Quilceda Creek Pick-up Event 2002 Vintage

Snohomish, WA
Tasted Saturday, April 23, 2005 by Jason with 645 views

Introduction

I was luck enough to taste the 02 out of barrel last June. I loved it at that point and predicted that this would be the first 100 point Wine Advocate wine from Washington. As we drove up today, I was a bit concerned that the wine would not live up to the hype.

The verdict is in, and it is a terrific wine. I would be shocked to see any in bottle score from Pierre other than 99 or 100.

Flight 1 (2 Notes)

For the second straight year, we were able to taste the Red Wine as well as the Cab. I picked up some Merlot as well, but that is a far smaller production so there are no tastes of it.

  • 2002 Quilceda Creek Red Wine Columbia Valley 91 Points

    USA, Washington, Columbia Valley

    I enjoyed this more than I have enjoyed the recent Red Wines. The nose was heavy on the oak but it was far more expressive than the 00 or 01. I found intense violet, dark chocolate, and black cherry. The palate was thicker than the 01 with deep, dark fruit and strong structure. My only concern is if there are more tannins than fruit here. It will be interesting to see how this turns out in 5 years.

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  • 2002 Quilceda Creek Cabernet Sauvignon 97 Points

    USA, Washington

    As good as advertised. The nose is far more closed than it was from barrel last year. With air it began to reveal toasted oak, spice, violets, minerality, and a slight touch of heat. The mouthfeel was awesome. It was the most silky and seamless palate I have yet encountered on a QC. I found tastes of smoke, rosemary, sage, and tons of fruit and structure. For a wine to be this big and so balanced is extraordinary. The only other wine that shares that element in my mind is the 94 Harlan.

    I find the palate on this wine to be far more accessible at this point than the 01 was on release. I think the nose on the 01 was a touch more open. I look forward to opening a bottle soon, so I can follow it over the course of a few days. 97++

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Closing

Thanks to Alex, Jeanette, Paul, John, and team on a lovely event. The food was well matched to the wine, and the pours were generous.

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