January 14, 2023 - Drank side by side with our last 2003 QC red, and this one too, was a crowd pleaser. Perhaps more fruit than the '03, and less spice. More blackberry, less plum. I've got one more bottle of '04, and will open it next year!
October 10, 2021 - Hints of cardamom and fresh tobacco. Long smooth finish.
July 30, 2021 - I opened a bottle tonight and we didn't give it enough time to open and we're all cork dorks. Let it open for a couple hours and then a fragrant nose of oak, maple, and green come through. The palate is cassis, dark cheery, and deep blackberry and a minor amount of cedar and maple. The wine is dark and delicious and has more time to age, but it's amazing now at 17 years old.
April 23, 2021 - A nice mix of forest and cedar nose with a relatively still sweet palate. Very enjoyable and great value. Drink now.
March 13, 2021 - Poppin poor. Believe this is my last of the vintage; remarkable that wine at this price point can you go this long. This was soft enough to not overpower the salmon and spinach in a cream reduction sauce, yet still had enough half to go with the accompanying fillet mignon.
While an enjoyable wine, there’s kore risk than upside to holding on to these much longer.
March 22, 2019 - This is definitely a little bit of a departure from other Cabernets that were enjoyed tonight. Still extremely elegant. Enjoyed En Magnum. This is 15 years of Columbia Valley excellence. The news on this wine was clove, truffle, black cherry. The entry had a little bit of a bleu cheese, green grapestem, black cherry, fig. The middle is where this one started to settle more to a red and black fruit profile.... but mostly favored the black fruit side of things. Finishes with a little bit of black pepper, with softened tannins that carried it through to the finish. If in 750, I would say it is definitely time to start popping and enjoying these. If it is in Magnum, this is actually a rather enjoyable wine and I feel it will likely develop a bit more.
January 1, 2018 - Cassis and dark cherry flavors. Balanced and lasting flavor.
October 1, 2017 - Needed at least an hour to pull together, was better the next day. Black cherry, blackberry, herbs, and earth on the nose. Black cherry, red cherry, alcohol spice, aged wood, and earth on the palate. Rather primary still. Some annoying heat. Fair acidity, integrated tannins, good finish. Interestingly, I had some left in the fridge for a few weeks, and it was better, with more earth, some herbs, hints of leather, and so on. So, this might still be fun to follow, but I would probably still drink these up.
May 3, 2017 - Pop and pour, hooked up to nitro canister. Nose is distinctive Bordeaux, add in some barnyard and acetone. First time I've thought this about a QC Red. Comes off a bit thin, more a Pinot than red blend. Cherry, hint of cola, brief finish. Will drink the balance of this bottle with fish or pork; if this were a Pinot I'd rate it 95+. As a cab-based blend, its past its prime
February 10, 2017 - Popped and poured...some bricking and better than decent for a 12/13 year old wine, but not much going on...time to drink up.