Bought from winery from mailing list and properly cellared until tonight. Decanted magnum for 3 hours, then drank at Gallaghers with prime rib. Pretty amazing experience! Deep purple color, powerful bouquet of rich red and dark fruit and cedar. The wine is pretty massive for 20 years old, with tons of rich deep fruit, big but smooth tannins and a super long delicious finish.
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Impeccably stored wine (little ullage perfect cork) maybe that is the difference, as I don't get most recent reviews. Spectacular nose with ripe fruit still exploding out of the glass. Spice, cassis, black licorice, with bittersweet chocolate and velvety tannin coating your palate. Very long finish with layered complexity. A quintessential Quilceda creek! For me it simply doesn't get much better, so drink up....cheers.
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Drank with Mike & Dawn. Tasted it blind and everyone thought it was a Bordeaux blend. Not much fruit left so mostly tertiary on the nose and palate. Forest floor, smoky, and a bit of tobacco. Over time it smelled more of an ashtray. Di thought it tasted of stewed prunes on the palate. The tannins were soft and it was silky for a 20 year old wine, basically it was amazing.
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The wine seemed a bit over extracted - the comment that it seemed Amarone like rang true for me. Lots of fruit but not much acidity. A touch disjointed. We enjoyed it with rack of lamb but it was not the treat we were hoping for.
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After our first of two bottles we recently purchased was found to be corked, I opened the second. Savory stewed fruit and tertiary notes on both nose and palate. It reminded me of an Amarone, though my wife disagreed. Tannins well-integrated and mostly gone. Finish was shorter than hoped. Drink now.
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Maybe an off bottle, but I suspect just past it’s prime. A bit thin, faded, not much finish. Showing chocolate notes, some stewed fruit, tobacco. Definitely drink up this is going downhill.
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Rich, delicious plum fruit with cassis flavors, excellent structure, soften tannins, short finish, very forward palate tasting, disappointed that it wasn't round and fully in the mouth
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94-95. This surprised me a bit in that it can go on for a while imo. It was terrific now. There is more time for it to develop. Tannins are strong for a wine that is almost 20 years old. Good balance though. Could be a point or higher.
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PnP This bottle seems dried out on the nose. There is some nice dried cranberry elements but I'm afraid oxidation has begun its takeover. On the palate, this is fully intergrated with medium body, medium acidity, and medium tannin. Flavors of red fruit are accented by bruised fruit qualities also indicating this is just past its peak. Drink now.
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Interesting to see all the quality variation in the recent tasting notes. I was struck by how perfectly clean and preserved the cork was and how the wine is still impenetrably dark in appearance and extremely youthful. Just a tiny touch of heat or I would rate it higher.
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Had 2 bottles. First was bad. Cork had 1/16 inch of color but was soft when I started my ah so cork remover in it Undrinkable. Next day the last bottle. Good but barely good.
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Third bottle consumed. Last bottle 2011. Each one better than the previous one. Nice dark fruit, supple tannins, well-integrated heat, and a relatively long finish.
Deep red, purple color. Cellar stored since release, but I think the best is behind this vintage. Rich, dark black and purple fruit. Very fruit forward but not a lot of freshness, tannins, or acidity to balance the faded fruits. If you like big, forward, ripe wines, you'll like this. Not worth the $200 price I paid IMO.
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Heady and high alcohol nose; could sense high alcohol even before tasting (label indicates 14.9%). Deep ruby, still plenty of fruit, but the alcohol is overbearing—taking a tiny sip and letting it evaporate leaves high heat on the palate. Disappointing, actually, as we have another 6-7 bottles in the cellar. Yes, my preferences have changed over time, and I drink Cabernet less than I used to do, but this was disappointing.
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. Dark, ripe and sweet. Full bodied with pure black currant and dark cherry fruit on both nose and palate. Not hugely complex on either however. More pure fruit than nuanced secondary notes or flavours. Overall, the impression is one of a well made wine, but one a little lacking in character but full of mature ripe fruit. Going to drink some of my more recent QCs soon to see if these are losing something with aging.
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From magnum. Decanted 2 hours. Deep color, looks young. Plum and some smoke on the nose. A bit of an odd one for me. A bit viscous, luscious, but in a not great way. Expected more secondary flavors. Pretty straightforward. But enjoyable enough.
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Dark garnet color in the glass, clear looking throughout. Nose of currants, boysenberries and plums. Flavors of currants, boysenberries and plums. Medium acidity, medium to firm tannin, full bodied. Drink now with a little air. Can be held if desired.
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Deep purple, almost black. This wine really delivered with a heady nose of violets, dark cherry, blueberries, and cassis. Full, rich and hedonistic mouthful of amazing fruit and intensity. Best bottle yet from this vintage which was clearly in the zone and open for business.
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Superb wine. Similar notes to last year. We had it with grilled ribeyes tonight and it really shined. In it's prime with loads of flavor, perfect balance, beautiful nose, super long finish....I just want to keep drinking this. Very happy I have quite a few more of these. Drink now or continue to hold.
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Drank in Menlo Park. Full-bodied and fruit forward, but not the fruit bomb that I remember. Very nice complex integrated fruit, quite smooth, almost a delicate finish.
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Dark crimson in color. 14.9% ABV. Sublime nose of black and blue fruits, leather, cigar box and violets. Polished and concentrated with exceptional balance. Black currants, blueberry liqueur, plums and tobacco on the palate. Tremendous length on the finish with silky, fine grained tannins. Gorgeous Cabernet Sauvignon even if it is over shadowed by the near perfect 02 and breathtaking 03. Best over the next 5-8 years.
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Opaque purple. Powerful nose of blueberries, blackberries, cured meats and burning embers with a floral top-note. This was dense and still quite youthful - a mouthful of lush dark fruit with an earthy element on the long finish. Wonderful.
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Deep, brooding, purple-black color with a profound, smoky, blackberry liqueur nose. Chocolate and cherry on the palate. This is such a wonderful wine, so hedonistic, yet classy at the same time because it’s so well put together. When I first opened it there were some off, alkaline aromas, but they blew off. Definitely decant. I think this vintage is drinking perfectly right now.
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Drank during a power outage with a to-go steak from a chain restaurant. Drinking.quute nice. Lots of leather and game notes as mentioned in prior reviews. Also some surprising fruit, cherries?, Showing thru on the back end. Not my favorite QC,but shows well and quite tasty. Has some life left, but not sure I'd wait more than a few more years
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We had this after finishing a bottle of 2009 Domaine de Chevalier. Notwithstanding the additional 5 years of age, this wine was much thicker, more viscous. Sort of like drinking a port. Good wine, but it's a question of taste whether you like this style. In contrast, the bordeaux was much lighter on its feet, more delicate.
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Can't argue with the other August 2020 tastings. This is still an incredible cab with lots of fruit, leather, and very smooth. I don't think it's quite as good as the 2003, but a top 10 in my years of red wine drinking. Unfortunately, this one is also my last of the 2004 vintage.
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Incredible again. Still solidly in it's prime drinking window. It's been 2 years since our last bottle and this wine has barely budged. Upon opening, I could smell the bouquet from 15 feet away. Smooth, with layers and layers of flavor, and an amazingly long finish. Hard to pin down a single profile as it displays both Old World Bordeaux and New World characteristics - changing constantly over time. I'd guess at least 8-10 years left, with lots of evolution in it's future. Drink now or continue to hold.
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This is at a stage that’s reminiscent of a Paso Cab. Big fruit, big acid. Silky tannins on account of age. Oak has fully resolved, a plus for QC’s generally rich oak treatment. I feel this has plenty of life left. For me it’s at an imbalanced stage.
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Allowed to breathe from the bottle for 1:45, not decanted, and followed from standard Cabernet stems.
Fragrant nose is meaty and heavy with leather; this screams Bordeaux, and the nose is not all shy about it.
Extraordinarily well balanced on the palate, particularly given its age. There’s a lot going on here with mature fruit, leather Coffee and caramel. When cool there’s a hint of pepper and spice, but this diminishes as it approaches room temp. I I The finish is sweet, yet there’s a dry component that allows this to really linger on the outer edges of the back-palate.
Now enjoying my final glass out of a sommelier stem and there’s a notable difference. The nose is more New World than Bordeaux; the wines approach has more tannin and strength, yet the finish is softer and a bit more brief.
My final bottle from this vintage, this was significantly better than last nights 2004 Montelena. This is really something special, and while it can last a few more years, I’m not sure that it will improve with age, at least for our palate. Bravo!
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2 hour decant. A unique flavor profile that I am still having a hard time pinpointing. In addition to black fruits, there was a tangy wineberry element with dried and green herbs plus some sweet Oak. Very smooth. 30 second finish.
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Dark garnet color in the glass, clear looking throughout. Nose of leather, Kirsch, potpourri, dark cocoa and plum. Flavors of cassis, plums, raspberries and black cherries. Medium acidity, medium to firm tannin, full bodied. Drink now with some air or continue to hold.
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A big whiff of oak and spice, on the palate it opens thick and a little latexy . As it’s cold, the fruit is a little linear with blueberries predominant.
March 29
Still a full bodied wine with a longer finish. Some eucalyptus on the nose and a darker cherry across the tongue. Very nice! No need to hurry as these will last the decade.
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This paled in comparison to the Dunn Howell Mt., less structured, more alcohol, lighter aromas, but with a pretty floral note. In perfect shape. Much prefered the '12 Dunn. Hedonists Meet-up at the Red Lion.
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Great showing at 15 years of age. Juicy. Big. Has nice balance now - still loaded at almost 15%, but can’t mistake the pedigree. Very nice and in its prime.
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What a disappointment. Not defective or corked, but something is very wrong here. Cork was soft. Wine is terribly disjointed. Alcoholic, fruit is very green and overly herbal. On the plus side, the nose is terrific. But that’s not much consolation. Not drinkable. Bought on release off the mailing list. Held in pristine conditions for over a decade, and, crap.
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Pop and poor, out of sommelier stems. Muted nose of dark cherry, crushed stone, mature wood and leather. From a standard stem there was a bit of fine-grained coating the palate, but with time the wine seemed a little more refined from the sommeliers.
Red cherry, maybe faint strawberry and just enough structure and dustiness to provide for a lingering finish. I’ve got one more bottle and if not consume shortly it will probably be best out of a smaller stem just for Concentration.
Overall excellent, and well paired with tonight’s fillet and a chestnut wine sauce.
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Needs to breathe and benefits tremendously from pairing with food/ribeye. A little disjointed on opening. Becomes a full bodied fruit forward wine that melds with food. Smooth, pleasant finish.
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Wonderful. Had served at a local restaurant on a warn June day. Power decanted for 15 minutes and poured. Nice red fruits on the nose, raspberries and cherries. Also tasted of red fruit. Paired with filet mignon. The first glass wasn't fully opened and had a little bitterness which was gone by the second. Smooth drinking and everyone at the table enjoyed it. This is drinking very well now, most of the tannins are gone. Enjoy it.
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Wow this wine was so smooth. Clear purple in color. Notes of blackberry, plum, dark chocolate, and leather on nose and palate. Dry, med body, smooth tannins, and nice acidity still after 15 years. Great wine.
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Quite subdued at the moment. There is some rich fruit in the background, but the fresh fruit flavors and tannins are gone, and the mature flavors are just about to emerge. It’s a bit in between stages at the moment, and probably needs 2 to 3 years to make the transition to a more mature wine.
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Pop and pour.. Found that this drank better from regular stems as the widemouth of sommelier stems threw the wine too far back on the pallet and diminished the finish.
Ripe berry and floral aromas on the nose. Fruit is nicely balanced on the palate with a silky mouthfeel. 20-25 second finish lasts across the entire palate rather than being focused in one or two areas as you’d typically find.
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Bright crimson in color. 14.9% ABV. Reticent nose of blue fruits, violets, leather, smoke and pencil shavings. Supremely polished and plush. Full bodied and well balanced. Blueberries, cassis liqueur, cocoa and earth on the palate. Exceptional length on the finish with a healthy dose of silky tannins. Tremendous Cabernet Sauvignon but lacking the depth and the concentration of the 2002 I had earlier this year. Best over the next 3-5 years.
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Outstanding....bordering on extraordinary. The best QC I've had to date. A little age on this has definitely been beneficial. We had a bottle on release (which was amazing too). This wine is now solidly in it's prime drinking window with a good 8-10 years of solid drinking ahead of it. A Marilyn Monroe of the Cab world. Modern, voluptuous, seductive, smooth, great body, huge fruit, yet still elegant. Secondary elements are also now evident, including, smoke, pencil shavings, olive, mineral. Tannins mostly resolved, alcohol not really noticeable. A modern American classic - Extremely well made whether you like the style or not. Looking forward to following it's evolution over the next decade.
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So admittedly, I don’t have much context for this wine, but tasted it in a lineup of older and younger cabs/bdx blends. This was quite lactic, with a nose of buttered popcorn, and a palate of blackberry and raspberry confit, with more or less resolved tannins, or perhaps it started on a smooth frame to begin with. Truth be told, this was gorgeous, perhaps best on its own, as it’s a little Rolland-ish in the presentation. I can still taste it an hour later. Interest is created by the MLF / dark fruit interface. It’s a delicious wine, but I can at least understand the criticism from more purist points of view
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This was probably my best Quilceda wine so far at least initially. Showing very nicely. Deep and intense, with great sweet blackberry and currant fruit. Bordeaux like, complexity with earth and wood nuances. Great balance.
With air becomes overly simple and ripe. Maybe I am drinking these too late?
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Monthly Men's Wine Dinner (Bottle and Bull, Kirkland, WA): So this is what Quilceda Creek is about! Beautifully aged Washington Cabernet with some Syrah characteristics. Black fruit and earth on the palate, peppery finish. Almost unanimous WOTN (one second-place vote, the rest including me first place).
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Q2 - 2018 Tasting - Aged Washington State Wines (NYC): 9/11 wines tasted double blind. No funk on the nose - just dark fruits and some tobacco. On the palate this tasted mature and well balanced with dark fruits, leather and tobacco, but nothing that really made it pop in the line up. A very nice wine in a good drinking window but should hold for quite a long time. 0 pennies voted by me and 4 pennies by the group. Part of the taste off - received 4 pennies in the taste off.
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This was tasted single-blind in a lineup that included many of the top wines from Washington State - Cayuse Widowmaker, Bionic Frog, Reynvann Unnamed Syrah, and another QC.
Nothing wrong with the wine - blackish, purple color with a nose of baked fruit and cocoa powder which carried through on the palate. What was missing to me was acidity to counter the heavy mocha flavors and alcohol. It felt like a heavy coat on a warm spring day. Maybe its just my taste buds changing to a different profile of wine.
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Q2 2018 Tasting - Aged Washington Wines (The Apt): Wine #9: Part of the taste-off at the end. This was just really lovely red fruits. For some reason have less notes on this than some of the others. Didn't really taste any age on this one which was interesting. Still quite young and bright. (4 pennies)
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Last time I tasted this effort was about six years ago. It is still one of those wines that I just tend to love. The 2004 Quilceda Creek is clean and rich yet elegant - without the slightest doubt a true masterpiece. The nose is truly complex and reveals several layers with some time in the glass. To say the least, this is a very nicely integrated wine. Elegance, integration and balance are all hallmarks of this wonderful wine. There are absolutely no vegetative 'greenish' tones- this in particular is why the 2004 vintage deserves a score which comes very very close to perfection. The palate is cool, balanced and exhibits silky smooth tannins. This effort is starting to open up and behaves well without a two day decant. But I am certain it will last for many years to come if given proper care and attention in the cellar. A lovely wine! (score is 99+)
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Medium deep black cherry red, some staining, showing its age a bit - nice to contrast with the Continuum, as it showcases the diff between Napa fruit and WA fruit - less cassis here, more tar, coffee, and umami - certainly some oak spice influence too - palate is also more earthy, coffee, tar mixed with fruit that is mildly roasted plum (in a good way) - in balance, not hot - has mature, secondary notes for sure, this is quite lovely. Perhaps just a bit roasted/oaky for my palate, but still very nice. No rush but I suspect the fruit aspect has commenced its slow decline.
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Took to dinner out and was aerated into decanter by the waiter. Still youthful considering the vintage, although on this bottle the fruit seemed to be fading faster than the tannin. Reticent nose, that was hard to coax over the course of two+ hours. Still plenty of weight and grip, and ultra smooth. Enjoyable, no doubt, although we would’ve been better served to give it several hours of air prior to consumption. Better yet, leave it alone until 2025.
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Very dark. Very smooth. Lots of fruit up-front, particularly blueberry and blackberry. Gave way to some coffee, tar, tobacco, clove. Not too much vanilla. High alcohol was not an issue.
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Opened and allowed to breathe in-bottle for 90 mins, then followed over 2.5 hours. Mature blueberries are very fragrant upon opening, as is typical for QC's;evident but fades with time to reveal a nose of tar, cigar, vanilla and a faint hint of wet crushed stone.
This is still very powerful for a 13YO wine; would imagine this is '12 or 13 calicab if i didn't know otherwise, though the integration of the wine shows finesse and age that you wouldn't catch at first taste. The dark fruit is rich and ripe, but there's no alcohol punch with the wine's maturity. Also shows coffee and seems to come from medium-heavy toasted barrels. Absolutely stellar wine with a long life ahead of it. 3 bottles remaining, will target next bottle for 2020-22. 96 today, the potential to score 98+
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Deep, dark, reddish-purple garnet in color; almost opaque. Full, forward & attractive nose of ripe fruit aromas of dark cherries, blackberries & cassis with overtones of lovely floral & earthy/dusty notes, spices, herbs, minerals, dark cocoa/coffee & a hint of toasty oak/vanilla in the background. Full bodied with a very good concentration of well balanced & smooth textured, ripe fruit flavors of dark cherries, blackberries & plums with spices, herbs, earthy, dark cocoa, minerals & 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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Dark to rose red red; like red at the edges. Delicious purple fruits on the nose. Delicious blackberries, blackberry bramble, plum skin, sweet cassis. Delicious.
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Really amazing WA wine. On first pop it was intense and not very focused, after several hours in a decanter it developed really interesting and fun layers, tobacco, pencil shavings, dark fruits. Initially it seemed over-oaked, this faded though with decanting, if given enough time it is a well balanced wine.
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Outstanding wine! Exquisitely balanced. Dark, lightly spiced fruit balanced by fine grain tannins and medium acidity. Long, lingering finish. Top 10 for me all time.
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Last night with friends. A bordeaux like nose. Earth and fruits. Very impressive. Everything is coming together now but has enough structure to cellar for another 10 years. Very good taste and finish. Decanted for 1 1/2 hours and drank over next one hour. Today it could have used 3 hours decanting as it got better in the glass and some of the heat started to go away. That's how young it still is.
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Stunning wine - it is big and hedonistic in style but has plenty of interest beyond the fruit. The fruit itself is interesting - blueberry and blackcurrant are the obvious flavours - but backed by strong lifted raspberry and menthol notes - which are a unique but consistent style of Quilceda Creek. Behind the voluptuous cloak of fruit are soft ripe fine tannin and enough acidity to balance the wine. will last a good few more years yet but is fully ready to drink.
Barring something spectacular and unexpected in the next 5 or 6 days, this will be my wine of the year. No detailed notes, but it blew away an '02 Spottswoode, an '02 Insignia, and an '02 Etude (all of which were stellar wines).
Tasted at dinner with two Napa wines of similar age - no one could believe it was a 2004 as it is still young and 'explosive'. Excellent finish..it was everyone's favorite. Becoming a real fan of Washington wines.
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My first bottle of the 2004. Had alongside another Washington Cabernet (2006 Owen Roe DuBrul), and I was struck by how similar the two were to each other. However, the Quilceda just seemed to have a little more of everything. Creme brulee and mixed berries on both the nose and the palate (plus a little coffee with the Quilceda). Quite rich, with a terrific finish. Minimal tannins, but it still has a few years left in it.
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Dark garnet to purple color in the glass, clear looking throughout. Nose of Graham crackers, roasted meat and mixed dark fruits. Flavors of berries, raspberries and plums. Medium acidity, medium tannin, full bodied. Drink now with air or continue to hold.
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Very unique nose with Washington funk, eucalyptus, rainforest, and sweet boysenberry jam. Very soft. Silky boysenberry jam and blackberry flavors. There is hidden power here that is chained up. Long finish. The last glass was by far the best. This needs more time to unfurl. Hold.
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Delicious, rich, lush plum/cherry fruit, very round, as good as this wine is it lacks the depth and complexity seen in great Napa Valley Cabs. Low acid and tannin. Drinking at its peak.
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Even without a decant this wine was spectacular. Short pours because there were 7 drinkers, but that's why I chose this; to share. Smooth as silk in the mouth, a long persistent finish with successive layers of fruit and spice and herbs. Wonderful experience.
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A massive wine that has many years to go on it. While I am not sure it will ever be a harmonious wine due to the presence of alcohol on the finish. It is still a crowd pleaser for those who like big new world cabs. Not my style, but I can see why some like it.
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2/3s of a previously coravin'd bottle, pop and pour. Absolutely stellar - rich fruit structure with age softening some of the new world depth from its earlier years. Expressive, floral nose, seemless approach and fine finish. Great with Steak-Frites.
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Not the best 2004 Quilceda creek I have had. This one seemed to have much more prevalent alcohol notes throughout and was sweeter than the other bottles we have had. Still a very good wine, just not what it usually is. See my previous notes for this wine.
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Dark purple color with no signs of age in this 11 year-old wine. This bottle was masquerading as a Northern Rhone. Complex aromatics including an interesting black olive aroma led the tasters to Old World Rhone but the palate took them to a modern-style Bordeaux. Either way it was unbalanced with the alcohol poking out on the finish. Decanted for 45 minutes.
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Had a bottle to celebrate my daughters birthday at our neighborhood Italian place. This may be the best botte I have ever ha. Slight earthiness and currant on the nose, velvety smooth without a hint of tannin, extra long finish with a chocolate after taste
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Fully integrated and sophisticated. Had two bottles at table and 2nd was better and would be a 96. I had Schaffer hillside select 2010 the next night and the quilceda creek 2004 was by far a better wine. I went back to the restaurant and bought the last two bottles for my cellar.
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First night with the Corvine, wine #2. Spent an hour in the stems after pouring. Red fruit and flowery aromatics; Silky smooth approach coats the palate in fine, red-fruit dust that melds seamlessly with the red fruit. If blind tasting I'd be torn between bdx and new world, but it shows nicely aged characteristics that are very European. Really a nice wine - Rose loved this.
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Had over two nights. This is dark and the color shows no sign of age. The nose has sweet oak, violets, mocha and heat. A lot going on which is a bit overwhelming. Full bodied and viscous. Flavors of olives and dark fruit with cream on top. Followed by heat and bitterness. Light acidity. For what it is, I enjoyed the mid palate but the persistent alcohol took it down a notch for me.
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The 2004 Quilceda Creek is a stunning wine, with a nose that evolves to reveal layers of boysenberry, cassis, charcoal, dark chocolate, pain grillé and exotic spice. Truly, this is among the best of Washington, there is a reason why Quilceda has attained cult status. On the palate, massive structure is deceptively cloaked in silky, velvety, inky overtones. Steeped blackberries, roasted black cherries and cedar intertwine to give lift, polish, and a most luxurious, elegant finish. The balance is impeccable. 14.9% ABV
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From memory. My friend was sure it was flawed but I couldn't detect a recognizable flaw. It was like a forest fire in a bottle. So smoky. Awful wine. Undrinkable. We poured it out. What a waste.
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Outstandingly silky & Smooth. Great Balance and complexity. 4+ hour decant and it continued to get better in the glass. The balance on this wine was tremendous. Even at 14.9% alcohol the alcohol was not hot or over powering what so ever. Amazing wine! It was everything. Still lots of life ahead of it.
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Drank at a downtown restaurant over the course of 90 minutes after decanting. This clear purple wine showed quite well tonight with red cherries on the nose as well as in the glass. There was also a noticeable amount of chocolate to be tasted. The wine was light on both acidity and tannins which tells me that it may be time to drink these bottles up.
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Had with porterhouse. Remarkable after 4 hours of decanting. Was literally a different wine at 4.5 hours. At that point it was everything you hoped for from this wine.
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Beautiful wine; drinking very well now with a reasonable (thirty-minute-plus) decant; but still has great structure and decades to go. Clear appearance; medium-intensity ruby color. Medium-plus intensity on the nose, with aroma notes of blackcurrant and other black fruits, tobacco, spice box, cracked pepper, green pepper. Flavor notes match the nose. Medium body; medium-plus, well-integrated tannins; low acid; medium-plus length. This is less explosive and more refined than other vintages. I wouldn't exactly call it Bordeaux-like (not earthy enough), but you could definitely treat it as a Bordeaux for food-pairing purposes.
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This wine was opened at home and drank without any decanting time. It was clear with a garnet colour of medium intensity. The nose had a body of tobacco on it along with a slight aroma of yeast. This cleared up nicely after 30 minutes in the glass and then I was left with a flavourful wine with notes of blackberries and a vanilla. Overall, a nicely balanced and enjoyable wine.
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Damn... Very dense and quite over extracted. Hard to believe that it is 10 years old. Much more like a Syrah or a Tempranillo than a Cabernet. I doubt that this will develop, it will keep. Very good wine, but I prefer the style of the older vintages.
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Medium clear garnet, dense color, lightens to the edge. The smells are floral, red fruits, cassis, some bell pepper, and hints of sweet spices. The tastes are espresso, vanilla, cassis, cherry, sweet spice, sweet oak, and earthy stoniness. This wine is elegant with fine grain tannins and zingy acidity. The finish is lengthy and complex.
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2 hour decant was very necessary. Color showed only a slight slight bit of aging. The nose was very fragrant with spice, floral and cedar notes. The mouth was full and smooth with dark fruit and the finish lingered nice and dry with a slight pepper note. Loved it!
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slow oxed most of the afternoon, this was still a very big, dark fruity wine. My friends really liked it, but personally can't say it really moved me or at least not anything all that special
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Looks to be dark purple to the edge but the restaurant lighting (Taste and See in Wichita) was dim. Deep, juicy blackberries on the nose. It is a fantastic, multi-layered wine. Rich, dense, chewy fruit, principally blackberry, black currant, and (surprisingly, for me) strawberry notes, all laced with black pepper. A dash of Indian spices, which is much tastier than it sounds in the context of a wine review. Muscular tannins that bode well for another few decades of drinkability. We drank this a bit early - I would guess that this wine will hit its peak within 8-12 years and sit there comfortably for a couple of decades. 14+ percent alcohol, but it does not drink 'hot.' The bottle was a true experience - each sip lasts minutes, with subtle nuances that have to be fully experienced before having another sip minutes later. 96, with significant future upside. What an absolute delight.
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After 3 hour decant: Fantastic mix of cinnamon, cedar, mint and dark fruits on a substrate of lush, spicy, slightly smokey cassis. Tannins nicely integrated. Really lovely. Wow!
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This was brought to a local restaurant and decanted for 45 minutes before drinking. This was a clear wine that was ruby to red in colour. Although I don't recall the nose on it, I do know that the taste was quite heavy (in a good way) on cherries. Mid level on the tannins and quite light on both the acidity as well as the perception of alcohol quantity. Very enjoyable.
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Great Quilceda Creak. A lovely and powerful wine. great structure and balance. Nose developing excellent secondary flavors and spice. Body long and smooth. Classic Washington at it's best. PDQ94+
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From Mag; 2 hour decant; Wow - this is as good as I need a wine to be. NOt as massive as I thought it would be - refined but chock full of interesting complexity and dark fruit.
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Wow! Deep ruby color leads to nose of dark chocolate, currant, and blueberry that fills the room. Full body continues flavors from nose while adding Asian spice and a hint of cedar. Finish lasts over a minute. Decanted 2 hours prior to consumption - this is in an amazing place currently. Stunning!
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First time I had a QC, this was well balanced and understated...almost muted at irst it opened up with time. Elegant and drinkable but not for a Cali Cab drinker. Much more bordeaux like. Dark and brooding with a long aftertaste...blackberries cassis and earth.
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This bottle was a very pleasant pop and pour at a local restaurant. The wine was not deep at all in colour with a slight orange tinge to it. There was quite a bit of blueberries in the glass with a slight hint of caramel. This wine was really well balanced right now which, in my opinion, was a combination of aging as well as a slightly lower alcohol level. This is in a really good drinking spot right now.
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Spectacular. Did not decant at restaurant and it was silky smooth, long legs and finish, taste of blueberry and blackberry. Had with lamb and it was perfectly paired.
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Purchased directly from the winery and stored under ideal conditions, this bottle was pristine. A youthful purple-black core with no signs of age. Notes of pure black fruits and anise, with hints of lilly. Medium to full bodied, with a tremendous sense of expansiveness, great concentration, ripe tannins, and a long and powerful finish. Nicole absolutely loved it!
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A masterpiece, the 2004 Quilceda Creek is clean and rich yet elegant. The nose is utterly complex and very nicely integrated. There are no vegetative tones and the wine behaves somewhat different to the 2003 vintage tasted in the same flight. The palate is cool, balanced and provides a lovely experience of silky and smooth tannins. With some bottle age there will be no hard edges in this effort. To me, this is a wine that screams of perfection and I am sure it will be a total stunner if given som time in the cellar. A lovely wine! (score is 99-100)
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Translucent crimson. Thick, creamy nose, reminiscent of tomato soup. Extremely ripe, sweet, plummy taste. Very persistent on the back palate. Not too extracted, but certainly not much finesse.
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I brought this to a local restaurant where it was opened and decanted for only a few minutes. Very smooth on the palate with flavours of assorted berries. Not much oak on this one at all. This was a nice, pleasant bottle but perhaps a bit "thin" on the tastebuds.
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Deep black garnet. Nose of a blueberry/blackberry jam. Taste was more blackberry and hints of anise and fresh herbs with a whiff of creme de cassis. Finish longlasting, maybe the slightest hint of heat at the end-this got points off from the Russian judge.
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Beautiful bottle of wine. No hard edges, immense concentration of fruit, a core of pure blackberry and cherry flavors. All wrapped in chocolate and mocha notes ... watch out, though, this wine is powerfully alcoholic. I shared it with one person and was utterly sloshed afterward.
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in a flight with 03 and 05. rreally showed well. huge ripe nose that jumps from the glass. no heat, just deep brooding fruit. attack and palate on all cylinders. huge black fruit with cassis, cocoa and a really nice exoticness versus the other two. nicely integrated tannins with a great backbone to pull it all together. finish holds up very well with continued integration of all of the above. longest finish of the night.
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Rich, delicious, smooth, round bing cherry fruit with chocolate, plum, and earthy flavors, excellent structure and balance, fruit very well integrated, long finish
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I slow oxed this one on Xmas day and I think it worked well. Obviously a huge wine but it was in balance and not a blueberry milkshake. Definitely dark fruits and an element of spice that I had not anticipated...I only got a little b/c so many guests, but certainly looking forward to others in the coming years
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Floral and dark fruit nose. Raspberry and blueberry jam. More aggressive palate with firm tannins framing somewhat murky and poorly defined flavors. A bit raw. Oak. OK. Decanted over 24 hours and tasted repeatedly.
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Decanted for 90 mins, then consumed over 2.5 hours for our first Xmas Eve in our new (old) home.Very tight at first, oak is still a prominent aroma 4+ hours after initial decant. Dark fruit, blueberry, pepper and spice over a bed of cedar and crushed rock. Some tobacco as well. Won't pop the next bottle until at least late 2015.
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Quilceda Creek Comparison - '03-'08; 11/19/2011-11/25/2011 (At the Homestead....): Wow! Even better than I remember, with me last consuming this four years ago. In fact, this is even better than the '03. Flowing cascades of fruit and spicy elements. Violet and a very thin rim that is sanguine. Long, long, long and I did not see the propitiousness within (giving her 94 pts at that time). Spicy tobacco, blackberry, fudge, leather, cinnamon and flower shop. Velvet and apparent tannins; a glowing nexus of flavor. A long life ahead for this ravishing beauty. Drink 2013 - 2032.
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decanted for only an hour, lots of sediment. the nose has tons of cedar with vanilla and a floral edge. the palate has spicey blackberry and boysenberry with anise. with some time in the glass, a nice minerality emerged to soften the wine. the finish was long, at least 60 seconds. overall, this was a brute force wine with a powerful palate. not hugely complex, but very enjoyable! imo, this should rest for a couple more years but is getting closer. drink 2014-2025.
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Been waiting for some to crack one of these, and it lived up to the anticipation. Dark, brooding, lively -- all of the superlatives you would expect from a wine of the calibre apply. Really loved the vanilla and anise that emerged once the wine had sat in my glass for awhile. Eventually decided to skip the final courses of a grand tasting menu to simply sit and sip this for the rest of the evening. No regrets.
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Drank 2 bottles. Both consistent. Decanted for 90 minutes. Drinking quite well now. Dark ruby color. Black stone fruits, currant, hint of chocolate. Fairly full bodied. Longish finnish with silky tannins.
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By far the best bottle of this wine yet. Sweet, delicious but still focused and well structured. Much more enjoyable than a few years ago. Lots of licorice and dark chocolate.
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Deep ruby color leads to classic Quilceda nose of blueberry, currant and chocolate. Medium full body really evolves over 4 hours in decanter with final glass easily the best. Body is both complex and structured, suggesting a long life ahead. Tannins are smooth and incredibly long. Excellent wine that need decant if drinking now.
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Quilceda Creek Vertical (Zum Hirschen, Aarau, Switzerland): This wine appeared a bit overdone, I thought it was a little one-dimensional. The fruit is there, good tannins and structure but the sparks of the prior vintages seemed to be missing.
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Excellent, although not quite at the 99 or so points of prior bottles, probably due to no decanting and incorrect food matching. Great fruit, lots of complexity, smooth tannins and long finish.
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Could definitely use some more time. 2003 is better - more silky smooth, and I don't think this is that much a product of age. Don't get me wrong, '04 has tons of flavor and is outstanding on its own without trying to compare to its big brother.
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Bit disappointing, probably shut down. Time in glass or open bottle did not improve. Slight green flavor, somewhat muted fruit. Nowhere nearly as expressive as previous bottle.
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2004 Quilceda Creek cab (WA99/WS95) 14.9%. Tied with 2003, as WS highest-rated QC cab; drinking window 2010-2020. I was quite surprised at how delicious this was straight out of the bottle day 1; nice aromatics, full-bodied, layers of flavor. Loads of currant/cranberry, more red fruit than black; spice, anise. Not noticeably oaky; tannins present, but not a problem. Wine is still on the young side and should develop more complexity with age, but I'd suggest trying one now to see for yourself. WA drinking window 2017-2045; I don't think so. I recently had my last 2001; I thought it was past peak, tho it could have been the bottle. Starting to think the prime drinking window for these is 5-10 years from vintage. RF97.
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The fill was into the neck and the cork was pristine; popped, poured and enjoyed over the course of several hours. Although the aromatics are still quite primary at this point, the boquet is outgoing, offering up notes of ripe black fruits, lilly, and anise. Medium-boided, with a heavenly mouthfeel, silky and ripe tannins, great concentration of fruit, and wonderful precision on the finish. I fear I have drank most of my bottles too soon, as this wine is really just now starting to come into its own!
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First words out of our mouths were Smoooooooooooth. This iwne is accessible, easy to drink and an expected fruit bomb. Blueberry and cherry pop around your mouth in a purple haze. Lots of vanilla and cinnamon follow the fruit. This is clearly a baby. Hedonistic, over the top and a blast to drink. We drank without food but i think it would show even better with a chunk of beef.
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Tasted blind. A youthful appearance; primary bouquet of very ripe black fruits, licorice, and flower. Medium-bodied, quite tannic, with a firm structure. Good concentration of fruit, incredible depth, and a long and focused finish. Still quite young; this will benefit from extended cellaring.
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Dallas 2nd Wednesday Group - September 2010 (The Green Room, Dallas, Texas): Tasted at a wine dinner. Opened and served immediately. Followed over about an hour. Dark garnet to purple color in the glass, clear hue throughout. Nose of berries, florals, talc, plums and white pepper. Rich flavors of black cherries, black berries and bitters on the medium to long finish. Medium acidity, medium to firm tannins, full bodied. Drink now with some air or continue to hold. 92+?
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Pulled the cork at 3pm, had a small sip. super jammy and enormous, long finish and a bit tight. recorked, sampled again at 5pm, it had started to integrated. decanted at 8pm, consumed at 9pm. great balance, huge mouthcoating flavor. great concentrated, cherry cola tobacco flavors. not overly complex nose. tannins are silky smooth but have grip and balanced nicely with the meal. 50+ second finish. consumed with grilled filet mignon. you could hold this wine for several more years no problem but it is delicious and drinking very well at the moment.
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The bottle and cork were pristine; opened (but not decanted) about 30 minutes before service. A youthful purple color with absoltuely no signs of age. A relatively primary (but impressive) bouquet of very ripe dark fruits, licorice, lilly and spice. Medium to full bodied, with great concentration of flavor, ripe and velvety tannins, incredible depth and impressive length. Will probably be better in a few years, but showed very well on this night!
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Decanted 4 hrs and steadily improved over the next 4 hours. Well-knit, seamless kirsch, berry fruits, cocoa, tar, and baking spices. Powerful but not over the top. To quibble, this wine could use a bit more acid for balance, but it's really fine as is. Served with ribeyes grilled over oak and brushed with porcini powder and porcini oil, porcini risotto, broccoli and onion tempura, and stirfried green beans.
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Dark ruby with a red rim; Sweet spice and kirsch aromas with kirsch, spice, dark chocolate and blueberry flavors. Long tannic and acidic finish. After the decant this was very disjointed but after some time in the decanter started to come together. There was some disagreement whether it was acidity or too much alcohol on the finish. I voted for both. Hopefully a few more years will help the integration with this wine. Decanted about 30 minutes and needed quite a bit more time. Note that the score was for the final glass.
Based on where the 100 pt 02, 03, 05 are trading now would say this wine is a relative bargain and one that should be sought out, you will be glad you did!
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Quilceda Creek Vertical (Hughes House - Chicago IL): Double blind tasting - turned out to be a 10 year Quilceda vertical. Plum and chocolate on nose with good spice form oak. Big yet balanced fruit on palate, showing cassis, plum, black cherry and that same chocolate. Great texture, balanced enough to keep the alcohol in check. While I can't find my notes on all the wines, this was certainly my favorite tonight, followed by the 2004 Galitzine, well ahead of other well regarded, well rated vintages that I found less balanced.
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Wineflock - Quilceda Creek Intro/Retro (Home): Group #1, My #4 - Opaque deep red color. Lovely nose of black spice and red fruit. Big dusty dark black fruit palate iwth a zippy tannic acidity. This could be one of the best of these with a bit more time to come together... 94+ pts.
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Put it in the decanter at 830 AM. Deep, dark black and purple. Nose not giving up much at all. Checked back in at 1, and the nose was starting to come around. Took a sip, and there was some blueberry and black cherry underneath the lead, leather and spice. Incredible smooth with the tannins and acidity to compliment the stuffing. Will update later... At the eight hour mark in the decanter, took a sip, and poured the rest into the bottle for travel. Consumed from 6-7PM (so that is 10 plus hours being open) with friends and sliders at Max's. The color was almost aubergine with a touch of dark garnet. The smell was a cacophony of blueberry, cherry, pencil shavings, earth and cedar. Just wonderful to smell! The black and blue fruits seemlessly intergrated with licorice, leather and spice. A rich mouthfeel that just goes on and on. I was amazed how the fruit, oak and acidity were in balance... and so smooth! I can see why some might not like this style, but I think this is a great bottle of wine:)
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EWG - Church & State - Cabs - Jan 3, 2009: This did see some airtime which seemed to get it to a place where it was open for business. Lots of sweet red fruit dressed in oak. Very enjoyable but can't be considered great unless some complexity comes its way. Right now it is fairly big and very fruity. Lots of stuffing. I hope it has the right structure to emerge in 15 years as something special.
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Decanted for 4 hours. First taste immediately after opening was rather surprising as it seemed quite ready to drink. Deep purple to the rim, exotic nose of incense, black and blue berries, spices, and creosote. A hint of leather? Full bodied with smooth tannins, long finish that completely lives up to the promise from the nose. After some hesitation given prior reviews suggesting further aging, this bottle absolutely convinced me of QC's greatness.
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Third time is not a charm. I have given this wine a lot of latitude in my previous assessments, but after tonight I'm done. These are going on sale. It has an awful, strong, sickly sweet, grainy oak profile. Sawdust and heat overshadows all of the fruit.
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Cabernet Smackdown (Steve T's, Vernon Hills IL): nose: nice red fruits with candied cherries, red currants and nice tones of red licorice. Not all too expressive and not all too deep either. Comes off as a under $20 cali cab on the nose and is a bit of blah
taste: excellent medium feel with good tones of of red fruits, candied cherries, and a good helping of red licorice. Tones are rather surface on the palate and it isn't too deep. Good tannins bite on the back end
overall: a real shocker when revealed. This was very underwhelming performance, and this bottle just may have been caught at the wrong time. I'd certainly like to try this again in a few years to see if this was just a poor performance/bad bottle
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Am I missing something here? I have cut down oak trees, I have been watched oak logs being sawn for building timbers, and my grandfather used to be an artisan cabinet maker. This wine reminds me of all three of these. I mean it is dominated by sweet, toasty, vanilla oak. Too much oak!. There was certainly some large scaled fruit, teeth staining, ripe tannins. But it is hot, alcoholic, etc... Oh and this bottle is certainly not flawed.
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Washington Wine Tasting w/ Steven Tanzer (Palace Kitchen, Seattle, WA): The nose had nice aromas of blue fruit with just a note of high-toned oak. The palate seemed lighter than I had experienced before. Some currant and cherry flavors with a little earth. With some time in the glass, it did take on a slightly roasted quality that added some nice complexity. We tasted this right after an 04 Corliss Cab, and the Quilceda seemed light and a little unimpressive in comparison. The Quilceda did have a long finish, that the Corliss did not have though.
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Day 1: Wow. Unfortunately, the previous tasting note is pretty accurate. Decanted for 3 1/2 hours and tasted periodically. Hot. Overly oaked. Disjointed. All in all awful. Undrinkable. Poured back in the bottle and will revisit tomorrow. Is this simply indicative of the vintage or the overall ageability of these wines in general? They seem to drink well upon release.
Day 2: The alcohol has subsided, but all that's left is stewed overripe fruit and little else. A huge disappointment.
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Decanted for 14 hours beforehand. Incredibly intense aromas of every type of dark fruit, meat, earth and jam. Still a baby, the wine had intense black fruit notes, stiff tannins, and incredible amounts of polish for being this young.
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Undrinkable. Hot, stewed fruits, tomato, plums, and way over the top alcohol and oak, with sweet cloying fruits. Opened 24 hours before consuming and tasted 3 times over the 24 hour period.
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Tasted blind against '05 Araujo Cab. Was shocked at the contrast. Easily identified on the nose by the coffee and mocha notes. Beautiful, pretty nose. Initially, the palate was flat and one dimensional. It was less tannic than the Araujo. It seemed flat. Latre on it felt hot and out of balance. Eventually the wine showed up but it was the poorest showing of QC I've ever seen. By the end of the night it was sweet and alcoholic. Kind of strange. I am assuming the bottle was slightly flawed. No way could t be this lopsided.
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QC tasting at Bill Kaufmann’s. Blackberry and spice nose. Dark fruit flavors meld together with anise on the palate. Smooth texture, but lots of structure holding it together, this is probably only a hint of what can develop with more time.
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Another stellar wine from this flite, greatly enjoyed last night at the monthly meeting of the Hickory Wine Club at Lake Hickory CC as part of a blinded '00 - '06 vertical tasting, what an unreal flight of wines. So big, bold, spicy and muscular that I thought all of these wines were Australian shirazs before being un-blinded. Very bold bouquet of oak, dark plum, blueberry and white pepper. Inky black, very well balanced, very full bodied and complex with enough tannins and structure in place for many years of cellaring. Primary flavors include well b alanced oak, some cassis, dark fruit, blackberry, licorice, black currants with development of tobacco and smoke on a long aftertaste. Absolutely great, highly recommend this.
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This wine is very good. The hype has maybe misled me? Every part is very good and of high quality. Can I differentiate between them? A very big, voluminous, dark red and dark blue/black fruit wine. A solid oak component. No nuance, but the wine is very young. Probably will never say anything of place. I hope it will get better, and never remind me of a very popular, very oaky California wine. 4 Bottles remain.
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Poured from magnum....thank you Mr. Winn for such a generous donation to the dinner. Aromatically, I seemed attracted to a number of oak type inferences, such as mocha, gingerbread and for the first time I can recall in trying to think through a bouquet note, I jotted down 'snickerdoodle'--I just jot what comes to mind. As for the fruit, a molten quality comes through the dark fruit, along with a scorched earth element. I liked this wine a lot and can see why others like this bottling, too.
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Popped the cork and poured; opened at the end of a great party with great friends; tasting notes may not be reliable but from memory color was dense opaque purple blue; nose very rich with aromas of vanilla, licorice, coffee and plums; massive on the palate with smooth tannins and huge extraction; flavors of chocolate, minerals and dark berry fruits; long finish; very enjoyable.
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Finally had to open one up to celebrate a special event. I agree with others that this is an ever-evolving wine that changes. I drank this over 3 nights and it seemed to be a bit different each night while holding on to the backbone of fresh, ripe fruit. And, this had the longest finish I've ever experienced. I loved this and will really hold on to my last one for a few more years.
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I know, I know. Infanticide. But we have a lot of it and I like to waste my money so you don't have to. OK, open for a bit, decanted of course. Massive well structured wine but it dances in the mouth - Sugar Ray Leonard - power and finesse (but less flash - sorry, Sugar). Awesome stuff. Huge fruit and huge tannins but so balances who cares? This will obviously go forever, but it drinks now, fo' sho. Raisins and figs on the nose, almost like Amarone. Oak, too, but not so much that the fruit is lost. Also, the dried fruit nose does not equate to syrup on the palate. Hard to believe it's 14.9 because it really sings. It's the Prince Fielder of wine - fat but quick, chunky but athletic. Been open for many hours at this point. Listening to Mod Def Black Star. Still a big wine. Went through a slightly muted phase but is showing well again. Probably nothing more than youth. Less dried fruit and more fresh. Still a big boy, but well balanced. Loads of fruit, great structure. I will collect this, Smith Madrone and Ridge. What else? Look, it has been open for half a day and it's still evolving. Not as good as '03, but who cares? That's like saying 'he's rich but he's not as rich as Bill Gates.' Drink it!
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Decanted for almost 8 hours. Don't have to repeat other tasters when it comes to the aroma profile. What made this wine outstanding for me was the amazing silkiness this wine already has. That's something I've discovered with many young, but great wines: You can tell that they are still young (even after a 8 hour decant), but the structure and tannin profile already leaves you speechless. On the nose and even on the palate it has a great density and depth which will definitely become more approachable over the years... I will save my other 2 bottles... at least I'm gonna try!
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Had side-by-side with the 2004 Foley Claret. The four of us definitely preferred the QC. This was my first taste in a year and it may have shut down a bit. We did decant this for 5 hours which seemed like about the right length at this stage. The complexity of the nose and the length of the finish were what made this the wine of the night. both wines had a wonderful cabernet core and excellent tannin control. This round, Washington State takes the prize.
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6 hour decant. I didn't get the dark fruit that I see in the notes. Red fruit dominated, somewhat jammy with cedar. Slight bit of heat. Even with good tannin integration. OK finish. Just didn't do much for us.
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Sweet raspberry jam, blueberry and some brett on the nose. A good balance, sweet attach with cherry and coffee finishing it up. This is a good wine, but it's not really my style.
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Great blue/black fruit with vanilla and oak aromas. This wine was very smooth and had a long finish. It was very approachable now and really just a whole lot of fun to drink while it is young and full of those great QC fruit flavors. After just tasting the 05 Cab last month at the release, we wanted to revisit the 04. I think that I enjoyed the 05 more because of a great brown sugar streak that the 05 had that wasn't as evident in the 04, but the 04 is still an incredible wine with a long life ahead of it.
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I have had the 2003 and the 2002 Quilceda's earlier this year and both were solid 95pts and 96pts. Decanted and tasted at 6 hours and then again at 12 hours. I would rate it the same at both points a 99pts. Reserving that 100pts for the 1994 Harlan Estate which I find this wine to be very similar to in its early stage as it was in its early stage. Brown Sugar and Dark Fruit and Vanilla/Cedar and Oak. Tasting at 6 hours it was Amazing. The fruit was there but faintly on the midpalette. A little tinge of hot but nothing intruding more welcoming than anything. At 12 hours the ting of heat was gone and Brown Sugar and Dark Fruit dominated. Open another in 3 years.
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A Celebration (Da Marco, Houston, Texas): I was blown away by this. The nose reminded me of fresh cedar sawdust. Extremely complex - espresso, cedar, extra dark chocolate, crushed rocks and dark fruit. Tremendous mouthfeel that tattoos the mouth. And as you would expect, the finish sails on forever. A big thanks to Dionysis for contributing this. WOTN.
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found locally for a decent price, so i jumped at the chance to try my first qc cab. put me in the very small camp that just doesn't quite get this wine. hot hot hot! good complexity. nice dark fruits, brown sugar, but tons of vanillin oak and did i mention the heat? creamy mouthfeel. certainly approachable, but not my thing.
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Decanted for 6 hours. A touchof heat was the only negative. Lots of fruit, and the tannins were not intrusive. I suspect this might have been given a better score, but the restaurant unfortunately had crappy stemware.
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Opened up a Quilceda '02 and '04 one night and decanted both. While both were exceptional, the '04 stood out as the slightly better of the two. Very big, rich and full bodied, while being quite approachable already. Deep dark fruits with plenty of stuffing. Perfect for a friend and a steak on a special occasion. Has a strong life ahead of it, but if you have more than one, try one now!
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Tasted at Esquin wine tasting. Doubeld decantered for 6 hours. Color: Inky black Aroma: Blackberries, plum, vanilla, cocoa and oak. Tasting notes: Massive fruit. this wine coats the palate with intense fruit, and a long finish! I cant wait to see what this wine is like in ten years.
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Vertical tasting of Quilceda Creek (1999-2004): This wine was the most different from the others, possibly because it is the youngest and is still resolving itself. The fruit was more jammy than the others.
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Dinner at Chris Palm's: The color is an inky black/deep red. The nose is very intriguing, offering refined and sweet fruit of blackberries and blueberries mixed with spice, oak/vanilla, and something akin to brown sugar. A unique and captivating concoction. The taste is dominated by concentrated, liquor-like black fruit with some spice and brown sugar. Awesome stuff. Extremely well balanced and controlled. Fiercely tannic. This is the second time I've had this, but this is so unique that I correctly guessed this blind almost immediately (although I'll admit that context information provided some pretty strong clues).
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Tasting Group Dinner - Paella, White Burgundy, Steaks, and Bordeaux (Chris Palm's House, Minneapolis): Tasted blind. I correctly guessed 04 Quilceda. This was a bit controversial at the table, but I loved the flavor profile: sweet ripe dark fruit, blueberries, and spice. Also lots of vanilla/new oak, and a hint of brown sugar. While this was flashy and ripe, it was also prodigiously structured and tannic, and was shutting down hard in the glass after about half an hour. Another wine to look forward to when it opens back up again in 10+ years.
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Exceptional wine, very approachable now. Open for four hours, decanted after two, then drank over the next three hours. Wonderful nose and palate, silky mouthfeel and a moderate to long finish. This wine will be awesome in a couple of years.
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Drank this, wondering what all the fuss is about. This wine was among the most weighty I have tasted. Restrained nose of dark fruit. Taste was Dense, layered, and backwards, thick dense fruit and earth, slight hints of mint, but the midpalate was mouthfulls, and the finish was spectacularly long. Drank against an 04 Schrader, and this got the nod (and that's saying something!). Would buy this again, even at auction prices.
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deep garnet. Sweet nose that opened and opened. Blackberries, raspberries and plums with some oak. Taste was beautiful rich berries with a hint of herbs. Delish.
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Tasted at the Esquin wine tasting. Open for roughly two hours and aerated twice. Huge bouquet jumps out of the glass; black cherry, licorice and mocha. Great balance out of the bottle, but really needs some time. Tight tannins. Tasted w/o food.
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Hmmm. Obviously well-made wine with big dark fruit, vanilla and mocha. But there was something else in the flavor profile that I didn't like and couldn't put my finger on. Something like a grain, maybe oats or barley. We didn't finish the bottle like we normally do on a Friday night. I don't know what to think of this wine. At this point my least favorite of the vintages I've tried (1999 - 2004).
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2006 WS Top Ten Tasting (NYC): Ranked #2. $85. Represented on the dais by owner Alex Golitzin, a nephew of the legendary Napa winemaker, Andre Tchelistcheff. The majority of the fruit comes from the Champoux and Klipsun vineyards. A soaring nose of licorice, vanilla, cassis and red flowers. My wife commented that it was like drinking rose petals. Lots of oak, massive intense fruit, then a wall of tannins. Much better than the last time I tried this about 11 months ago, when it was undrinkably harsh. I can now see the excitement behind this wine. As HS noted ‘the substantial oak is sublimated to the harmonious and seamless fruit character.”
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DECANTED FOUR HOURS BUT STILL NEEDED A LOT OF TIME TO OPEN. BIG WINE WITH COMPLEX FRUIT IN THE NOSE AND FLAVOR, NICE TANNINS AND A VERY LONG FINISH. WAIT AT LEAST FIVE MORE YEARS TO OPEN.
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Tried this at a local wine shop who had it opened for a special event. They had it decanting, but it had not been opened for very long, so it was tight and moderately tannic. Beautiful in every way, even in it's youth. So, decant for several hours if you want it now, but I think I'll hold mine for at least 5 more years. If I can be patient enough, I think it'll be even better in 10.
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After seeing Jay Miller's review of this wine, I decided to pop one and see how it was doing. Decanted for 3 hrs and enjoyed over an additional one. It's not giving up much on the nose currently. Aromas of the blue fruits typical of QC. On the palate, the fruit that you'd expect from the winery, but it lacks the structure or tannic backbone to balance out the fruit. The finish is clipped, to put it mildly. Overall, a disappointing bottle - will wait at least a year before trying again.
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Decanted 4 hr’s. Great nose of blueberry, violets and pie crust along with red currants and white chocolate notes. On the palate, this has great presence and weight – a nice combination of smoothness, power and supple, sweet tannins. Flavors of blueberry, red currants, cassis, and vanilla bean dominate on the palate. The finish is just tremendous in its length, breadth and persistent fruit. This opened up more throughout the evening and should continue to improve with more cellar time.
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Opened for 6 hours prior to drinking with Hanger steak at Clyde Common, Portland, Oregon with Andrew F. We both thought it was the most unusual wine we've ever had, big, full-bodied, still tight for 30+ minutes but began to soften and really open up. Long finish, dark fruits with undefined herbaceousness. Absolutely delicious. Drank alongside the Ken Wright 2005 Canary Pinot Noir ($45 or so), and the Quilceda made a very good wine taste mundane in comparison. I asked Andrew if this wine was a celebrity, who would it be? His answer, "Marilyn Monroe at her peak!" I agree, unusual, full-bodied, has "it".
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Consume with grilled ribeyes after about an hour or so in the decanter. At this point the oak and tannins are most prominent. There appears to be a good bit of fruil brooding in there somewhere, but at this point it wasn't firing on all cylinders for me.
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Had along with the 2004 Leonetti Reserve and 2004 Betz Pere de Famille, the Top 3 Washington Cabs according to Tanzer. Quilceda was the clear winner. Decanted for 5 hours and it was simply awesome. I agree with all the posts that when this gets 5 years under its belt it will be great, but right now it is fantastic. The taste sticks with you for hours and the violet on the nose is so distinctive. If you have several you must open one now and try it. I will save the rest for a while.
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This wine clearly needs some celar time to settle down. I decanted for five hours and the wine was still a bit disjointed. Even so this was a deliocious wine. The nose was very rich with fruit and spice. The palate had a sweet berry overtone almost like a zin. You can feel the depth and complexity of the wine but it ramained locked up. Would have liked to have saved a few sips for today but that didn't happen. I certainly am glad that I tried one early but probably will not open another for at least a few years.
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Dinner w/ Dave & Chris (Our House): Single decanted about two hours. Midnight black color. Amazing nose of crushed blackberries, smoke, soy, iron, and toasty oak. Very concentrated Quilceda blueberries, violets, and black fruits on the palate, with tannins that intensified with each sip. Showing a LOT of new oak. This will probably close down within the next 12-18 months, but for now this wine is showing well and hinting at future greatness.
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Dinner at Siggy's House (Delas, l'Evangile, Quiceda, Pax, Alban): Decanted a few hours before serving. My first Quilceda, and what an introduction. The color is an inky black/deep red. The nose is very intriguing, offering refined fruit of blackberries and blueberries mixed with meat, spice (cinnamon?), oak/vanilla, and something akin to brown sugar. Really a unique and interesting concoction. The first thing you notice when you taste is the searing tannins. The taste is dominated by concentrated, liquor-like black fruit with some spice. Extremely well balanced and controlled. I would guess this will merit a score in the range 94 - 96 with a few years of bottle age, but wouldn't be surprised if it was even better.
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Undrinkable the night I opened it, even after an hour in the decanter. Hot, confectionary, structureless. I poured the remainder (probably 3/4 of the bottle) back into the bottle, recorked it, and stuck it in the fridge. The next night, it was much better, now showing some structure and a bit more balance. The candied/overdone notes that had so disturbed me the first night had receded, although were still present to some degree. The nose was the strongest component, showing great complexity and depth. Very sexy texture, and a slightly hot, port-like finish. This reminded me very much of the '02 upon release. The '03 was much different (better) than those two vintages. Judgement deferred on this wine. I won't touch another for quite a while though.
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ok, tasted on the day of the winery release party, and i know there will be many glowing reports of it's youthful exuberence and fabulous potential. huh? it smells of alcohol and is over extracted. one caveat, it's "better" than the 02 and 03 that i tasted on release, but that is a hollow positive given my opinion of those two wines. this is probably the most polarizing wine i have ever tasted. i really have a diverse palate, and try to keep an open mind, but QC is apparently not for me. hey! i gave it a shot.
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2007 Passport to Woodinville weekend; 3/31/2007-4/1/2007 (Woodinville, WA): Great flavors of blueberry and blackberry! Quilceda Creek does it again. Wow, this was a big wine with great structure that was really easy to drink right now. These were being decanted, but only briefly at the release party for this wine. Everyone in our group loved this wine, though not everyone could agree whether it tasted more like the 02 or the 03. There had been a lot of nervous anticipation from us about this wine since the price eclipsed the $100 mark direct from the winery, but this brief tasting put all our fears to rest. Truly an extraordinary wine.
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G7 (Alex): Blueberries and raspberries. An alcoholic, syrupy mess of a wine. This wine is so reductive it actually turns my stomach to drink it. I really don't want to dislike these wines so much but it is beyond me what many people see in them. 14.9% alcohol.
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This is much more balanced at this early stage than the '03 version of this wine. It only got about 90 minutes of air before drinking, which wasn't enough, but it showed remarkably well nonetheless. Impressively big nose of chocolate and red and black fruits. Some alcohol showed. The palate was packed with red currant, tobacco, chocolate, and and blue/black fruit that I always think is blueberry. (Although there was some lively debate that it wasn't actually blueberry, it was the same blue/black fruit that I've come to associate with QC).
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Dark ruby color with a nose that explodes from the glass. Notes of cinnamon, tobacco, cassis, game (?) and red plums jump out urging you to take a sip. A round sexy mouthful of Cabernet fruit, full of red cherries and strawberries, but just little overwhelmed in the middle by the massive mouth puckering tannins and a long powerful finish. I think this wine just needs to integrate, come together, and stay away from my corkscrew. In no way a fruit bomb...and if this evolves like the nose suggests it should, this is another great QC.
After an hour, the fruit and tannins balance nicely...this is going to be a great bottle of wine.
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4/12/2024 - NY Wino Likes this wine: 98 Points
Bought from winery from mailing list and properly cellared until tonight. Decanted magnum for 3 hours, then drank at Gallaghers with prime rib. Pretty amazing experience! Deep purple color, powerful bouquet of rich red and dark fruit and cedar. The wine is pretty massive for 20 years old, with tons of rich deep fruit, big but smooth tannins and a super long delicious finish.
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3/1/2024 - Experienced palate Likes this wine: 98 Points
Impeccably stored wine (little ullage perfect cork) maybe that is the difference, as I don't get most recent reviews. Spectacular nose with ripe fruit still exploding out of the glass. Spice, cassis, black licorice, with bittersweet chocolate and velvety tannin coating your palate. Very long finish with layered complexity. A quintessential Quilceda creek! For me it simply doesn't get much better, so drink up....cheers.
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12/28/2023 - Zeds wrote:
Drank with Mike & Dawn. Tasted it blind and everyone thought it was a Bordeaux blend. Not much fruit left so mostly tertiary on the nose and palate. Forest floor, smoky, and a bit of tobacco. Over time it smelled more of an ashtray. Di thought it tasted of stewed prunes on the palate. The tannins were soft and it was silky for a 20 year old wine, basically it was amazing.
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12/25/2023 - LuckyLars wrote: flawed
The wine seemed a bit over extracted - the comment that it seemed Amarone like rang true for me. Lots of fruit but not much acidity. A touch disjointed. We enjoyed it with rack of lamb but it was not the treat we were hoping for.
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12/10/2023 - Glenn228 Likes this wine: 93 Points
After our first of two bottles we recently purchased was found to be corked, I opened the second. Savory stewed fruit and tertiary notes on both nose and palate. It reminded me of an Amarone, though my wife disagreed. Tannins well-integrated and mostly gone. Finish was shorter than hoped. Drink now.
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12/10/2023 - Glenn228 wrote: flawed
Badly corked. Wet newspaper.
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10/31/2023 - phandley66 wrote: 87 Points
Maybe an off bottle, but I suspect just past it’s prime. A bit thin, faded, not much finish. Showing chocolate notes, some stewed fruit, tobacco. Definitely drink up this is going downhill.
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10/21/2023 - curtr Likes this wine: 94 Points
Needed 2 hours to soften. Very good depth and character between 2 to 3 hours. Kept getting better. Drink now to 2029.
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9/23/2023 - Amerique wrote: 94 Points
Rich, delicious plum fruit with cassis flavors, excellent structure, soften tannins, short finish, very forward palate tasting, disappointed that it wasn't round and fully in the mouth
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9/3/2023 - deadwax Likes this wine: 94 Points
94-95. This surprised me a bit in that it can go on for a while imo. It was terrific now. There is more time for it to develop. Tannins are strong for a wine that is almost 20 years old. Good balance though. Could be a point or higher.
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8/13/2023 - DougLee wrote: 91 Points
Blast of blueberry and blackcurrant fruit on the palate. Outstanding concentration of fruit cut with high alcohol. Too fatiguing to finish.
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3/12/2023 - ogres3 Likes this wine: 93 Points
Drank with Matt & McCague in Longboat. Great wine to pair with food.
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1/29/2023 - djs Likes this wine: 95 Points
This bottle drinking just great with 3 hour decant. Perfect balance of classic and hedonistic styles.
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1/2/2023 - ogres3 Likes this wine: 91 Points
Very smooth, great with food, has lost a fair bit of the fruit. Not sure I buy the extended drinking period for some of the QC wines.
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12/17/2022 - ONEFIVE Likes this wine:
PnP
This bottle seems dried out on the nose. There is some nice dried cranberry elements but I'm afraid oxidation has begun its takeover.
On the palate, this is fully intergrated with medium body, medium acidity, and medium tannin. Flavors of red fruit are accented by bruised fruit qualities also indicating this is just past its peak.
Drink now.
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12/7/2022 - jaylew1 wrote: 94 Points
Interesting to see all the quality variation in the recent tasting notes. I was struck by how perfectly clean and preserved the cork was and how the wine is still impenetrably dark in appearance and extremely youthful. Just a tiny touch of heat or I would rate it higher.
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11/24/2022 - theharve wrote: 96 Points
bought from winery on release and stored at 55. At peak and will hold 5 more years. delicious cab.
.
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11/19/2022 - dmodguy wrote: 82 Points
Had 2 bottles. First was bad. Cork had 1/16 inch of color but was soft when I started my ah so cork remover in it Undrinkable. Next day the last bottle. Good but barely good.
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11/1/2022 - JAT wrote: 94 Points
Third bottle consumed. Last bottle 2011. Each one better than the previous one. Nice dark fruit, supple tannins, well-integrated heat, and a relatively long finish.
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10/30/2022 - StainedGlass wrote: 91 Points
Deep red, purple color. Cellar stored since release, but I think the best is behind this vintage. Rich, dark black and purple fruit. Very fruit forward but not a lot of freshness, tannins, or acidity to balance the faded fruits. If you like big, forward, ripe wines, you'll like this. Not worth the $200 price I paid IMO.
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10/29/2022 - Budsberg wrote: 98 Points
Awesome
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10/19/2022 - ogres3 Likes this wine: 82 Points
Fairly muted.
Ripe fruit has dissipated
Didn't pair with food. Probably should have.
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10/16/2022 - Twowinechicks wrote: 88 Points
Heady and high alcohol nose; could sense high alcohol even before tasting (label indicates 14.9%). Deep ruby, still plenty of fruit, but the alcohol is overbearing—taking a tiny sip and letting it evaporate leaves high heat on the palate. Disappointing, actually, as we have another 6-7 bottles in the cellar. Yes, my preferences have changed over time, and I drink Cabernet less than I used to do, but this was disappointing.
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5/9/2022 - thebonnydooner wrote: 92 Points
. Dark, ripe and sweet. Full bodied with pure black currant and dark cherry fruit on both nose and palate. Not hugely complex on either however. More pure fruit than nuanced secondary notes or flavours. Overall, the impression is one of a well made wine, but one a little lacking in character but full of mature ripe fruit. Going to drink some of my more recent QCs soon to see if these are losing something with aging.
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4/16/2022 - rcg62 wrote: 91 Points
From magnum. Decanted 2 hours. Deep color, looks young. Plum and some smoke on the nose. A bit of an odd one for me. A bit viscous, luscious, but in a not great way. Expected more secondary flavors. Pretty straightforward. But enjoyable enough.
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2/10/2022 - bobvictor wrote: 95 Points
Still excellent and holding steady. Perhaps some loss of fruit. Drink now vs hold
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1/3/2022 - Dr. Pato Likes this wine: 95 Points
Delicious. Holding up very well. Concentrated. No signs of significant oxidation.
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12/18/2021 - wineismylife wrote: 94 Points
WIML94
Tasted non blind.
Dark garnet color in the glass, clear looking throughout. Nose of currants, boysenberries and plums. Flavors of currants, boysenberries and plums. Medium acidity, medium to firm tannin, full bodied. Drink now with a little air. Can be held if desired.
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9/15/2021 - DonWinspear wrote: 96 Points
I typically mention notes from the glass, then from the palate, but I'm not going to do that. Here's my review. Friggin delicious. That is all.
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9/4/2021 - hkbob Likes this wine: 97 Points
Deep purple, almost black. This wine really delivered with a heady nose of violets, dark cherry, blueberries, and cassis. Full, rich and hedonistic mouthful of amazing fruit and intensity. Best bottle yet from this vintage which was clearly in the zone and open for business.
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8/1/2021 - wine4ever Likes this wine:
Superb wine. Similar notes to last year. We had it with grilled ribeyes tonight and it really shined. In it's prime with loads of flavor, perfect balance, beautiful nose, super long finish....I just want to keep drinking this. Very happy I have quite a few more of these. Drink now or continue to hold.
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7/19/2021 - ogres3 Likes this wine: 94 Points
Drank in Menlo Park. Full-bodied and fruit forward, but not the fruit bomb that I remember. Very nice complex integrated fruit, quite smooth, almost a delicate finish.
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6/19/2021 - tomlee wrote: 96 Points
Dark crimson in color. 14.9% ABV. Sublime nose of black and blue fruits, leather, cigar box and violets. Polished and concentrated with exceptional balance. Black currants, blueberry liqueur, plums and tobacco on the palate. Tremendous length on the finish with silky, fine grained tannins. Gorgeous Cabernet Sauvignon even if it is over shadowed by the near perfect 02 and breathtaking 03. Best over the next 5-8 years.
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5/28/2021 - hkbob Likes this wine: 96 Points
Opaque purple. Powerful nose of blueberries, blackberries, cured meats and burning embers with a floral top-note. This was dense and still quite youthful - a mouthful of lush dark fruit with an earthy element on the long finish. Wonderful.
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3/18/2021 - hfindlay Likes this wine:
Deep, brooding, purple-black color with a profound, smoky, blackberry liqueur nose. Chocolate and cherry on the palate. This is such a wonderful wine, so hedonistic, yet classy at the same time because it’s so well put together. When I first opened it there were some off, alkaline aromas, but they blew off. Definitely decant. I think this vintage is drinking perfectly right now.
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11/15/2020 - phandley66 wrote:
Drank during a power outage with a to-go steak from a chain restaurant. Drinking.quute nice. Lots of leather and game notes as mentioned in prior reviews. Also some surprising fruit, cherries?, Showing thru on the back end. Not my favorite QC,but shows well and quite tasty. Has some life left, but not sure I'd wait more than a few more years
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11/10/2020 - ID Likes this wine:
We had this after finishing a bottle of 2009 Domaine de Chevalier. Notwithstanding the additional 5 years of age, this wine was much thicker, more viscous. Sort of like drinking a port. Good wine, but it's a question of taste whether you like this style. In contrast, the bordeaux was much lighter on its feet, more delicate.
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8/30/2020 - sprap1951 wrote: 94 Points
Can't argue with the other August 2020 tastings. This is still an incredible cab with lots of fruit, leather, and very smooth. I don't think it's quite as good as the 2003, but a top 10 in my years of red wine drinking. Unfortunately, this one is also my last of the 2004 vintage.
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8/29/2020 - wine4ever Likes this wine:
Incredible again. Still solidly in it's prime drinking window. It's been 2 years since our last bottle and this wine has barely budged. Upon opening, I could smell the bouquet from 15 feet away. Smooth, with layers and layers of flavor, and an amazingly long finish. Hard to pin down a single profile as it displays both Old World Bordeaux and New World characteristics - changing constantly over time. I'd guess at least 8-10 years left, with lots of evolution in it's future. Drink now or continue to hold.
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8/14/2020 - yaCellar Likes this wine: 92 Points
This is at a stage that’s reminiscent of a Paso Cab. Big fruit, big acid. Silky tannins on account of age. Oak has fully resolved, a plus for QC’s generally rich oak treatment. I feel this has plenty of life left. For me it’s at an imbalanced stage.
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8/2/2020 - davidandrose Likes this wine: 95 Points
Allowed to breathe from the bottle for 1:45, not decanted, and followed from standard Cabernet stems.
Fragrant nose is meaty and heavy with leather; this screams Bordeaux, and the nose is not all shy about it.
Extraordinarily well balanced on the palate, particularly given its age. There’s a lot going on here with mature fruit, leather Coffee and caramel. When cool there’s a hint of pepper and spice, but this diminishes as it approaches room temp. I I The finish is sweet, yet there’s a dry component that allows this to really linger on the outer edges of the back-palate.
Now enjoying my final glass out of a sommelier stem and there’s a notable difference. The nose is more New World than Bordeaux; the wines approach has more tannin and strength, yet the finish is softer and a bit more brief.
My final bottle from this vintage, this was significantly better than last nights 2004 Montelena. This is really something special, and while it can last a few more years, I’m not sure that it will improve with age, at least for our palate. Bravo!
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5/24/2020 - mxpbuy Likes this wine: 94 Points
2 hour decant. A unique flavor profile that I am still having a hard time pinpointing. In addition to black fruits, there was a tangy wineberry element with dried and green herbs plus some sweet Oak. Very smooth. 30 second finish.
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5/8/2020 - ejg3333 Likes this wine: 94 Points
Still going strong, beautiful fruit and some life left.
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5/2/2020 - wineismylife wrote: 94 Points
WIML94
Tasted non blind.
Dark garnet color in the glass, clear looking throughout. Nose of leather, Kirsch, potpourri, dark cocoa and plum. Flavors of cassis, plums, raspberries and black cherries. Medium acidity, medium to firm tannin, full bodied. Drink now with some air or continue to hold.
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3/27/2020 - BradA Likes this wine: 93 Points
A big whiff of oak and spice, on the palate it opens thick and a little latexy . As it’s cold, the fruit is a little linear with blueberries predominant.
March 29
Still a full bodied wine with a longer finish. Some eucalyptus on the nose and a darker cherry across the tongue. Very nice! No need to hurry as these will last the decade.
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3/21/2020 - SadEdjo wrote: flawed
Corked
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3/15/2020 - Alfaro wrote: 89 Points
This bottle must of not been stored correctly as it was already starting to fade and become dull.
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2/24/2020 - peternelson wrote: 90 Points
This paled in comparison to the Dunn Howell Mt., less structured, more alcohol, lighter aromas, but with a pretty floral note. In perfect shape. Much prefered the '12 Dunn. Hedonists Meet-up at the Red Lion.
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12/14/2019 - novie1234 Likes this wine: 94 Points
Great showing at 15 years of age. Juicy. Big. Has nice balance now - still loaded at almost 15%, but can’t mistake the pedigree. Very nice and in its prime.
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7/16/2019 - SteveHyde Does not like this wine: 78 Points
What a disappointment. Not defective or corked, but something is very wrong here. Cork was soft. Wine is terribly disjointed. Alcoholic, fruit is very green and overly herbal. On the plus side, the nose is terrific. But that’s not much consolation. Not drinkable. Bought on release off the mailing list. Held in pristine conditions for over a decade, and, crap.
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7/5/2019 - davidandrose Likes this wine: 94 Points
Pop and poor, out of sommelier stems. Muted nose of dark cherry, crushed stone, mature wood and leather. From a standard stem there was a bit of fine-grained coating the palate, but with time the wine seemed a little more refined from the sommeliers.
Red cherry, maybe faint strawberry and just enough structure and dustiness to provide for a lingering finish. I’ve got one more bottle and if not consume shortly it will probably be best out of a smaller stem just for Concentration.
Overall excellent, and well paired with tonight’s fillet and a chestnut wine sauce.
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7/3/2019 - ogres3 Likes this wine: 93 Points
Needs to breathe and benefits tremendously from pairing with food/ribeye. A little disjointed on opening. Becomes a full bodied fruit forward wine that melds with food. Smooth, pleasant finish.
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6/30/2019 - novocane Likes this wine: 95 Points
Wonderful. Had served at a local restaurant on a warn June day. Power decanted for 15 minutes and poured. Nice red fruits on the nose, raspberries and cherries. Also tasted of red fruit. Paired with filet mignon. The first glass wasn't fully opened and had a little bitterness which was gone by the second. Smooth drinking and everyone at the table enjoyed it. This is drinking very well now, most of the tannins are gone. Enjoy it.
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6/28/2019 - dsimmons Likes this wine: 95 Points
Delicious Cab. Needs a few hours of air to be at its best. Concentrated with lots of fruit and tar. Drink or hold.
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5/9/2019 - TexasBob Likes this wine: 93 Points
Lost my notes but it was delicious.
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5/4/2019 - rexmerlot wrote: 95 Points
Wow this wine was so smooth. Clear purple in color. Notes of blackberry, plum, dark chocolate, and leather on nose and palate. Dry, med body, smooth tannins, and nice acidity still after 15 years. Great wine.
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4/28/2019 - louisl Likes this wine: 93 Points
Quite subdued at the moment. There is some rich fruit in the background, but the fresh fruit flavors and tannins are gone, and the mature flavors are just about to emerge. It’s a bit in between stages at the moment, and probably needs 2 to 3 years to make the transition to a more mature wine.
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4/20/2019 - jimyeni Likes this wine: 93 Points
Drinking well, bright acidity, lengthy finish. Bold through the middle but not overbearing at all. Quite enjoyable.
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1/4/2019 - davidandrose Likes this wine: 93 Points
Pop and pour.. Found that this drank better from regular stems as the widemouth of sommelier stems threw the wine too far back on the pallet and diminished the finish.
Ripe berry and floral aromas on the nose. Fruit is nicely balanced on the palate with a silky mouthfeel. 20-25 second finish lasts across the entire palate rather than being focused in one or two areas as you’d typically find.
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11/30/2018 - EvanRose Likes this wine: 99 Points
As good as t gets
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11/3/2018 - SadEdjo wrote: 94 Points
good cork. Focused, polished, still youthful cassis, sandalwood. Energy. Not a hint of green. Wow!
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9/7/2018 - bobvictor Likes this wine: 96 Points
Excellent! Peak drinking window.
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8/26/2018 - tomlee wrote: 94 Points
Bright crimson in color. 14.9% ABV. Reticent nose of blue fruits, violets, leather, smoke and pencil shavings. Supremely polished and plush. Full bodied and well balanced. Blueberries, cassis liqueur, cocoa and earth on the palate. Exceptional length on the finish with a healthy dose of silky tannins. Tremendous Cabernet Sauvignon but lacking the depth and the concentration of the 2002 I had earlier this year. Best over the next 3-5 years.
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7/9/2018 - wine4ever Likes this wine: 96 Points
Outstanding....bordering on extraordinary. The best QC I've had to date. A little age on this has definitely been beneficial. We had a bottle on release (which was amazing too). This wine is now solidly in it's prime drinking window with a good 8-10 years of solid drinking ahead of it. A Marilyn Monroe of the Cab world. Modern, voluptuous, seductive, smooth, great body, huge fruit, yet still elegant. Secondary elements are also now evident, including, smoke, pencil shavings, olive, mineral. Tannins mostly resolved, alcohol not really noticeable. A modern American classic - Extremely well made whether you like the style or not. Looking forward to following it's evolution over the next decade.
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7/9/2018 - MJTed wrote:
Cooked! and a whole mag. Curse you Zachy's. This was purchase for a special occassion and must have been stored or shipped improperly.
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7/8/2018 - MJTed wrote:
Cooked! And from the mag. FU Zachy’s This was stored or shipped improperly.
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6/8/2018 - jviz wrote: 97 Points
So admittedly, I don’t have much context for this wine, but tasted it in a lineup of older and younger cabs/bdx blends. This was quite lactic, with a nose of buttered popcorn, and a palate of blackberry and raspberry confit, with more or less resolved tannins, or perhaps it started on a smooth frame to begin with. Truth be told, this was gorgeous, perhaps best on its own, as it’s a little Rolland-ish in the presentation. I can still taste it an hour later. Interest is created by the MLF / dark fruit interface. It’s a delicious wine, but I can at least understand the criticism from more purist points of view
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6/2/2018 - thebonnydooner Likes this wine: 94 Points
This was probably my best Quilceda wine so far at least initially. Showing very nicely. Deep and intense, with great sweet blackberry and currant fruit. Bordeaux like, complexity with earth and wood nuances. Great balance.
With air becomes overly simple and ripe. Maybe I am drinking these too late?
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5/29/2018 - Quiet Lion Likes this wine: 94 Points
Monthly Men's Wine Dinner (Bottle and Bull, Kirkland, WA): So this is what Quilceda Creek is about! Beautifully aged Washington Cabernet with some Syrah characteristics. Black fruit and earth on the palate, peppery finish. Almost unanimous WOTN (one second-place vote, the rest including me first place).
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4/7/2018 - retired_and_roving Likes this wine:
Q2 - 2018 Tasting - Aged Washington State Wines (NYC): 9/11 wines tasted double blind. No funk on the nose - just dark fruits and some tobacco. On the palate this tasted mature and well balanced with dark fruits, leather and tobacco, but nothing that really made it pop in the line up. A very nice wine in a good drinking window but should hold for quite a long time. 0 pennies voted by me and 4 pennies by the group. Part of the taste off - received 4 pennies in the taste off.
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4/7/2018 - DoubleD1969 wrote: 90 Points
This was tasted single-blind in a lineup that included many of the top wines from Washington State - Cayuse Widowmaker, Bionic Frog, Reynvann Unnamed Syrah, and another QC.
Nothing wrong with the wine - blackish, purple color with a nose of baked fruit and cocoa powder which carried through on the palate. What was missing to me was acidity to counter the heavy mocha flavors and alcohol. It felt like a heavy coat on a warm spring day. Maybe its just my taste buds changing to a different profile of wine.
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4/7/2018 - MC2 Wines wrote:
Q2 2018 Tasting - Aged Washington Wines (The Apt): Wine #9: Part of the taste-off at the end. This was just really lovely red fruits. For some reason have less notes on this than some of the others. Didn't really taste any age on this one which was interesting. Still quite young and bright. (4 pennies)
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3/30/2018 - Christoffer78 Likes this wine: 99 Points
Last time I tasted this effort was about six years ago. It is still one of those wines that I just tend to love. The 2004 Quilceda Creek is clean and rich yet elegant - without the slightest doubt a true masterpiece. The nose is truly complex and reveals several layers with some time in the glass. To say the least, this is a very nicely integrated wine. Elegance, integration and balance are all hallmarks of this wonderful wine. There are absolutely no vegetative 'greenish' tones- this in particular is why the 2004 vintage deserves a score which comes very very close to perfection. The palate is cool, balanced and exhibits silky smooth tannins. This effort is starting to open up and behaves well without a two day decant. But I am certain it will last for many years to come if given proper care and attention in the cellar. A lovely wine! (score is 99+)
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2/3/2018 - winot Likes this wine: 93 Points
Medium deep black cherry red, some staining, showing its age a bit - nice to contrast with the Continuum, as it showcases the diff between Napa fruit and WA fruit - less cassis here, more tar, coffee, and umami - certainly some oak spice influence too - palate is also more earthy, coffee, tar mixed with fruit that is mildly roasted plum (in a good way) - in balance, not hot - has mature, secondary notes for sure, this is quite lovely. Perhaps just a bit roasted/oaky for my palate, but still very nice. No rush but I suspect the fruit aspect has commenced its slow decline.
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1/7/2018 - millerarner wrote: 93 Points
Took to dinner out and was aerated into decanter by the waiter. Still youthful considering the vintage, although on this bottle the fruit seemed to be fading faster than the tannin. Reticent nose, that was hard to coax over the course of two+ hours. Still plenty of weight and grip, and ultra smooth. Enjoyable, no doubt, although we would’ve been better served to give it several hours of air prior to consumption. Better yet, leave it alone until 2025.
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1/2/2018 - MillerRoad Likes this wine: 94 Points
Very dark. Very smooth. Lots of fruit up-front, particularly blueberry and blackberry. Gave way to some coffee, tar, tobacco, clove. Not too much vanilla. High alcohol was not an issue.
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12/25/2017 - M&Pva wrote: 92 Points
This was a nice smooth wine, but don't understand the very high ranking by others.
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12/25/2017 - davidandrose Likes this wine: 96 Points
Opened and allowed to breathe in-bottle for 90 mins, then followed over 2.5 hours. Mature blueberries are very fragrant upon opening, as is typical for QC's;evident but fades with time to reveal a nose of tar, cigar, vanilla and a faint hint of wet crushed stone.
This is still very powerful for a 13YO wine; would imagine this is '12 or 13 calicab if i didn't know otherwise, though the integration of the wine shows finesse and age that you wouldn't catch at first taste. The dark fruit is rich and ripe, but there's no alcohol punch with the wine's maturity. Also shows coffee and seems to come from medium-heavy toasted barrels. Absolutely stellar wine with a long life ahead of it. 3 bottles remaining, will target next bottle for 2020-22. 96 today, the potential to score 98+
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12/19/2017 - Vinnut Likes this wine: 94 Points
Deep, dark, reddish-purple garnet in color; almost opaque. Full, forward & attractive nose of ripe fruit aromas of dark cherries, blackberries & cassis with overtones of lovely floral & earthy/dusty notes, spices, herbs, minerals, dark cocoa/coffee & a hint of toasty oak/vanilla in the background. Full bodied with a very good concentration of well balanced & smooth textured, ripe fruit flavors of dark cherries, blackberries & plums with spices, herbs, earthy, dark cocoa, minerals & 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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8/8/2017 - TexasBob Likes this wine: 95 Points
Dark to rose red red; like red at the edges. Delicious purple fruits on the nose. Delicious blackberries, blackberry bramble, plum skin, sweet cassis. Delicious.
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7/13/2017 - laetulos wrote: 96 Points
Really amazing WA wine. On first pop it was intense and not very focused, after several hours in a decanter it developed really interesting and fun layers, tobacco, pencil shavings, dark fruits. Initially it seemed over-oaked, this faded though with decanting, if given enough time it is a well balanced wine.
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5/31/2017 - JC Cab wrote: 95 Points
Outstanding wine! Exquisitely balanced. Dark, lightly spiced fruit balanced by fine grain tannins and medium acidity. Long, lingering finish. Top 10 for me all time.
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5/21/2017 - rashcar Likes this wine: 95 Points
Last night with friends. A bordeaux like nose. Earth and fruits. Very impressive. Everything is coming together now but has enough structure to cellar for another 10 years. Very good taste and finish. Decanted for 1 1/2 hours and drank over next one hour. Today it could have used 3 hours decanting as it got better in the glass and some of the heat started to go away. That's how young it still is.
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5/17/2017 - Elkcims wrote: 97 Points
Very enjoyable, great mouthfeel, excellent nose and nice finish.
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2/2/2017 - Philip67 Likes this wine: 96 Points
Stunning wine - it is big and hedonistic in style but has plenty of interest beyond the fruit. The fruit itself is interesting - blueberry and blackcurrant are the obvious flavours - but backed by strong lifted raspberry and menthol notes - which are a unique but consistent style of Quilceda Creek. Behind the voluptuous cloak of fruit are soft ripe fine tannin and enough acidity to balance the wine. will last a good few more years yet but is fully ready to drink.
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12/27/2016 - bobvictor Likes this wine: 96 Points
Drank over three days. Bursting with berry flavor on the nose. Deep deep reservoir of lush blackberries. Soulful
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12/25/2016 - Night Train Likes this wine: 96 Points
Barring something spectacular and unexpected in the next 5 or 6 days, this will be my wine of the year. No detailed notes, but it blew away an '02 Spottswoode, an '02 Insignia, and an '02 Etude (all of which were stellar wines).
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12/15/2016 - dsimmons Likes this wine: 100 Points
Had this bottle last night while dining with friends at Jens. The wine was perfect IMHO. Hedonistic and balanced. Everything just right!
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11/28/2016 - tinydog Likes this wine: 98 Points
Tasted at dinner with two Napa wines of similar age - no one could believe it was a 2004 as it is still young and 'explosive'. Excellent finish..it was everyone's favorite. Becoming a real fan of Washington wines.
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11/26/2016 - themki wrote: 100 Points
Rich, dense, and miraculous, like the best of Brahm's chamber music. Will stay at 100 for a very, very long time...
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11/26/2016 - TexasBob Likes this wine: 93 Points
Very dark purple-red. Oaky nose. Strong oak up front wih chocolate, raspberry, pleasant vanillin, really delicious.
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11/5/2016 - bobadopolis Likes this wine: 93 Points
Ready to go now with a 1-2 hour decant. Otherwise no hurry. Awesome WA cab. Enjoyed thoroughly.
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9/25/2016 - Night Train Likes this wine: 93 Points
My first bottle of the 2004. Had alongside another Washington Cabernet (2006 Owen Roe DuBrul), and I was struck by how similar the two were to each other. However, the Quilceda just seemed to have a little more of everything. Creme brulee and mixed berries on both the nose and the palate (plus a little coffee with the Quilceda). Quite rich, with a terrific finish. Minimal tannins, but it still has a few years left in it.
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9/4/2016 - Stevethebeav wrote: 93 Points
As it should be. Two bottles were bad but this was fantastic. All is right in the world.
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7/14/2016 - Stevethebeav wrote: flawed
Flawed bottle...second one this week. Cork looked like it was sealed but it pulled out far too easily.
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4/14/2016 - wineismylife wrote: 92 Points
WIML92
Tasted non blind.
Dark garnet to purple color in the glass, clear looking throughout. Nose of Graham crackers, roasted meat and mixed dark fruits. Flavors of berries, raspberries and plums. Medium acidity, medium tannin, full bodied. Drink now with air or continue to hold.
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3/20/2016 - Doc90 Likes this wine:
Very unique nose with Washington funk, eucalyptus, rainforest, and sweet boysenberry jam. Very soft. Silky boysenberry jam and blackberry flavors. There is hidden power here that is chained up. Long finish. The last glass was by far the best. This needs more time to unfurl. Hold.
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3/11/2016 - Amerique wrote: 95 Points
Delicious, rich, lush plum/cherry fruit, very round, as good as this wine is it lacks the depth and complexity seen in great Napa Valley Cabs. Low acid and tannin. Drinking at its peak.
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1/1/2016 - NavyVet6874 Likes this wine: 95 Points
Even without a decant this wine was spectacular. Short pours because there were 7 drinkers, but that's why I chose this; to share. Smooth as silk in the mouth, a long persistent finish with successive layers of fruit and spice and herbs. Wonderful experience.
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12/31/2015 - Amerique wrote: 95 Points
Previous tasting notes apply. But, in a line up of California Cabs, the wine tasted more like a Grenache-dominant Rhone Blended wine.
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10/17/2015 - Agreenblatt wrote: 95 Points
4 hour decant. Great after months with the coravin.
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10/8/2015 - Francophile1 Likes this wine: 90 Points
A massive wine that has many years to go on it. While I am not sure it will ever be a harmonious wine due to the presence of alcohol on the finish. It is still a crowd pleaser for those who like big new world cabs. Not my style, but I can see why some like it.
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10/3/2015 - davidandrose wrote: 95 Points
2/3s of a previously coravin'd bottle, pop and pour. Absolutely stellar - rich fruit structure with age softening some of the new world depth from its earlier years. Expressive, floral nose, seemless approach and fine finish. Great with Steak-Frites.
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9/10/2015 - Knicksfan wrote: 96 Points
Fantastic Cabernet; complex and delicious. 2-hr decant
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8/8/2015 - winejnky wrote: 94 Points
Blackberry, strawberry compote and menthol, then black tea and slightly peppery with a nice oak lift on the finish.
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6/17/2015 - floridawinedrkr Likes this wine: 92 Points
Not the best 2004 Quilceda creek I have had. This one seemed to have much more prevalent alcohol notes throughout and was sweeter than the other bottles we have had. Still a very good wine, just not what it usually is. See my previous notes for this wine.
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6/7/2015 - Winetex wrote: 89 Points
Dark purple color with no signs of age in this 11 year-old wine. This bottle was masquerading as a Northern Rhone. Complex aromatics including an interesting black olive aroma led the tasters to Old World Rhone but the palate took them to a modern-style Bordeaux. Either way it was unbalanced with the alcohol poking out on the finish. Decanted for 45 minutes.
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3/8/2015 - Hayward wrote: 97 Points
Excellent wine. Great nose...dark berries. 90 minute decant. Blackberry, earthy notes. Long finish. Really enjoyed this wine on the deck!
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2/16/2015 - EvanRose Likes this wine: 99 Points
Had a bottle to celebrate my daughters birthday at our neighborhood Italian place. This may be the best botte I have ever ha. Slight earthiness and currant on the nose, velvety smooth without a hint of tannin, extra long finish with a chocolate after taste
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1/28/2015 - Jphowarth wrote: 95 Points
Fully integrated and sophisticated. Had two bottles at table and 2nd was better and would be a 96. I had Schaffer hillside select 2010 the next night and the quilceda creek 2004 was by far a better wine. I went back to the restaurant and bought the last two bottles for my cellar.
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1/8/2015 - davidandrose Likes this wine: 95 Points
First night with the Corvine, wine #2. Spent an hour in the stems after pouring. Red fruit and flowery aromatics; Silky smooth approach coats the palate in fine, red-fruit dust that melds seamlessly with the red fruit. If blind tasting I'd be torn between bdx and new world, but it shows nicely aged characteristics that are very European. Really a nice wine - Rose loved this.
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1/5/2015 - jasonh wrote: 88 Points
Had over two nights. This is dark and the color shows no sign of age. The nose has sweet oak, violets, mocha and heat. A lot going on which is a bit overwhelming. Full bodied and viscous. Flavors of olives and dark fruit with cream on top. Followed by heat and bitterness. Light acidity. For what it is, I enjoyed the mid palate but the persistent alcohol took it down a notch for me.
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12/25/2014 - mjf@ulkner wrote: 89 Points
Ripe, full bodied Cab. Pencil lead aroma layered on candied cherry fruit. Fine tannins on finish. A bit one dimensional, and a bit flabby.
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12/14/2014 - Christine Havens wrote: 96 Points
The 2004 Quilceda Creek is a stunning wine, with a nose that evolves to reveal layers of boysenberry, cassis, charcoal, dark chocolate, pain grillé and exotic spice. Truly, this is among the best of Washington, there is a reason why Quilceda has attained cult status. On the palate, massive structure is deceptively cloaked in silky, velvety, inky overtones. Steeped blackberries, roasted black cherries and cedar intertwine to give lift, polish, and a most luxurious, elegant finish. The balance is impeccable. 14.9% ABV
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12/11/2014 - jeffreylubowski Does not like this wine: 75 Points
From memory. My friend was sure it was flawed but I couldn't detect a recognizable flaw. It was like a forest fire in a bottle. So smoky. Awful wine. Undrinkable. We poured it out. What a waste.
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11/28/2014 - phantphant wrote: 98 Points
This wine was just about perfect...amazing nose, balance, depth and finish. A transcendent Cab Sauv (Bordeaux-style) experience.
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10/2/2014 - AlexHop wrote: 91 Points
Big dark nose with a little bit of forest. Really silky but a strangely dead finish. Tasted at Esquin Quilceda tasting.
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9/16/2014 - themki wrote: 99 Points
Pure Platonic beam of fruit. Unparalleled.
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8/2/2014 - bigdomer wrote: 88 Points
Slightly corked.
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7/13/2014 - floridawinedrkr Likes this wine: 97 Points
Outstandingly silky & Smooth. Great Balance and complexity. 4+ hour decant and it continued to get better in the glass. The balance on this wine was tremendous. Even at 14.9% alcohol the alcohol was not hot or over powering what so ever. Amazing wine! It was everything. Still lots of life ahead of it.
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5/16/2014 - Rosengoo wrote: 93 Points
Drank at a downtown restaurant over the course of 90 minutes after decanting. This clear purple wine showed quite well tonight with red cherries on the nose as well as in the glass. There was also a noticeable amount of chocolate to be tasted. The wine was light on both acidity and tannins which tells me that it may be time to drink these bottles up.
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4/18/2014 - Agreenblatt wrote: 94 Points
Had with porterhouse. Remarkable after 4 hours of decanting. Was literally a different wine at 4.5 hours. At that point it was everything you hoped for from this wine.
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3/23/2014 - James B wrote: 97 Points
Beautiful wine; drinking very well now with a reasonable (thirty-minute-plus) decant; but still has great structure and decades to go. Clear appearance; medium-intensity ruby color. Medium-plus intensity on the nose, with aroma notes of blackcurrant and other black fruits, tobacco, spice box, cracked pepper, green pepper. Flavor notes match the nose. Medium body; medium-plus, well-integrated tannins; low acid; medium-plus length. This is less explosive and more refined than other vintages. I wouldn't exactly call it Bordeaux-like (not earthy enough), but you could definitely treat it as a Bordeaux for food-pairing purposes.
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3/2/2014 - Rosengoo wrote: 93 Points
This wine was opened at home and drank without any decanting time. It was clear with a garnet colour of medium intensity. The nose had a body of tobacco on it along with a slight aroma of yeast. This cleared up nicely after 30 minutes in the glass and then I was left with a flavourful wine with notes of blackberries and a vanilla. Overall, a nicely balanced and enjoyable wine.
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2/3/2014 - rhalbert wrote: 93 Points
Had following Seahawks Super Bowl victory!!
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1/26/2014 - themki wrote: 97 Points
Currant and blueberry fruit, rich sweet oak, spice, herbs, and stone. Stunningly pure. Needs long decant but hard to resist now.
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1/24/2014 - KristianT wrote: 92 Points
Damn... Very dense and quite over extracted. Hard to believe that it is 10 years old. Much more like a Syrah or a Tempranillo than a Cabernet. I doubt that this will develop, it will keep. Very good wine, but I prefer the style of the older vintages.
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1/18/2014 - hackey37 Likes this wine: 95 Points
Medium clear garnet, dense color, lightens to the edge. The smells are floral, red fruits, cassis, some bell pepper, and hints of sweet spices. The tastes are espresso, vanilla, cassis, cherry, sweet spice, sweet oak, and earthy stoniness. This wine is elegant with fine grain tannins and zingy acidity. The finish is lengthy and complex.
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12/25/2013 - jsebiri wrote:
deep purple , fine wine , not many tannins , some fruit on the nose , nice breed of wine for sure
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12/15/2013 - CBDHagafen Likes this wine: 93 Points
2 hour decant was very necessary. Color showed only a slight slight bit of aging. The nose was very fragrant with spice, floral and cedar notes. The mouth was full and smooth with dark fruit and the finish lingered nice and dry with a slight pepper note. Loved it!
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12/3/2013 - Mr T wrote:
slow oxed most of the afternoon, this was still a very big, dark fruity wine. My friends really liked it, but personally can't say it really moved me or at least not anything all that special
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11/29/2013 - TexasBob Likes this wine: 96 Points
Looks to be dark purple to the edge but the restaurant lighting (Taste and See in Wichita) was dim. Deep, juicy blackberries on the nose. It is a fantastic, multi-layered wine. Rich, dense, chewy fruit, principally blackberry, black currant, and (surprisingly, for me) strawberry notes, all laced with black pepper. A dash of Indian spices, which is much tastier than it sounds in the context of a wine review. Muscular tannins that bode well for another few decades of drinkability. We drank this a bit early - I would guess that this wine will hit its peak within 8-12 years and sit there comfortably for a couple of decades. 14+ percent alcohol, but it does not drink 'hot.' The bottle was a true experience - each sip lasts minutes, with subtle nuances that have to be fully experienced before having another sip minutes later. 96, with significant future upside. What an absolute delight.
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10/25/2013 - redrhonewine wrote: 96 Points
After 3 hour decant: Fantastic mix of cinnamon, cedar, mint and dark fruits on a substrate of lush, spicy, slightly smokey cassis. Tannins nicely integrated. Really lovely. Wow!
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9/21/2013 - Rosengoo wrote: 94 Points
This was brought to a local restaurant and decanted for 45 minutes before drinking. This was a clear wine that was ruby to red in colour. Although I don't recall the nose on it, I do know that the taste was quite heavy (in a good way) on cherries. Mid level on the tannins and quite light on both the acidity as well as the perception of alcohol quantity. Very enjoyable.
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8/22/2013 - pdemaio Likes this wine: 95 Points
Great Quilceda Creak. A lovely and powerful wine. great structure and balance. Nose developing excellent secondary flavors and spice. Body long and smooth. Classic Washington at it's best.
PDQ94+
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7/17/2013 - dcwino wrote: 93 Points
RJ’s wine dinner – random wines – Krug, Salon, Leroy, Truchot, Dujac, La Turque, Chave, SQN and etc. (Mon Ami Gabi - Reston, VA): It was big, soft and jammy. A hint of alcohol and bitter end. Ample soft and jammy blue fruits but lacking definition. Perhaps need more time.
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6/13/2013 - Knicksfan wrote: 97 Points
From Mag; 2 hour decant; Wow - this is as good as I need a wine to be. NOt as massive as I thought it would be - refined but chock full of interesting complexity and dark fruit.
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5/27/2013 - flashvictor Likes this wine: 97 Points
Wow! Deep ruby color leads to nose of dark chocolate, currant, and blueberry that fills the room. Full body continues flavors from nose while adding Asian spice and a hint of cedar. Finish lasts over a minute. Decanted 2 hours prior to consumption - this is in an amazing place currently. Stunning!
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4/10/2013 - Ki Punwar wrote: 92 Points
First time I had a QC, this was well balanced and understated...almost muted at irst it opened up with time. Elegant and drinkable but not for a Cali Cab drinker. Much more bordeaux like. Dark and brooding with a long aftertaste...blackberries cassis and earth.
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2/21/2013 - Rosengoo wrote: 94 Points
This bottle was a very pleasant pop and pour at a local restaurant. The wine was not deep at all in colour with a slight orange tinge to it. There was quite a bit of blueberries in the glass with a slight hint of caramel. This wine was really well balanced right now which, in my opinion, was a combination of aging as well as a slightly lower alcohol level. This is in a really good drinking spot right now.
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2/16/2013 - hvaleiras Likes this wine: 99 Points
Spectacular. Did not decant at restaurant and it was silky smooth, long legs and finish, taste of blueberry and blackberry. Had with lamb and it was perfectly paired.
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12/31/2012 - tbabes wrote: 95 Points
Purchased directly from the winery and stored under ideal conditions, this bottle was pristine. A youthful purple-black core with no signs of age. Notes of pure black fruits and anise, with hints of lilly. Medium to full bodied, with a tremendous sense of expansiveness, great concentration, ripe tannins, and a long and powerful finish. Nicole absolutely loved it!
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12/24/2012 - rhalbert wrote: 98 Points
5 hour decant. Just awesome.
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10/30/2012 - Christoffer78 Likes this wine: 99 Points
A masterpiece, the 2004 Quilceda Creek is clean and rich yet elegant. The nose is utterly complex and very nicely integrated. There are no vegetative tones and the wine behaves somewhat different to the 2003 vintage tasted in the same flight. The palate is cool, balanced and provides a lovely experience of silky and smooth tannins. With some bottle age there will be no hard edges in this effort. To me, this is a wine that screams of perfection and I am sure it will be a total stunner if given som time in the cellar. A lovely wine! (score is 99-100)
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10/20/2012 - cooberp wrote: 88 Points
Translucent crimson. Thick, creamy nose, reminiscent of tomato soup. Extremely ripe, sweet, plummy taste. Very persistent on the back palate. Not too extracted, but certainly not much finesse.
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9/13/2012 - Winetex wrote: 85 Points
Literally a Hot Mess. Unbalanced with noticeable oak and alcohol+. Decanted only 20 minutes and recommend more time - 2 hours? a year?
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9/1/2012 - Rosengoo wrote: 92 Points
I brought this to a local restaurant where it was opened and decanted for only a few minutes. Very smooth on the palate with flavours of assorted berries. Not much oak on this one at all. This was a nice, pleasant bottle but perhaps a bit "thin" on the tastebuds.
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8/17/2012 - Share 67 wrote: 98 Points
Remarkable!!! THis wine improved by the sip . Beautiful nose, ballbearing texture , and exquisite layering. Wish I had 2 or 3 more.
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8/4/2012 - Harry Cantrell wrote: 95 Points
Deep black garnet. Nose of a blueberry/blackberry jam. Taste was more blackberry and hints of anise and fresh herbs with a whiff of creme de cassis. Finish longlasting, maybe the slightest hint of heat at the end-this got points off from the Russian judge.
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6/8/2012 - ntrubee wrote: 99 Points
extraordinary. smooth balanced great finish. comparable to an 89 lafitte we had the next night.
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6/2/2012 - hfindlay wrote:
Beautiful bottle of wine. No hard edges, immense concentration of fruit, a core of pure blackberry and cherry flavors. All wrapped in chocolate and mocha notes ... watch out, though, this wine is powerfully alcoholic. I shared it with one person and was utterly sloshed afterward.
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5/3/2012 - jc-mmb wrote: 98 Points
in a flight with 03 and 05. rreally showed well. huge ripe nose that jumps from the glass. no heat, just deep brooding fruit. attack and palate on all cylinders. huge black fruit with cassis, cocoa and a really nice exoticness versus the other two. nicely integrated tannins with a great backbone to pull it all together. finish holds up very well with continued integration of all of the above. longest finish of the night.
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4/24/2012 - phantphant wrote: 97 Points
This is pure silk....just golden delicious on every level.
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4/19/2012 - Amerique wrote: 95 Points
Rich, delicious, smooth, round bing cherry fruit with chocolate, plum, and earthy flavors, excellent structure and balance, fruit very well integrated, long finish
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1/16/2012 - Mr T wrote:
I slow oxed this one on Xmas day and I think it worked well. Obviously a huge wine but it was in balance and not a blueberry milkshake. Definitely dark fruits and an element of spice that I had not anticipated...I only got a little b/c so many guests, but certainly looking forward to others in the coming years
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1/14/2012 - psmith wrote: 85 Points
Floral and dark fruit nose. Raspberry and blueberry jam. More aggressive palate with firm tannins framing somewhat murky and poorly defined flavors. A bit raw. Oak. OK. Decanted over 24 hours and tasted repeatedly.
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1/13/2012 - Share 67 wrote: 97 Points
Delicious Cabernet....not so bold but beautifully balanced and appealing nose.
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12/24/2011 - davidandrose wrote: 94 Points
Decanted for 90 mins, then consumed over 2.5 hours for our first Xmas Eve in our new (old) home.Very tight at first, oak is still a prominent aroma 4+ hours after initial decant. Dark fruit, blueberry, pepper and spice over a bed of cedar and crushed rock. Some tobacco as well. Won't pop the next bottle until at least late 2015.
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12/18/2011 - 9 and 3/4 wrote: 95 Points
Spicy and earthy...aging well..drinking well now...decanted a magnum for an hour
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12/11/2011 - al&janet wrote: 97 Points
Very smooth with a long finish. Huge nose of dark chocolate. Flavors of dark chocolate, dark berries and currant. Tasting very well right now.
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11/25/2011 - Matt Scott wrote: 97 Points
Quilceda Creek Comparison - '03-'08; 11/19/2011-11/25/2011 (At the Homestead....): Wow! Even better than I remember, with me last consuming this four years ago. In fact, this is even better than the '03. Flowing cascades of fruit and spicy elements. Violet and a very thin rim that is sanguine. Long, long, long and I did not see the propitiousness within (giving her 94 pts at that time). Spicy tobacco, blackberry, fudge, leather, cinnamon and flower shop. Velvet and apparent tannins; a glowing nexus of flavor. A long life ahead for this ravishing beauty. Drink 2013 - 2032.
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11/12/2011 - Gargamel wrote: 95 Points
decanted for only an hour, lots of sediment. the nose has tons of cedar with vanilla and a floral edge. the palate has spicey blackberry and boysenberry with anise. with some time in the glass, a nice minerality emerged to soften the wine. the finish was long, at least 60 seconds. overall, this was a brute force wine with a powerful palate. not hugely complex, but very enjoyable! imo, this should rest for a couple more years but is getting closer. drink 2014-2025.
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10/9/2011 - mdefreitas wrote:
Football and Cabs from around the world @ Howards (Old Greenwich, CT): I wonder if this bottle is representative. Sweet, syrupy and oaky. Somewhat flabby. Meh... No rating.
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8/21/2011 - JMPVermont wrote: 95 Points
Been waiting for some to crack one of these, and it lived up to the anticipation. Dark, brooding, lively -- all of the superlatives you would expect from a wine of the calibre apply. Really loved the vanilla and anise that emerged once the wine had sat in my glass for awhile. Eventually decided to skip the final courses of a grand tasting menu to simply sit and sip this for the rest of the evening. No regrets.
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7/11/2011 - vumansky wrote: 95 Points
Drank 2 bottles. Both consistent. Decanted for 90 minutes. Drinking quite well now. Dark ruby color. Black stone fruits, currant, hint of chocolate. Fairly full bodied. Longish finnish with silky tannins.
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6/24/2011 - RussK wrote: 90 Points
RUSSK WW@Cielo inferior to the 2003
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5/30/2011 - phenricsson wrote: 97 Points
By far the best bottle of this wine yet. Sweet, delicious but still focused and well structured. Much more enjoyable than a few years ago. Lots of licorice and dark chocolate.
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5/28/2011 - vumansky wrote: 94 Points
Very nice... decanted for about 45 minutes. Dark ruby, black fruit. Well integrated tannins. Will be better in a few years.
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4/30/2011 - flashvictor wrote: 95 Points
Deep ruby color leads to classic Quilceda nose of blueberry, currant and chocolate. Medium full body really evolves over 4 hours in decanter with final glass easily the best. Body is both complex and structured, suggesting a long life ahead. Tannins are smooth and incredibly long. Excellent wine that need decant if drinking now.
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4/29/2011 - mwanasheria wrote: 93 Points
Quilceda Creek Vertical (Zum Hirschen, Aarau, Switzerland): This wine appeared a bit overdone, I thought it was a little one-dimensional. The fruit is there, good tannins and structure but the sparks of the prior vintages seemed to be missing.
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3/21/2011 - wino31 wrote: 95 Points
Excellent, although not quite at the 99 or so points of prior bottles, probably due to no decanting and incorrect food matching. Great fruit, lots of complexity, smooth tannins and long finish.
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3/19/2011 - markopf wrote: 95 Points
Could definitely use some more time. 2003 is better - more silky smooth, and I don't think this is that much a product of age. Don't get me wrong, '04 has tons of flavor and is outstanding on its own without trying to compare to its big brother.
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1/15/2011 - KingSlacker999 wrote: 88 Points
Bit disappointing, probably shut down. Time in glass or open bottle did not improve. Slight green flavor, somewhat muted fruit. Nowhere nearly as expressive as previous bottle.
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1/7/2011 - wino31 wrote: 100 Points
With Michael & Daphne at La Foccacia along with 2001 Pride Cab Reserve. Both were superb.
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1/5/2011 - ricko wrote: 97 Points
2004 Quilceda Creek cab (WA99/WS95) 14.9%. Tied with 2003, as WS highest-rated QC cab; drinking window 2010-2020. I was quite surprised at how delicious this was straight out of the bottle day 1; nice aromatics, full-bodied, layers of flavor. Loads of currant/cranberry, more red fruit than black; spice, anise. Not noticeably oaky; tannins present, but not a problem. Wine is still on the young side and should develop more complexity with age, but I'd suggest trying one now to see for yourself. WA drinking window 2017-2045; I don't think so. I recently had my last 2001; I thought it was past peak, tho it could have been the bottle. Starting to think the prime drinking window for these is 5-10 years from vintage. RF97.
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12/25/2010 - tbabes wrote: 97 Points
The fill was into the neck and the cork was pristine; popped, poured and enjoyed over the course of several hours. Although the aromatics are still quite primary at this point, the boquet is outgoing, offering up notes of ripe black fruits, lilly, and anise. Medium-boided, with a heavenly mouthfeel, silky and ripe tannins, great concentration of fruit, and wonderful precision on the finish. I fear I have drank most of my bottles too soon, as this wine is really just now starting to come into its own!
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11/25/2010 - rdsboca wrote: 96 Points
First words out of our mouths were Smoooooooooooth. This iwne is accessible, easy to drink and an expected fruit bomb. Blueberry and cherry pop around your mouth in a purple haze. Lots of vanilla and cinnamon follow the fruit. This is clearly a baby. Hedonistic, over the top and a blast to drink. We drank without food but i think it would show even better with a chunk of beef.
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9/11/2010 - tbabes wrote: 94 Points
Tasted blind. A youthful appearance; primary bouquet of very ripe black fruits, licorice, and flower. Medium-bodied, quite tannic, with a firm structure. Good concentration of fruit, incredible depth, and a long and focused finish. Still quite young; this will benefit from extended cellaring.
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9/8/2010 - wineismylife Likes this wine: 92 Points
Dallas 2nd Wednesday Group - September 2010 (The Green Room, Dallas, Texas): Tasted at a wine dinner. Opened and served immediately. Followed over about an hour. Dark garnet to purple color in the glass, clear hue throughout. Nose of berries, florals, talc, plums and white pepper. Rich flavors of black cherries, black berries and bitters on the medium to long finish. Medium acidity, medium to firm tannins, full bodied. Drink now with some air or continue to hold. 92+?
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8/30/2010 - Nedder_travels_the_world wrote: 98 Points
Pulled the cork at 3pm, had a small sip. super jammy and enormous, long finish and a bit tight. recorked, sampled again at 5pm, it had started to integrated. decanted at 8pm, consumed at 9pm. great balance, huge mouthcoating flavor. great concentrated, cherry cola tobacco flavors. not overly complex nose. tannins are silky smooth but have grip and balanced nicely with the meal. 50+ second finish. consumed with grilled filet mignon. you could hold this wine for several more years no problem but it is delicious and drinking very well at the moment.
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8/29/2010 - tbabes wrote: 97 Points
The bottle and cork were pristine; opened (but not decanted) about 30 minutes before service. A youthful purple color with absoltuely no signs of age. A relatively primary (but impressive) bouquet of very ripe dark fruits, licorice, lilly and spice. Medium to full bodied, with great concentration of flavor, ripe and velvety tannins, incredible depth and impressive length. Will probably be better in a few years, but showed very well on this night!
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8/4/2010 - suttonri wrote: 96 Points
Decanted 4 hrs and steadily improved over the next 4 hours. Well-knit, seamless kirsch, berry fruits, cocoa, tar, and baking spices. Powerful but not over the top. To quibble, this wine could use a bit more acid for balance, but it's really fine as is. Served with ribeyes grilled over oak and brushed with porcini powder and porcini oil, porcini risotto, broccoli and onion tempura, and stirfried green beans.
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7/30/2010 - dd wrote:
awesome
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4/1/2010 - Winetex wrote: 91 Points
Dark ruby with a red rim; Sweet spice and kirsch aromas with kirsch, spice, dark chocolate and blueberry flavors. Long tannic and acidic finish. After the decant this was very disjointed but after some time in the decanter started to come together. There was some disagreement whether it was acidity or too much alcohol on the finish. I voted for both. Hopefully a few more years will help the integration with this wine. Decanted about 30 minutes and needed quite a bit more time. Note that the score was for the final glass.
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2/17/2010 - jnscellar wrote: 98 Points
Based on where the 100 pt 02, 03, 05 are trading now would say this wine is a relative bargain and one that should be sought out, you will be glad you did!
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2/12/2010 - Burgundy Al wrote: 95 Points
Quilceda Creek Vertical (Hughes House - Chicago IL): Double blind tasting - turned out to be a 10 year Quilceda vertical. Plum and chocolate on nose with good spice form oak. Big yet balanced fruit on palate, showing cassis, plum, black cherry and that same chocolate. Great texture, balanced enough to keep the alcohol in check. While I can't find my notes on all the wines, this was certainly my favorite tonight, followed by the 2004 Galitzine, well ahead of other well regarded, well rated vintages that I found less balanced.
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2/12/2010 - winefool wrote: 94 Points
Wineflock - Quilceda Creek Intro/Retro (Home): Group #1, My #4 - Opaque deep red color. Lovely nose of black spice and red fruit. Big dusty dark black fruit palate iwth a zippy tannic acidity. This could be one of the best of these with a bit more time to come together... 94+ pts.
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1/8/2010 - LikeABC wrote: 97 Points
Put it in the decanter at 830 AM. Deep, dark black and purple. Nose not giving up much at all.
Checked back in at 1, and the nose was starting to come around. Took a sip, and there was some blueberry and black cherry underneath the lead, leather and spice. Incredible smooth with the tannins and acidity to compliment the stuffing. Will update later...
At the eight hour mark in the decanter, took a sip, and poured the rest into the bottle for travel. Consumed from 6-7PM (so that is 10 plus hours being open) with friends and sliders at Max's.
The color was almost aubergine with a touch of dark garnet. The smell was a cacophony of blueberry, cherry, pencil shavings, earth and cedar. Just wonderful to smell! The black and blue fruits seemlessly intergrated with licorice, leather and spice. A rich mouthfeel that just goes on and on. I was amazed how the fruit, oak and acidity were in balance... and so smooth!
I can see why some might not like this style, but I think this is a great bottle of wine:)
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1/3/2010 - jasonh wrote: 91 Points
EWG - Church & State - Cabs - Jan 3, 2009: This did see some airtime which seemed to get it to a place where it was open for business. Lots of sweet red fruit dressed in oak. Very enjoyable but can't be considered great unless some complexity comes its way. Right now it is fairly big and very fruity. Lots of stuffing. I hope it has the right structure to emerge in 15 years as something special.
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12/24/2009 - vinocerus wrote: 96 Points
Decanted for 4 hours. First taste immediately after opening was rather surprising as it seemed quite ready to drink. Deep purple to the rim, exotic nose of incense, black and blue berries, spices, and creosote. A hint of leather? Full bodied with smooth tannins, long finish that completely lives up to the promise from the nose. After some hesitation given prior reviews suggesting further aging, this bottle absolutely convinced me of QC's greatness.
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11/26/2009 - Charlie Carnes wrote: 85 Points
Third time is not a charm. I have given this wine a lot of latitude in my previous assessments, but after tonight I'm done. These are going on sale. It has an awful, strong, sickly sweet, grainy oak profile. Sawdust and heat overshadows all of the fruit.
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11/6/2009 - KeithAkers wrote: 87 Points
Cabernet Smackdown (Steve T's, Vernon Hills IL): nose: nice red fruits with candied cherries, red currants and nice tones of red licorice. Not all too expressive and not all too deep either. Comes off as a under $20 cali cab on the nose and is a bit of blah
taste: excellent medium feel with good tones of of red fruits, candied cherries, and a good helping of red licorice. Tones are rather surface on the palate and it isn't too deep. Good tannins bite on the back end
overall: a real shocker when revealed. This was very underwhelming performance, and this bottle just may have been caught at the wrong time. I'd certainly like to try this again in a few years to see if this was just a poor performance/bad bottle
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8/24/2009 - 9 and 3/4 wrote: 94 Points
YOUTHFUL! Patience wil not disappoint with this. Great structure for a Washington cabernet. Decanted for several hours, deep, earthy, fruit.
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7/26/2009 - Charlie Carnes wrote:
Am I missing something here? I have cut down oak trees, I have been watched oak logs being sawn for building timbers, and my grandfather used to be an artisan cabinet maker. This wine reminds me of all three of these. I mean it is dominated by sweet, toasty, vanilla oak. Too much oak!. There was certainly some large scaled fruit, teeth staining, ripe tannins. But it is hot, alcoholic, etc... Oh and this bottle is certainly not flawed.
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7/24/2009 - last chance wrote: 93 Points
Washington Wine Tasting w/ Steven Tanzer (Palace Kitchen, Seattle, WA): The nose had nice aromas of blue fruit with just a note of high-toned oak. The palate seemed lighter than I had experienced before. Some currant and cherry flavors with a little earth. With some time in the glass, it did take on a slightly roasted quality that added some nice complexity. We tasted this right after an 04 Corliss Cab, and the Quilceda seemed light and a little unimpressive in comparison. The Quilceda did have a long finish, that the Corliss did not have though.
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7/24/2009 - winenewb068 wrote:
Day 1: Wow. Unfortunately, the previous tasting note is pretty accurate. Decanted for 3 1/2 hours and tasted periodically. Hot. Overly oaked. Disjointed. All in all awful. Undrinkable. Poured back in the bottle and will revisit tomorrow. Is this simply indicative of the vintage or the overall ageability of these wines in general? They seem to drink well upon release.
Day 2: The alcohol has subsided, but all that's left is stewed overripe fruit and little else. A huge disappointment.
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7/20/2009 - SasserJP wrote: 99 Points
Decanted for 14 hours beforehand. Incredibly intense aromas of every type of dark fruit, meat, earth and jam. Still a baby, the wine had intense black fruit notes, stiff tannins, and incredible amounts of polish for being this young.
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7/10/2009 - Bin75 wrote:
Undrinkable. Hot, stewed fruits, tomato, plums, and way over the top alcohol and oak, with sweet cloying fruits. Opened 24 hours before consuming and tasted 3 times over the 24 hour period.
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6/5/2009 - milwaukeewino wrote:
Tasted blind against '05 Araujo Cab.
Was shocked at the contrast.
Easily identified on the nose by the coffee and mocha notes.
Beautiful, pretty nose.
Initially, the palate was flat and one dimensional. It was less tannic than the Araujo. It seemed flat.
Latre on it felt hot and out of balance.
Eventually the wine showed up but it was the poorest showing of QC I've ever seen.
By the end of the night it was sweet and alcoholic. Kind of strange.
I am assuming the bottle was slightly flawed. No way could t be this lopsided.
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5/20/2009 - mmyette wrote: 97 Points
Wow! Forgot how dense this is! What a delicious wine. See previous notes.
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4/18/2009 - GA_Seattle wrote: 94 Points
QC tasting at Bill Kaufmann’s. Blackberry and spice nose. Dark fruit flavors meld together with anise on the palate. Smooth texture, but lots of structure holding it together, this is probably only a hint of what can develop with more time.
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4/14/2009 - ikkaariainen wrote: 96 Points
Another stellar wine from this flite, greatly enjoyed last night at the monthly meeting of the Hickory Wine Club at Lake Hickory CC as part of a blinded '00 - '06 vertical tasting, what an unreal flight of wines. So big, bold, spicy and muscular that I thought all of these wines were Australian shirazs before being un-blinded. Very bold bouquet of oak, dark plum, blueberry and white pepper. Inky black, very well balanced, very full bodied and complex with enough tannins and structure in place for many years of cellaring. Primary flavors include well b alanced oak, some cassis, dark fruit, blackberry, licorice, black currants with development of tobacco and smoke on a long aftertaste. Absolutely great, highly recommend this.
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12/13/2008 - BobJohnson1 wrote:
Much too young.
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11/27/2008 - Charlie Carnes wrote: 92 Points
This wine is very good. The hype has maybe misled me? Every part is very good and of high quality. Can I differentiate between them? A very big, voluminous, dark red and dark blue/black fruit wine. A solid oak component. No nuance, but the wine is very young. Probably will never say anything of place. I hope it will get better, and never remind me of a very popular, very oaky California wine. 4 Bottles remain.
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11/9/2008 - Frank Murray III wrote:
Poured from magnum....thank you Mr. Winn for such a generous donation to the dinner. Aromatically, I seemed attracted to a number of oak type inferences, such as mocha, gingerbread and for the first time I can recall in trying to think through a bouquet note, I jotted down 'snickerdoodle'--I just jot what comes to mind. As for the fruit, a molten quality comes through the dark fruit, along with a scorched earth element. I liked this wine a lot and can see why others like this bottling, too.
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10/11/2008 - knelsfk wrote: 96 Points
Popped the cork and poured; opened at the end of a great party with great friends; tasting notes may not be reliable but from memory color was dense opaque purple blue; nose very rich with aromas of vanilla, licorice, coffee and plums; massive on the palate with smooth tannins and huge extraction; flavors of chocolate, minerals and dark berry fruits; long finish; very enjoyable.
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9/15/2008 - shiraz guy wrote: 95 Points
Finally had to open one up to celebrate a special event. I agree with others that this is an ever-evolving wine that changes. I drank this over 3 nights and it seemed to be a bit different each night while holding on to the backbone of fresh, ripe fruit. And, this had the longest finish I've ever experienced. I loved this and will really hold on to my last one for a few more years.
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8/30/2008 - milwaukeewino wrote:
I know, I know. Infanticide. But we have a lot of it and I like to waste my money so you don't have to.
OK, open for a bit, decanted of course.
Massive well structured wine but it dances in the mouth - Sugar Ray Leonard - power and finesse (but less flash - sorry, Sugar). Awesome stuff. Huge fruit and huge tannins but so balances who cares? This will obviously go forever, but it drinks now, fo' sho.
Raisins and figs on the nose, almost like Amarone. Oak, too, but not so much that the fruit is lost. Also, the dried fruit nose does not equate to syrup on the palate.
Hard to believe it's 14.9 because it really sings. It's the Prince Fielder of wine - fat but quick, chunky but athletic.
Been open for many hours at this point. Listening to Mod Def Black Star. Still a big wine. Went through a slightly muted phase but is showing well again. Probably nothing more than youth.
Less dried fruit and more fresh. Still a big boy, but well balanced. Loads of fruit, great structure. I will collect this, Smith Madrone and Ridge. What else?
Look, it has been open for half a day and it's still evolving. Not as good as '03, but who cares? That's like saying 'he's rich but he's not as rich as Bill Gates.' Drink it!
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7/25/2008 - Weinlakai wrote: 96 Points
Decanted for almost 8 hours. Don't have to repeat other tasters when it comes to the aroma profile. What made this wine outstanding for me was the amazing silkiness this wine already has. That's something I've discovered with many young, but great wines: You can tell that they are still young (even after a 8 hour decant), but the structure and tannin profile already leaves you speechless. On the nose and even on the palate it has a great density and depth which will definitely become more approachable over the years... I will save my other 2 bottles... at least I'm gonna try!
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7/5/2008 - rhalbert wrote: 97 Points
Had side-by-side with the 2004 Foley Claret. The four of us definitely preferred the QC. This was my first taste in a year and it may have shut down a bit. We did decant this for 5 hours which seemed like about the right length at this stage. The complexity of the nose and the length of the finish were what made this the wine of the night. both wines had a wonderful cabernet core and excellent tannin control. This round, Washington State takes the prize.
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6/21/2008 - Phin wrote: 92 Points
6 hour decant. I didn't get the dark fruit that I see in the notes. Red fruit dominated, somewhat jammy with cedar. Slight bit of heat. Even with good tannin integration. OK finish. Just didn't do much for us.
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5/19/2008 - pakabear wrote: 92 Points
Sweet raspberry jam, blueberry and some brett on the nose. A good balance, sweet attach with cherry and coffee finishing it up. This is a good wine, but it's not really my style.
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5/4/2008 - last chance wrote: 95 Points
Great blue/black fruit with vanilla and oak aromas. This wine was very smooth and had a long finish. It was very approachable now and really just a whole lot of fun to drink while it is young and full of those great QC fruit flavors. After just tasting the 05 Cab last month at the release, we wanted to revisit the 04. I think that I enjoyed the 05 more because of a great brown sugar streak that the 05 had that wasn't as evident in the 04, but the 04 is still an incredible wine with a long life ahead of it.
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4/13/2008 - gogogo wrote: 99 Points
I have had the 2003 and the 2002 Quilceda's earlier this year and both were solid 95pts and 96pts. Decanted and tasted at 6 hours and then again at 12 hours. I would rate it the same at both points a 99pts. Reserving that 100pts for the 1994 Harlan Estate which I find this wine to be very similar to in its early stage as it was in its early stage. Brown Sugar and Dark Fruit and Vanilla/Cedar and Oak. Tasting at 6 hours it was Amazing. The fruit was there but faintly on the midpalette. A little tinge of hot but nothing intruding more welcoming than anything. At 12 hours the ting of heat was gone and Brown Sugar and Dark Fruit dominated. Open another in 3 years.
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4/11/2008 - cellarbrator wrote: 98 Points
A Celebration (Da Marco, Houston, Texas): I was blown away by this. The nose reminded me of fresh cedar sawdust. Extremely complex - espresso, cedar, extra dark chocolate, crushed rocks and dark fruit. Tremendous mouthfeel that tattoos the mouth. And as you would expect, the finish sails on forever. A big thanks to Dionysis for contributing this. WOTN.
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2/15/2008 - etherscreen wrote:
found locally for a decent price, so i jumped at the chance to try my first qc cab. put me in the very small camp that just doesn't quite get this wine. hot hot hot! good complexity. nice dark fruits, brown sugar, but tons of vanillin oak and did i mention the heat? creamy mouthfeel. certainly approachable, but not my thing.
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2/9/2008 - budman wrote: 94 Points
Decanted for 6 hours. A touchof heat was the only negative.
Lots of fruit, and the tannins were not intrusive.
I suspect this might have been given a better score, but the restaurant unfortunately
had crappy stemware.
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2/6/2008 - ewsds wrote: 96 Points
Opened up a Quilceda '02 and '04 one night and decanted both. While both were exceptional, the '04 stood out as the slightly better of the two. Very big, rich and full bodied, while being quite approachable already. Deep dark fruits with plenty of stuffing. Perfect for a friend and a steak on a special occasion. Has a strong life ahead of it, but if you have more than one, try one now!
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2/5/2008 - dd wrote:
dbl decanted awesome after 2 hours, vanilla and dark fruit at first ten really evened out
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1/29/2008 - dawgdaze wrote: 95 Points
Tasted at Esquin wine tasting. Doubeld decantered for 6 hours. Color: Inky black Aroma: Blackberries, plum, vanilla, cocoa and oak. Tasting notes: Massive fruit. this wine coats the palate with intense fruit, and a long finish! I cant wait to see what this wine is like in ten years.
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1/27/2008 - dsimmons wrote: 97 Points
Vertical tasting of Quilceda Creek (1999-2004): This wine was the most different from the others, possibly because it is the youngest and is still resolving itself. The fruit was more jammy than the others.
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1/23/2008 - Dave Dalluge wrote: 95 Points
Dinner at Chris Palm's: The color is an inky black/deep red. The nose is very intriguing, offering refined and sweet fruit of blackberries and blueberries mixed with spice, oak/vanilla, and something akin to brown sugar. A unique and captivating concoction. The taste is dominated by concentrated, liquor-like black fruit with some spice and brown sugar. Awesome stuff. Extremely well balanced and controlled. Fiercely tannic. This is the second time I've had this, but this is so unique that I correctly guessed this blind almost immediately (although I'll admit that context information provided some pretty strong clues).
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1/23/2008 - Siggy wrote: 94 Points
Tasting Group Dinner - Paella, White Burgundy, Steaks, and Bordeaux (Chris Palm's House, Minneapolis): Tasted blind. I correctly guessed 04 Quilceda. This was a bit controversial at the table, but I loved the flavor profile: sweet ripe dark fruit, blueberries, and spice. Also lots of vanilla/new oak, and a hint of brown sugar. While this was flashy and ripe, it was also prodigiously structured and tannic, and was shutting down hard in the glass after about half an hour. Another wine to look forward to when it opens back up again in 10+ years.
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1/7/2008 - sraby wrote:
Velvety and smooth. With lamb it gave a hint of sweetness that may have some thinking that it is overly oaked, but it is beautiful in the mouth.
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1/2/2008 - sumshark wrote: 96 Points
Exceptional wine, very approachable now. Open for four hours, decanted after two, then drank over the next three hours. Wonderful nose and palate, silky mouthfeel and a moderate to long finish. This wine will be awesome in a couple of years.
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12/24/2007 - bwr wrote: 98 Points
Had to try it; wonderful nose of berries, but great flavors of berry, vanilla/cotton candy with a long finish of 2 minutes
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12/22/2007 - mmyette wrote: 97 Points
Drank this, wondering what all the fuss is about. This wine was among the most weighty I have tasted. Restrained nose of dark fruit. Taste was Dense, layered, and backwards, thick dense fruit and earth, slight hints of mint, but the midpalate was mouthfulls, and the finish was spectacularly long. Drank against an 04 Schrader, and this got the nod (and that's saying something!). Would buy this again, even at auction prices.
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12/8/2007 - Harry Cantrell wrote: 95 Points
deep garnet. Sweet nose that opened and opened. Blackberries, raspberries and plums with some oak. Taste was beautiful rich berries with a hint of herbs. Delish.
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12/7/2007 - Quinn_cab wrote: 91 Points
Tight and tannic with a clipped finish. Clearly a well made wine, but way too young at this point. Hold for 5+ or decant for many hours...
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11/13/2007 - jcbrand wrote: 95 Points
Tasted at the Esquin wine tasting. Open for roughly two hours and aerated twice. Huge bouquet jumps out of the glass; black cherry, licorice and mocha. Great balance out of the bottle, but really needs some time. Tight tannins. Tasted w/o food.
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10/31/2007 - rsepulve wrote:
Hmmm. Obviously well-made wine with big dark fruit, vanilla and mocha. But there was something else in the flavor profile that I didn't like and couldn't put my finger on. Something like a grain, maybe oats or barley. We didn't finish the bottle like we normally do on a Friday night. I don't know what to think of this wine. At this point my least favorite of the vintages I've tried (1999 - 2004).
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10/26/2007 - otisabdul wrote: 95 Points
2006 WS Top Ten Tasting (NYC): Ranked #2. $85. Represented on the dais by owner Alex Golitzin, a nephew of the legendary Napa winemaker, Andre Tchelistcheff. The majority of the fruit comes from the Champoux and Klipsun vineyards. A soaring nose of licorice, vanilla, cassis and red flowers. My wife commented that it was like drinking rose petals. Lots of oak, massive intense fruit, then a wall of tannins. Much better than the last time I tried this about 11 months ago, when it was undrinkably harsh. I can now see the excitement behind this wine. As HS noted ‘the substantial oak is sublimated to the harmonious and seamless fruit character.”
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10/25/2007 - winefool wrote: 94 Points
WS NYWE Grand Tastings; 10/25/2007-10/26/2007 (Marriott Marquis): Still don't get the 99/100 stuff on these wines, but this one was showing very well and much more approachable than I've seen in earlier vintages. 94+ pts.
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10/22/2007 - buckeye76 wrote: 95 Points
DECANTED FOUR HOURS BUT STILL NEEDED A LOT OF TIME TO OPEN. BIG WINE WITH COMPLEX FRUIT IN THE NOSE AND FLAVOR, NICE TANNINS AND A VERY LONG FINISH. WAIT AT LEAST FIVE MORE YEARS TO OPEN.
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10/21/2007 - shiraz guy wrote: 94 Points
Tried this at a local wine shop who had it opened for a special event. They had it decanting, but it had not been opened for very long, so it was tight and moderately tannic. Beautiful in every way, even in it's youth. So, decant for several hours if you want it now, but I think I'll hold mine for at least 5 more years. If I can be patient enough, I think it'll be even better in 10.
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10/1/2007 - bigdogflow wrote:
This wine blew me away! Tons of layers with a taste I will never forget.
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9/3/2007 - winenewb068 wrote:
After seeing Jay Miller's review of this wine, I decided to pop one and see how it was doing. Decanted for 3 hrs and enjoyed over an additional one. It's not giving up much on the nose currently. Aromas of the blue fruits typical of QC. On the palate, the fruit that you'd expect from the winery, but it lacks the structure or tannic backbone to balance out the fruit. The finish is clipped, to put it mildly. Overall, a disappointing bottle - will wait at least a year before trying again.
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7/27/2007 - GreenDrazi wrote: 96 Points
Decanted 4 hr’s. Great nose of blueberry, violets and pie crust along with red currants and white chocolate notes. On the palate, this has great presence and weight – a nice combination of smoothness, power and supple, sweet tannins. Flavors of blueberry, red currants, cassis, and vanilla bean dominate on the palate. The finish is just tremendous in its length, breadth and persistent fruit. This opened up more throughout the evening and should continue to improve with more cellar time.
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7/11/2007 - garthbernstein wrote:
Opened for 6 hours prior to drinking with Hanger steak at Clyde Common, Portland, Oregon with Andrew F. We both thought it was the most unusual wine we've ever had, big, full-bodied, still tight for 30+ minutes but began to soften and really open up. Long finish, dark fruits with undefined herbaceousness. Absolutely delicious. Drank alongside the Ken Wright 2005 Canary Pinot Noir ($45 or so), and the Quilceda made a very good wine taste mundane in comparison. I asked Andrew if this wine was a celebrity, who would it be? His answer, "Marilyn Monroe at her peak!" I agree, unusual, full-bodied, has "it".
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7/8/2007 - ScottG wrote: 90 Points
Consume with grilled ribeyes after about an hour or so in the decanter. At this point the oak and tannins are most prominent. There appears to be a good bit of fruil brooding in there somewhere, but at this point it wasn't firing on all cylinders for me.
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4/29/2007 - rhalbert wrote: 98 Points
Had along with the 2004 Leonetti Reserve and 2004 Betz Pere de Famille, the Top 3 Washington Cabs according to Tanzer. Quilceda was the clear winner. Decanted for 5 hours and it was simply awesome. I agree with all the posts that when this gets 5 years under its belt it will be great, but right now it is fantastic. The taste sticks with you for hours and the violet on the nose is so distinctive. If you have several you must open one now and try it. I will save the rest for a while.
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4/29/2007 - dsimmons wrote:
This wine clearly needs some celar time to settle down. I decanted for five hours and the wine was still a bit disjointed. Even so this was a deliocious wine. The nose was very rich with fruit and spice. The palate had a sweet berry overtone almost like a zin. You can feel the depth and complexity of the wine but it ramained locked up. Would have liked to have saved a few sips for today but that didn't happen. I certainly am glad that I tried one early but probably will not open another for at least a few years.
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4/28/2007 - Bruno wrote:
A syrupy, over extracted, abomination. Like frambois with woodchips.
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4/22/2007 - Siggy wrote: 95 Points
Dinner w/ Dave & Chris (Our House): Single decanted about two hours. Midnight black color. Amazing nose of crushed blackberries, smoke, soy, iron, and toasty oak. Very concentrated Quilceda blueberries, violets, and black fruits on the palate, with tannins that intensified with each sip. Showing a LOT of new oak. This will probably close down within the next 12-18 months, but for now this wine is showing well and hinting at future greatness.
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4/22/2007 - Dave Dalluge wrote: 94 Points
Dinner at Siggy's House (Delas, l'Evangile, Quiceda, Pax, Alban): Decanted a few hours before serving. My first Quilceda, and what an introduction. The color is an inky black/deep red. The nose is very intriguing, offering refined fruit of blackberries and blueberries mixed with meat, spice (cinnamon?), oak/vanilla, and something akin to brown sugar. Really a unique and interesting concoction. The first thing you notice when you taste is the searing tannins. The taste is dominated by concentrated, liquor-like black fruit with some spice. Extremely well balanced and controlled. I would guess this will merit a score in the range 94 - 96 with a few years of bottle age, but wouldn't be surprised if it was even better.
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4/21/2007 - Spencer wrote:
Undrinkable the night I opened it, even after an hour in the decanter. Hot, confectionary, structureless. I poured the remainder (probably 3/4 of the bottle) back into the bottle, recorked it, and stuck it in the fridge. The next night, it was much better, now showing some structure and a bit more balance. The candied/overdone notes that had so disturbed me the first night had receded, although were still present to some degree. The nose was the strongest component, showing great complexity and depth. Very sexy texture, and a slightly hot, port-like finish. This reminded me very much of the '02 upon release. The '03 was much different (better) than those two vintages. Judgement deferred on this wine. I won't touch another for quite a while though.
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4/1/2007 - jeff nowak wrote:
ok, tasted on the day of the winery release party, and i know there will be many glowing reports of it's youthful exuberence and fabulous potential. huh? it smells of alcohol and is over extracted. one caveat, it's "better" than the 02 and 03 that i tasted on release, but that is a hollow positive given my opinion of those two wines. this is probably the most polarizing wine i have ever tasted. i really have a diverse palate, and try to keep an open mind, but QC is apparently not for me. hey! i gave it a shot.
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4/1/2007 - last chance wrote: 97 Points
2007 Passport to Woodinville weekend; 3/31/2007-4/1/2007 (Woodinville, WA): Great flavors of blueberry and blackberry! Quilceda Creek does it again. Wow, this was a big wine with great structure that was really easy to drink right now. These were being decanted, but only briefly at the release party for this wine. Everyone in our group loved this wine, though not everyone could agree whether it tasted more like the 02 or the 03. There had been a lot of nervous anticipation from us about this wine since the price eclipsed the $100 mark direct from the winery, but this brief tasting put all our fears to rest. Truly an extraordinary wine.
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3/31/2007 - kstoddard wrote:
G7 (Alex): Blueberries and raspberries. An alcoholic, syrupy mess of a wine. This wine is so reductive it actually turns my stomach to drink it. I really don't want to dislike these wines so much but it is beyond me what many people see in them. 14.9% alcohol.
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3/25/2007 - Ddog wrote: 98 Points
Decanted 7 hrs prior.....excellent
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3/12/2007 - MarkC wrote:
This is much more balanced at this early stage than the '03 version of this wine. It only got about 90 minutes of air before drinking, which wasn't enough, but it showed remarkably well nonetheless. Impressively big nose of chocolate and red and black fruits. Some alcohol showed. The palate was packed with red currant, tobacco, chocolate, and and blue/black fruit that I always think is blueberry. (Although there was some lively debate that it wasn't actually blueberry, it was the same blue/black fruit that I've come to associate with QC).
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3/10/2007 - Nevin wrote: 95 Points
Dark ruby color with a nose that explodes from the glass. Notes of cinnamon, tobacco, cassis, game (?) and red plums jump out urging you to take a sip. A round sexy mouthful of Cabernet fruit, full of red cherries and strawberries, but just little overwhelmed in the middle by the massive mouth puckering tannins and a long powerful finish. I think this wine just needs to integrate, come together, and stay away from my corkscrew. In no way a fruit bomb...and if this evolves like the nose suggests it should, this is another great QC.
After an hour, the fruit and tannins balance nicely...this is going to be a great bottle of wine.
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