a feeling it will only get better over the next 5-10 years, but why wait?
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12/31/2011 - shadow wrote: 99 Points
from the cellar, double decanted, did the shake, placed decanter in warm bath for three minutes, rebottled, let rest for two hours.
First the nose ripe cab, fresh and dark.
smooth and mouth filling, very rich blend of cab with a slight spike of white pepper that quickly leaves you in a long slow decent through the sent of white flowers.
Every sip, your brain starts the whole process over again, what is this, this is good, long mouth pleasing finish.
easy 99 points
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11/22/2011 - Matt Scott wrote: 95 Points
Quilceda Creek Comparison - '03-'08; 11/19/2011-11/25/2011 (At the Homestead....): Decanted for three hours. Inky violet and garnet. Sweet tobacco, blackberry, dried red fruit, nut meg and plums. More concentrated than the '07 and even more approachable. There's a long, tight finish that exhibits a lot of polished tannins, then fruit as well. Not ultra-feminine, but still shows some class. Pure chiffon and gleaming on all fronts. Drink 2013 - 2028.
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11/19/2011 - Ben Christiansen wrote: flawed
Corked!
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11/5/2011 - brouigu1 wrote: 93 Points
Dinner at Capital Grill with friends and we had two bottles. For a young wine its drinking very well right now but a few more years in bottle will be worth the wait I am sure.
I cant go as high as everyone here, but I came in at 93 points. The attack was powerful, the nose of the wine leapt from the glass with cassis, touch of allspice, red fruits and leather. The tannin’s are well integrated and the complexity was good.
Paired with the porterhouse and it was amazing! I have some ’02 and ’04 that I will pop this year and see how it compares to the older vintages.
None the less…. A great Cabernet!
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9/28/2011 - traderspartan wrote: 93 Points
Less intense and a shorter finish than other QC's I have tried.
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8/27/2011 - Arzenal wrote: 98 Points
Outstanding, ready to drink now but should get better with time. Get some before the price goes up.
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7/7/2011 - dross811 wrote: 100 Points
My favorite year yet.
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6/30/2011 - jeffm_fla wrote: 95 Points
Very good to excellent. Smooth, integrated and elegant.
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6/29/2011 - jeffm_fla wrote: 95 Points
Very good to excellent. Smooth, integrated and elegant. I liked this one much more than the 2007 and it is drinking well now.
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6/26/2011 - PHIL74AU@ICLOUD.COM wrote: 99 Points
Gave the 2008 QCCS to one of my best friend for his 60th birthday. Had a birthday dinner with 8 of us to enjoy his day and grill out. Host and hostess provided the NY Strips and Salmon, my wife did the twice baked potatoes, etc. In Atlanta QC is a rare sighting for most wine lovers. I was not expecting the birthday boy to suggest that we have the wine since he was traveling back to South America on Monday afternoon. We opened, poured the wine into 7 glasses to open up for about 20 minutes. The birthday boy got the best pour from me because he deserved it. The nose started out very light but started opening up after about 10 more minutes. We took our time with the QC allocation. I immediate hit the blackberry, plum, bits of licorice and it was earthy. The tannins and acidity were there in a pleasant way. The color was dark and beauty. With my third (small) tasting it opened up and moved nicely across my palate. It gave multiple layers while perfectly structured to create an extended finish. How lucky am I to give and yet receive. Thanks again QC. I await the July 2011 releases.
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6/5/2011 - mklasing wrote: 98 Points
One of the best Cabs I've ever had. Smooth, light tannins. After 5 min all tannins were softened and the rich fruit flavor came through. Also had an amazing Vanilla finish that was incredible. Had it with Beef Tips---mouth watering.
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5/15/2011 - aof wrote: 94 Points
Fragrant, opulent and complex, with neither the heat nor the over-extraction of the 2007 vintage. It should age gracefully.
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5/7/2011 - km5 wrote: 93 Points
Smooth, enjoyable, nicely integrated oak but still lots of it, tasted youthful, syrupy. Not as intense as I was expecting. Did not have opportunity to decant or breath. Well rounded in terms of color, nose, tannins and finish.
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4/26/2011 - markcvino wrote: 91 Points
Fairly tight throughout the evening. Will retaste tomorrow. Tannic and hot.
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4/21/2011 - RCS73 wrote: 93 Points
Couldn't resisit popping the cork on one of these. Was surprised how approachable the wine was, especially having tried an '07 QC Columbia Valley Red, which was far too tannic and astringent. This bottle was very nice but didn't show the full QC profile. Nevertheless, enjoyed the rich fruit and very long finish. Lots of currant, berry/cherry, and floral notes going on. Will likely improve
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3/27/2011 - pdemaio wrote: 95 Points
Best QC i've tasted at release yet. Very ready to drink. The palate was balanced, smooth and approachable. Nose of cassis, berry, coffee, some spice and herbs. Plenty of fruit, tannins and acids to stand up for years. I expect it to be better than at least the 07, 06 amd 02.
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3/22/2011 - emdub wrote: 96 Points
Drank at the release party. This was outstanding! Perfect balance and very similar to the 05. Built for the long haul.
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3/22/2011 - traderspartan wrote: 99 Points
This is more like the 05 than the 07. The main difference is that this is softer and more accessible than the 07. It has a beautiful freshness and structure.
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3/20/2011 - garambler wrote: 93 Points
A friend and I tasted this at the 3/20/11 release party. It had a great bouquet of cassis, blackberry, mocha, burnt toast, baking spice and sage aromas. The palate was balanced, incredibly smooth and very approachable with flavors of cassis, blackberry, burnt toast, mocha, coffee, spice and sage.
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3/19/2011 - Gargamel wrote: 93 Points
to me this vintage is just a bit below the quality of the 07 (i gave the 07' 94 pts). first thing i noticed was the difference in texture, the 07 was almost port-like in viscosity, while the 08 is more traditional. at this point the nose is giving up little but did develop as it got a bit more air. the big difference to me is the early approachability of this vintage. the 07 had such prominent tannins that by the end of my sample, it seemed that i had eaten a piece of cedar. the 08 still has plenty of oak, but it is much smoother. also shows less heat in this vintage. the palate does show a bit less intensity, although it seemed to be opening a bit with some swirling and did have noticeably more peppery spice. just as last year, this did not show as well as the red wine, imo, though with time it is sure to develop into a better wine.
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3/19/2011 - smaddy wrote:
tasted at release weekend......great appetzers. Tasted yummy with the duck slider....we will put it in the cellar and wait a few years. Also tasted the 2008 Red Wine 81% Cab 13% merlot the rest Cab Franc and Malbec . It was delicious, delicious... with short rib tapa. I have already planned a case to enter the cellar when allocated for Oct . Had a great time at the release weekend sure wished I would have had a couple more tasting tokens. Quilceda.....how about putting your tapa recipes online?
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3/19/2011 - nemloc wrote:
Had a pour at wine release weekend. Hard to rate but not as good as prior years. More tart and thin than I remember from last year. Obviously needs a few years to start balancing.
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