Opaque purple on appearance. Dark fruits, grilled meat, cinnamon, slightly oaky on the nose with a slightly tingly alcoholic sensation. The palate is fairly smooth - its fruity with good acidity, slightly oaky with notes of vanilla and cinnamon. The wine does not taste old. It’s quite bold, fairly complex, and pairs really well with the steak.
I like this wine with food. By itself it’s a little too bold and heavy for me.
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Probably should have decanted this one. Huge wine, massive. Lots of bright fruit, cherry. Plent of barnyard (Brett?). Still pretty tannic. Wonderful wine, but would definitely decant for an hour or two.
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Wow. This just continues to amaze. Dark earthy and brooding, with dark fruits. This can last at least 5 more years if not more -- and will probably get better during that time. Note to self: Resist drinking the last bottle until 2025 or so.
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At Lalimes in Berkeley for Walter's birthday. PnP. Dark red in color. Flowers on the nose along with some nutmeg? Plums and other dark fruit (particularly dark cherries) on the palate along with cedar/herbs in the background. Tannin completely subsided, some acidity, but very smooth. An elegant wine that still had a nice finish.
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Probably coming to the end of its life, but still lovely. A nuanced nose - cedar/tobacco, gentle (not sweet) blackcurrant. Mid-weight and long on the palate. No doubt not as forceful as it was a few years ago, but very fine nevertheless.
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Still very dark and dense. Lovely nose of dark plums, licorice, leather. Similar flavors dominate on the palate, with a stronger taste of black cherry at the center, surrounded by hints of licorice, leather, and earth. Really lovely.
On day 2, this has really opened up with all cylinders. This is performing like an excellent aged Bordeaux. Nose of plums, leather, tobacco, and mushrooms. The palate is still somewhat tight – but a nice hard core of black cherry, and a finish that goes on and on.
I should point out that on day 1, I just took a glass, so there was not a lot of wine exposed overnight. The bottle was uncorked over night, then corked from morning until this evening. As this is opening up more in the glass now, I do think this requires a decant of at least an hour before drinking. I would not be surprised if this were not better in five, even ten, years. This shows how domestic Cabs can really shine and age if done right. I paid $49.95 for this back in…. maybe 1997 or 1998? Worth every penny!
PS. Just noted my earlier note. This is clearly still a youthful wine that will benefit with more bottle age.
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1992 & Older Napa Cabs - Blind - With a Few Ringers (Siggy & Jenny's Place, Mpls, MN): Dark red color. PNP, drank 1 glass blind over an hour. This flight consisted of '92 & '91 Arrowood Sonoma Cab and this '95 Quilceda Creek ringer. The Quilceda took the flight on the strength of a simply glorious nose. I probably could have sat and just nosed this wine all night. The nose alone was easily 95pts. The nose brims with a tantalizing array of earth, rose, potpourri, wood spice, truffle, and pretty dark red fruits that create an amazing perfume. The palate tonight did not equate the same way. The palate is harder and shows firm tannin and a wood that dominates the faded dark fruit too much.
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USA 1995 (@ JK): Beautiful bouquet with some floral impressions. On the palate earthy and mushroom flavors, dark berries like cassis, firm acidity, medicine box, some chocolate but also classical with slightly drying tannin. Good freshness! Still a beautiful wine with some future.
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Decanted about an hour and a half before drinking. Really drinking beautifully. Won't be getting any better with age, but will drink well for a number of years. Drink up!
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Mature plummy fruit on the downhill side of life; a perfectly decent drink but no longer a show horse for Washington cabernet like a recent '92 was. Clean unsaturated cork, but it crumbled on approach like Redteeth below's bottle did. Drink up.
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The cork simply crumbled on removal even though this bottle was bought on release and properly stored ever since. Needless to say the bottle was decanted and it took a few minutes to open up and clean up. Fortunately the wine was good with nice color and medium weight, mature fruit. I doubt this is going to improve with further age and it is time to drink unless a science experiment is desired.
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Definitely a more restrained cabernet. Not like the fruit bombs people complain about with QC -- though I guess those came later? This was good, but not amazing. Still some life, but I would drink in the next few years -- though who knows what might happen in 5-10 -- perhaps this is a dumb phase?
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1993 - 1997 Quilceda Creek Vertical (Maine): Color: Garnet with light bricking Smell: Earth, mushroom, leather, graphite, with dried red fruits Taste: Dried red fruits, green pepper, tobacco, and cedar Overall: Outstanding. "Old World" in style and quite reserved. Medium body, medium acidity, medium fruit, medium tannin, and a long finish.
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Good solid fruit with firmer than expected tannins. One could easily mistake this for classified bordeaux. Nose of dark cherry, cedar, violet and iron, it opens up across the palate with dark berries and a hint of carob and mocha that follows through on the finish. The tannins are somewhat drying but there is enough fruit to overpower any sourness.
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Youthful, deep, bright cherry at the rim. Unusually leggy, hanging on the glass. Nose loaded with Quilceda violets, although a bit on the earthy side. On the palate, lots of spicy oak and juicy bing cherry. Big acidity and some tannin remain, but the overall package is a little simple and light, and made almost thinnish by a touch of heat. This is still pleasant enough now, but may not get much better. Decant a couple hours.
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Opened a bottle of 1995 Quilceda with a steak dinner and wine was very thin. Good taste (almost like a Bordeaux) but not the powerful Cab one would expect. It is definitely mature, I'd drink it now if you own it.
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One of 6 bottles at a tasting dinner, opened for 1 hr before serving, floral nose still very good like before but body seemed thiner, very smooth palate but finish seemed shorter, drink up perhaps.
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Decanted for 30 minutes. This is about the 10th time I have had the 1995 Quilceda, and this was easily, clearly the best bottle I have had. Soaring, screaming aromatics of those textbook Quilceda violets just burst from the glass. The palate is bright and well structured with singing acidity, moving to a silky and supple palate. Pure, clean, powerful, slightly austere, quintessential Cabernet. Utterly clean and delicious. Still somewhat dusty and young on the finish but really at a lovely, nearly irresistible point of drinkability.
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Cork crumbled. Brick red at edge. Shut down initially with little nose and minimal fruit. Still some tannins. Improved and opened over several hours of decanting. Dark fruit with cedar and earth notes. Moderate finish. Drink now.
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CellarTracker Wisconsin June 2011; 6/24/2011-6/25/2011 (Madison, WI- various venues): Tasted non blind at a tasting that included 94-99 QC. Funky nose with some barnyard but little fruit, tight overall. Tastes of cassis and other dark fruit. Consistent but fairly short finish that ended with rubber. Medium high tannins. Hold for a few more years but I'm not expecting much improvement out of this one.
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Tasted non blind at an offline. Double decanted and left cork out for four hours before serving.
Dark garnet color in the glass, fairly clear looking. Subdued nose of maybe some mixed red fruits? Flavors of red berries and tart red cherries. Medium to tart acidity, firm tannins, medium to full bodied. Drink now?
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CT Wisconsin Offline (Madison, WI): Not as generous as the '94. Nice nose, cherries, meat. On the palate dark fruit, mineral/earthy component. Smooth tannins, and nice medium plus finish.
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CT Wisconsin Offline; 6/24/2011-6/25/2011 (Madison, WI): Showing classic Quilceda character, not dissimlar in profile to the superb bottle of '94 that preceded it, but this wine was very plainly much less generous and vibrant.
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2nd bottle within a month, opened at a dinner with friends together with 00 Lascombes( which was drank first ), about 1 hour later started to drink from the bottle and noticed very intense floral nose and mixture of fruits and minerals, very pleasant indeed and soent quite some time enjoying the fragrance. Color was still very bright and no sign of age. Palate was very smooth and tannins well integrated. Only problem was the bottle was drank too lopments. quickly and not enough time to enjoy the devevoplments. The 3rd bottle was 97 Lafite, but I definitely liked this better.
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Quilceda Creek Vertical (Zum Hirschen, Aarau, Switzerland): Golitzin's return to blending after three 100% Cabernet vintages. An elegant wine with nice texture and fruit, has difficulties to shine between the other highly concentrated examples, I liked it nevertheless.
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Decanted in bottle for 1 hour before bringing to a tasting. Poured a small amount and noticed immediate floral nose, very Margaux like and some graphite, did not develop further in the glass. At dinner, reopened bottle and noticed that floral nose is more pronounced and black fruits starts to show up, much more balanced. Enjoyed over 2.5 hours and good to the last drop.
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. I was ecstatic when this bottle was opened, not sure how it might have held. To my surprise, this wine was shining. Showing no signs of a slide, this wine was ruby red in color, deep and dark. Primary fruit aromas of black currants, black berries and just a dash of sweet oak. Tantalizing to taste, showing soft tannins on a medium body, with fresh black fruit flavors. Showing wonderful after 16 years.
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This wine is still drinking quite well. Nose of tobacco, leather, cardamom. Nice mouthfeel, with tannins still present but silky soft, some soy notes along with spicy blue fruit. Finish is a bit short but this is a distinctive style and a pleasant one at that.
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Impressive. Youthful color and bouquet, showing a touch of funk, plenty of cool black fruit, herbs, tobacco, earth, and minerals. In the mouth, focused and precise, with exquisite balance and concentration. A wine that remains fully in control, with no rough edges, as it coats an extremely pleasurable path across the tongue. The layers of flavor intermix beautifully and just give the sense of a complete, skillfully made wine. Long finish. A
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Beautiful deep cherry-crimson. Nose alternates between dry mineral and lovely violets, just a bit reticent. On the palate, plenty of sweet cherry and dark fruits, wood, with integrated tannins and nice acidity. Alcohol is barely in balance. This was a bit simple, but overall a gorgeous wine, classic Quilceda Creek, clean and fresh.
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Had in Las Vegas at Daniel Boulud Brasserie. Was absolutely fantastic from start to finish. Not the power of the 1994, but still in a very prime drinking window. I do not see this evolving further so drink up!
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Enjoyed magnum with friends at KRS, wine was delicious, better than I had hoped, as I was a bit unsure of its drink-ability. Perhaps the larger format helped preserve the quality.
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Still drinking beautifully. Tannins have faded quite a bit and which made the acid and fruit stand out a bit more. Still a great wine though. If I had more I'd be drinking them soon.
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Beautiful nose. Long finish. Still some strong tanins so its got some life left but the fruit was a little weak. I can see the potential here just not sure if this will get better though it will definetly live another 5-10 years.
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I had this at a Wicked Cellar tasting on 4/18/09. It had a wonderful, dark bouquet of black currant, blackberry, black cherry, spice, cumin, cigar box and vanilla aromas…all of which followed on the palate. The tannins were round and well integrated. Smooth, seamless and very well balanced! It was a fabulous cabernet.
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Slightly more secondary than primary now. Lots of cigarbox and a long finish. Thinned out on day 2. I have 4 left and I suppose one per year starting in 2010 is reasonable.
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My golly--just glanced to see that I shared the same wine last Nov. Well, here it was, two nights after Thanksgiving and the rib roast on tap: wine opened with subtle blueberry, vanilla and cassis--good structure and decent acidity. One can drink now or over 4 more years--I wouldn't wait beyond. Very easy to quaff prior to and with dinner.
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My first QC. All I can say is, it tasted like a 3 year old wine, not a 13 yr old wine. Tight, bright fruit, and man, what a finish. Unable to score, but now I know what to expect from this producer. Invaluable - thanks, Eric!
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Opened and had side by side with a bottle of the 93 as well and I couldn't really detect much difference between the two of them. I do think that the 95 a little better and slightly more complex but some of the extra nuances may have been hidden as we opened, and enjoyed these wines, in a 55 degree wine cellar. As with the 93, if I was tasting this blind, I would have guessed a mid-level left bank Bordeaux of similar age. It has the earthy leathery scents mixed with the fruit that would make me lean in that direction. Having recently had the 2004 and 2005, I can definitely see a difference in style between the older QCs and the young, and interestingly enough much more higher rated, QC cabs. Will those big 100 pointers hold up over the next ten or fifteen years?
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Absolutely delicious, completely ready to drink, impressive body weight, smooth tannins, decanted to remove the sediment about an hour before, started drinking it while making dinner, lamp chops with a mint/jalapeno Chimichurri, and it was delicious from the first sip, with dinner approx. 1 1/2 hours later it was even better. We are so sad this is our last bottle of Quilceda Creek. Each of the bottles we had previously during the last 5 years were good but disappointing, nothing particularly special. This one was definitely special. Does this mean we needed to wait 13 years before having the others? - maybe. We are very encouraged to now buy more Quilceda Creek, the prices now seem worth it based upon this personal experience. The meal was a perfect match. We both found earthy, dark fruit, with silky tannins, with just the right amount of acidity. Last Christmas, we had a 1994 Leonetti which was delicious and elegant. This Quilceda was delicious and robust - what a surprise at 13 years of age. We didn't want the bottle to end.
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On opening, a dark deep ruby color; no browning on the edges. Nose was slight phenolic, with some cedar wood and pencil notes and a little red fruit. Taste was somewhat shutdown, some layers of cherry, cedar, and tannins were found. Decanted for one hour to allow the wine to open.
After one hour: tannins had faded to reveal a smooth and well balanced wine. In the wine cherry, cedar, and a slight amount of phenolic flavors were found. Nice finish, though a little heat was detected. Overall a very nice and elegant wine. Definitely a wine to be served with foods (beef Wellington or other flavorful, but not spicy beef dish).
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So tasty and after 90 minutes in the decanter, rarin' to go! Paired with an herber rib roast--this has become the annual dinner the day after thanksgiving! What could be a better pair?!
Plenty of stuffing, rich fruit and a cool finish that just seemed endless--I could have finished the bottle myself!
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1995 Washington Horizontal (Seattle, WA): Mmm, bright violets and then a little muddy on the nose. Chewy, dark, suave tannins, savory, fairly closed up at first. With time this opened up and gained a lot of interest, chewy, powerful, really nice intensity from beginning to end, a very complete wine.
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A bit worried on opening as the cork was extremely dry and crumbling, but this did not seem to be oxidised in any way. Notes are immediately after decanting. Really deep colour still a dark opaque black plum with only a slight lightening to garnet at the rim. Nose is not giving up much, some herbal notes, maybe a little wood. Palate is initially and unexpectedly rich and sweet but turns pretty dry on the finish with a bite of acidity. Tannins have completely mellowed. This is definitely ready to drink or maybe a little late. With some air it definitely gets richer and sweeter would upgrade to 90.
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Quilceda Creek Vertical 1990-2003 (My house): This was the most interesting wie of the night and a complete mystery. I found no continuity or shared characteristics with any of the previous and future wines. I let this sit in my glass for the entire evening and it hardly budged a smidgeon. Very elemental in the nose, big, briny, iodine and beef blood. Hardly anything in the mouth and I suppose that it was the tightest wine of the night. Could not scratch the surface. This gave me incredible pleasure because it just was a complete mystery to figure out.
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Seattle Tasting Group does California Cabernet (Sammamish, WA): A bit candied. The palate is very tannic with a punishing finish. Searing, astringent. Not fun. Maybe my palate had been corrupted by the richer California wines tasted before it, but this was just not up to snuff.
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The wine had nice fruit, and was soft on the finish. The wine seems, however, a bit past its prime, and not very big. Fruity and soft probably characterizes the wine.
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Very nice, but somewhat marred by a slight vegetal note. Deep and concentrated though, with lots of stuffing, although not as much as the '94 and '96. This dramatically improved by the next night though, with the vegetal note disappearing. The 90 score is for the night it was opened - the next night it was easily worth 2 to 4 more points. Kind of a strange showing for a wine that has always been quite consistent. I'll try another one soon.
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The 95 is an a strange stage. Just a year ago it was among the most plush and open QCs. The two bottles I have had in the last 6 months are far more closed and tannic. The nose on this one was very faint. While their was black fruit, the palate was a bit hard and tannic and did not budge in the 2 hours it was open. I finished the last glass the next night, and it was a bit more open but still very tannic. Based solely on the experience this wine would be a 90 point wine.
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Consumed over a period of three hours. The wine hit it’s peak openness after 20 minutes, then closed up after two hours. An impressive nose of sweet cheery and dark red fruit, spice and very smooth tannins. I thought it was drinking very well although a little under my expectations. At the end, it’s just closed, nose drops off, an ever so slight vegetal streak develops. Finish was short to medium in length with some initial dryness at first but a smooth finish at the end. I have a 1/3 bottle caped off and we’ll see what happens tomorrow. Day2. Unfortunately, no real improvement and a decline instead. The wine has gotten harsher in the mouth as a result of sitting for a day. Vegetal element is gone, but a pronounced acidic bite in the mouth is noticeable. I would score this several points lower than the first day.
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Seattle Tasting Group does Quilceda Creek (Seattle, WA): Darker in profile with more mineral and pine than the 1994. Wow, this is taut and muscular, lots of mineral to the point of salty. OK, this is different but pretty terrific. Each time I have this wine it seems to get a bit bigger and more muscular, showing more structure. Perhaps it is drying out a little, but this seems to have a lot of stuffing.
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STG Quilceda Creek tasting at Eric Levine's house. Sweet confectionary nose , some chocolate, dark red fruits and somewhat resolved tannins. 50+11+12+8+8 = 89
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Consumed over two nights. On the first night this was a bit odd, very medicinal smelling with 'vitamin pill' smells, a little vegetal, not very forgiving, very slow and reticent to open. After a couple of hours of playing with 1/3 of the bottle, I corked it up to sit overnight in the fridge. DAY 2: Ahhh, here we go. From the moment I pulled the cork on the second night, this was screaming with raspberry, a hint of char and some cedar. The palate is full, round and silky with a bright profile, nice acidity, lusciously silky tannins, a great mouthful of Washington Cabernet. Cranberry and red currant interplay with graphite and mineral elements, very Bordeaux-like, more than I am used to for this wine.
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Washington wine offline with Chris Cook (Bellevue, WA): Lots of vitamin pill and a hint of uric acid at first. (And no, I didn't go to the restroom before this flight!) Mercifully this blew off quickly. The palate was a revelation, huge and enveloping with crushed raspberry, pure and intense, with mouthwatering acid. This was my favorite of the flight as it was for 7 of the 12 tasters.
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Just opened, not much to report on the nose, hints of tobacco midpalate. Waiting for more. (10 minutes later.) Hints of vanilla in the nose. Taste is still developing, tannins are very pronounced but smooth. Tobacco is very pronounced at this point. (30 minutes later.) Starting to open up, but not getting a lot better. (Two hours later.) Nose is bit vegetal, but hints of caramel are present. Tannins are more subdued, still smooth. (24 hours later.) What a difference 24 hours makes... Cherry, blackberry, with hints of leather. A little thin.
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had at French Laundry. Amazing evolving nose that started as pure black fruit and eventually developed aromas of black truffles and finally, as the evening as wrapping up, hints of cedar and cigar. On the palate, still very fresh and full of blackcurrant and cassis. Full, rich texture and absolutely seamless finish. Dead ringer for a 1st or 2nd growth Bordeaux.
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Dinner with Tracy at Casanova's in Carmel. The nose screams Quilceda with bright blueberry, blackberry, violets, chocolate, and charred wood. The palate has picked up a lot of weight in the 90 minutes it has been opened. It is now very lush with tastes of chocolate, vanilla, and spice. The first sip was dominated by spice, but now it has integrated. This wine still is very tight, with most of the taste on the front of my mouth. It should futher open in a few years. 93+
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Dinner at Lampreia. Hamachi filet with many flavors; mussels and fava beans; duck tortelli; braised pork cheek. As usual, Scott delivered a stunning meal with a wide array of textures and flavors. The pork cheek was gelatinous and lush with somewhat chewy, almost chunky mushrooms. The favas and mussels were a masterpiece, so fresh and simple with just a hint of lemon peel and a rich mussel broth. Oh, and the wine...
Oh my! Popped, poured and consumed over a 2 hour period. Within 10 minutes of popping the cork the nose was screaming and soaring with violet, raspberry, cedar, vanilla and a hint of earthiness. The palate was initially very tight and dusty with powerful yet silky and gorgeous tannins. At first this seemed astringent and unforgiving, but as the wine awoke it showed its true colors. The palate became slightly sappy, silky, mouthcoating, and lush. Once the wine opened it became very feminine and alluring, brightly acidic and slightly tart/sour, slightly bittersweet, with raspberry and lush fruit. This wine really keeps you off balance, and with time the defining signature is the floral nose and the bright, silky, and lush palate. Gorgeous Quilceda that is reasonably approachable with an hour of air.
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I was not overwhelmed by this wine. Nice dark fruit on the nose of blackberry and cherry. The tannins have mellowed some but the mouth feel is not that thick and the finish is not that long. Not one of the best Quilceda's
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Quilceda tasting. Dusty nose with bright, black fruit, vanilla, and a hint of violets. The palate is textbook Quilceda. It is thick and lush with amazing balance and length. Ends a with a spicy, tannic kick. Still needs more time to resolve. Tremendous wine. This score may be a point low,
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Seattle Tasting Group does "American Bordeaux Varietals" (plus 1992-1997 Pahlmeyer Red) (Seattle, WA, USA): Wow, this shows candied wood, raspberry, blackberry and exotic tropical notes. I even caught a whiff of banana?!? On the palate this has a sweet, pure entry with dominant notes of chambord, deep layering of texture and flavor and very present acidity. The finish is spicy, still showing some wood and gains length with time in the glass. (Group average 91.375)
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Tasted this with Patrick, Chuck and Walt. Less than impressed this time, but I think my palate was being spastic. It was citric at first, but eventually started to open up and show balance and a long finish. However, it just didn't leave much of an impression on me.
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Stunning juice. This was my first taste of Quilceda, and I was floored by the silkiness of the tannins. We had this with Turkey Shepherd's Pie when Phil Berk was visiting.
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8/2/2023 - Nothung Likes this wine: 93 Points
A beautiful Washington State cab. Decanted for about an hour. Drinking really well. Won’t improve with more cellaring so drink up.
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4/30/2022 - marcstevens45 Likes this wine: 93 Points
Opened for about 2 hours before drinking.
Dark purple color.
Nose had some fruit, earth, oak.
Pallet had nice acidity and good balance.
Really nice.
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12/4/2021 - Lhyandrew wrote: 90 Points
At home
Paired with flank steak.
Vacuum pump slow ox overnight before serving.
Opaque purple on appearance. Dark fruits, grilled meat, cinnamon, slightly oaky on the nose with a slightly tingly alcoholic sensation. The palate is fairly smooth - its fruity with good acidity, slightly oaky with notes of vanilla and cinnamon. The wine does not taste old. It’s quite bold, fairly complex, and pairs really well with the steak.
I like this wine with food. By itself it’s a little too bold and heavy for me.
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11/22/2021 - mss452 wrote:
Over hill
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3/22/2021 - phandley66 wrote: 94 Points
Probably should have decanted this one. Huge wine, massive. Lots of bright fruit, cherry. Plent of barnyard (Brett?). Still pretty tannic. Wonderful wine, but would definitely decant for an hour or two.
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12/10/2020 - Gary Likes this wine: 92 Points
Still a stunning wine after 25 years.
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9/6/2020 - Nothung Likes this wine: 94 Points
A beautiful, well structured, nuanced wine. Opened about three hours, then decanted shortly before drinking. Continued opening up a bit in the glass.
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6/24/2020 - Myman24 Likes this wine: 93 Points
Very good 25 year old bottle. Smooth tannins and plenty of dark/red fruits!!
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4/12/2020 - norsktorsk Likes this wine: 93 Points
Holding up quite well. Awesome
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12/25/2019 - senesd Likes this wine: 92 Points
took a couple of hours to open up. Nice color no browning at all. Plum and dark berry in the nose and mouth. Nice long finish. Drinking well now
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6/5/2019 - Nothung Likes this wine: 91 Points
Decanted about 2.5 hours before drinking. Not quite as dynamic as other bottles that I’ve had. A subtle, beautiful wine.
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4/6/2019 - Ron Slye wrote: 95 Points
Wow. This just continues to amaze. Dark earthy and brooding, with dark fruits. This can last at least 5 more years if not more -- and will probably get better during that time. Note to self: Resist drinking the last bottle until 2025 or so.
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3/17/2019 - mhudes Likes this wine: 93 Points
At Lalimes in Berkeley for Walter's birthday. PnP. Dark red in color. Flowers on the nose along with some nutmeg? Plums and other dark fruit (particularly dark cherries) on the palate along with cedar/herbs in the background. Tannin completely subsided, some acidity, but very smooth. An elegant wine that still had a nice finish.
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12/13/2017 - Duncan H wrote: 92 Points
Probably coming to the end of its life, but still lovely. A nuanced nose - cedar/tobacco, gentle (not sweet) blackcurrant. Mid-weight and long on the palate. No doubt not as forceful as it was a few years ago, but very fine nevertheless.
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6/11/2017 - Ron Slye wrote: 95 Points
Still very dark and dense. Lovely nose of dark plums, licorice, leather. Similar flavors dominate on the palate, with a stronger taste of black cherry at the center, surrounded by hints of licorice, leather, and earth. Really lovely.
On day 2, this has really opened up with all cylinders. This is performing like an excellent aged Bordeaux. Nose of plums, leather, tobacco, and mushrooms. The palate is still somewhat tight – but a nice hard core of black cherry, and a finish that goes on and on.
I should point out that on day 1, I just took a glass, so there was not a lot of wine exposed overnight. The bottle was uncorked over night, then corked from morning until this evening. As this is opening up more in the glass now, I do think this requires a decant of at least an hour before drinking. I would not be surprised if this were not better in five, even ten, years. This shows how domestic Cabs can really shine and age if done right. I paid $49.95 for this back in…. maybe 1997 or 1998? Worth every penny!
PS. Just noted my earlier note. This is clearly still a youthful wine that will benefit with more bottle age.
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12/18/2016 - rocknroller wrote: 92 Points
1992 & Older Napa Cabs - Blind - With a Few Ringers (Siggy & Jenny's Place, Mpls, MN): Dark red color. PNP, drank 1 glass blind over an hour. This flight consisted of '92 & '91 Arrowood Sonoma Cab and this '95 Quilceda Creek ringer. The Quilceda took the flight on the strength of a simply glorious nose. I probably could have sat and just nosed this wine all night. The nose alone was easily 95pts. The nose brims with a tantalizing array of earth, rose, potpourri, wood spice, truffle, and pretty dark red fruits that create an amazing perfume.
The palate tonight did not equate the same way. The palate is harder and shows firm tannin and a wood that dominates the faded dark fruit too much.
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10/29/2016 - rocknroller wrote: 93 Points
Brisket Bash Deux: 10 Vintage Vertical of Clos de Papes and more (Siggy & Jenny's Place, Mpls, MN): Very dark red/purple color. PNP, from magnum, 2oz pour. Very good and ready to drink, nose is complex with dark red fruits, florals, dill, bright berries, nicely spiced, cassis, tannins say this can still go awhile.
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9/24/2016 - Zweder wrote: 93 Points
USA 1995 (@ JK): Beautiful bouquet with some floral impressions. On the palate earthy and mushroom flavors, dark berries like cassis, firm acidity, medicine box, some chocolate but also classical with slightly drying tannin. Good freshness! Still a beautiful wine with some future.
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9/15/2016 - Nothung Likes this wine: 94 Points
Decanted about an hour and a half before drinking. Really drinking beautifully. Won't be getting any better with age, but will drink well for a number of years. Drink up!
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7/22/2016 - dcwino wrote: 93 Points
Poker night - Mostly double blind - Rayas, Masseto, Schrader, QC and etc. (Reston, Va): Double blind, Incredibly youthful nose, sweet dark fruits, cab bell pepper, lead pencil and caramel. Initially my guess is classic napa cab, Dominus 94. There is Bordeaux like freshness but a bit too ripe. My guess is ten year old Napa cab.
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5/7/2016 - robertek wrote: 94 Points
Mature and dandy.
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8/26/2015 - Neecies Likes this wine: 89 Points
Mature plummy fruit on the downhill side of life; a perfectly decent drink but no longer a show horse for Washington cabernet like a recent '92 was. Clean unsaturated cork, but it crumbled on approach like Redteeth below's bottle did. Drink up.
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4/5/2015 - Redteeth wrote:
The cork simply crumbled on removal even though this bottle was bought on release and properly stored ever since. Needless to say the bottle was decanted and it took a few minutes to open up and clean up. Fortunately the wine was good with nice color and medium weight, mature fruit. I doubt this is going to improve with further age and it is time to drink unless a science experiment is desired.
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5/14/2014 - Ron Slye wrote: 89 Points
Definitely a more restrained cabernet. Not like the fruit bombs people complain about with QC -- though I guess those came later? This was good, but not amazing. Still some life, but I would drink in the next few years -- though who knows what might happen in 5-10 -- perhaps this is a dumb phase?
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12/31/2013 - spatchmo2 wrote: 93 Points
Drank this wine next to the 94. This wasn’t quite as good but still a nice wine. Drink them if you got them. Fruit might be fading a bit.
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10/11/2013 - firstgrowth Likes this wine: 95 Points
Great full bodied smooth, supple, big red wine. Not thin at all; drinking great. A bit astringent at first but opened up nicely after an hour.
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4/20/2013 - Kirk Grant wrote:
1993 - 1997 Quilceda Creek Vertical (Maine): Color: Garnet with light bricking
Smell: Earth, mushroom, leather, graphite, with dried red fruits
Taste: Dried red fruits, green pepper, tobacco, and cedar
Overall: Outstanding. "Old World" in style and quite reserved. Medium body, medium acidity, medium fruit, medium tannin, and a long finish.
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7/4/2012 - pdonahue wrote: 94 Points
Cork completely disintegrated, leaving a lot of cork dust in the wine. Still good, but chalky after three separate filtering attempts.
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6/17/2012 - madeiradog wrote: 93 Points
Good solid fruit with firmer than expected tannins. One could easily mistake this for classified bordeaux. Nose of dark cherry, cedar, violet and iron, it opens up across the palate with dark berries and a hint of carob and mocha that follows through on the finish. The tannins are somewhat drying but there is enough fruit to overpower any sourness.
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2/24/2012 - Wine_lvr Likes this wine: 93 Points
Nice Cab. Now fully mature. Drink - 2020
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1/24/2012 - mellison wrote: 89 Points
Very ordinary and almost nondescript. Hundreds of New World Cabs just like it.
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11/18/2011 - danielk168 wrote: 91 Points
Took about 1 hour to open up, pretty much same observation as last tasting, drink up, it is not getting better.
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10/16/2011 - petitblanc wrote: 88 Points
Youthful, deep, bright cherry at the rim. Unusually leggy, hanging on the glass. Nose loaded with Quilceda violets, although a bit on the earthy side. On the palate, lots of spicy oak and juicy bing cherry. Big acidity and some tannin remain, but the overall package is a little simple and light, and made almost thinnish by a touch of heat. This is still pleasant enough now, but may not get much better. Decant a couple hours.
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8/27/2011 - Arzenal wrote: 90 Points
Bit light, would drink now. It's mature
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8/23/2011 - Arzenal wrote: 90 Points
Opened a bottle of 1995 Quilceda with a steak dinner and wine was very thin. Good taste (almost like a Bordeaux) but not the powerful Cab one would expect. It is definitely mature, I'd drink it now if you own it.
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7/16/2011 - danielk168 wrote: 91 Points
One of 6 bottles at a tasting dinner, opened for 1 hr before serving, floral nose still very good like before but body seemed thiner, very smooth palate but finish seemed shorter, drink up perhaps.
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7/4/2011 - Eric wrote: 94 Points
Decanted for 30 minutes. This is about the 10th time I have had the 1995 Quilceda, and this was easily, clearly the best bottle I have had. Soaring, screaming aromatics of those textbook Quilceda violets just burst from the glass. The palate is bright and well structured with singing acidity, moving to a silky and supple palate. Pure, clean, powerful, slightly austere, quintessential Cabernet. Utterly clean and delicious. Still somewhat dusty and young on the finish but really at a lovely, nearly irresistible point of drinkability.
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7/3/2011 - sublime wrote: 90 Points
Cork crumbled. Brick red at edge. Shut down initially with little nose and minimal fruit. Still some tannins. Improved and opened over several hours of decanting. Dark fruit with cedar and earth notes. Moderate finish. Drink now.
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6/25/2011 - floydtp wrote: 90 Points
CellarTracker Wisconsin June 2011; 6/24/2011-6/25/2011 (Madison, WI- various venues): Tasted non blind at a tasting that included 94-99 QC. Funky nose with some barnyard but little fruit, tight overall. Tastes of cassis and other dark fruit. Consistent but fairly short finish that ended with rubber. Medium high tannins. Hold for a few more years but I'm not expecting much improvement out of this one.
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6/25/2011 - wineismylife wrote: 90 Points
CellarTracker Wisconsin Offline I - Part Two - Double Vertical Tasting (petiteblanc's house in Madison, WI): WIML90? 91?
Tasted non blind at an offline. Double decanted and left cork out for four hours before serving.
Dark garnet color in the glass, fairly clear looking. Subdued nose of maybe some mixed red fruits? Flavors of red berries and tart red cherries. Medium to tart acidity, firm tannins, medium to full bodied. Drink now?
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6/25/2011 - IWineAlot wrote: 93 Points
CT Wisconsin Offline (Madison, WI): Not as generous as the '94. Nice nose, cherries, meat. On the palate dark fruit, mineral/earthy component. Smooth tannins, and nice medium plus finish.
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6/25/2011 - petitblanc wrote: 92 Points
CT Wisconsin Offline; 6/24/2011-6/25/2011 (Madison, WI): Showing classic Quilceda character, not dissimlar in profile to the superb bottle of '94 that preceded it, but this wine was very plainly much less generous and vibrant.
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5/4/2011 - danielk168 wrote: 93 Points
2nd bottle within a month, opened at a dinner with friends together with 00 Lascombes( which was drank first ), about 1 hour later started to drink from the bottle and noticed very intense floral nose and mixture of fruits and minerals, very pleasant indeed and soent quite some time enjoying the fragrance. Color was still very bright and no sign of age. Palate was very smooth and tannins well integrated. Only problem was the bottle was drank too lopments. quickly and not enough time to enjoy the devevoplments. The 3rd bottle was 97 Lafite, but I definitely liked this better.
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4/29/2011 - mwanasheria wrote: 93 Points
Quilceda Creek Vertical (Zum Hirschen, Aarau, Switzerland): Golitzin's return to blending after three 100% Cabernet vintages. An elegant wine with nice texture and fruit, has difficulties to shine between the other highly concentrated examples, I liked it nevertheless.
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4/5/2011 - danielk168 wrote: 91 Points
Decanted in bottle for 1 hour before bringing to a tasting. Poured a small amount and noticed immediate floral nose, very Margaux like and some graphite, did not develop further in the glass. At dinner, reopened bottle and noticed that floral nose is more pronounced and black fruits starts to show up, much more balanced. Enjoyed over 2.5 hours and good to the last drop.
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3/24/2011 - suttonri wrote:
Holding up well, still a good amount of primary fruit. Down to two now. I wonder how old of bones this can make?
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2/11/2011 - Tom_B wrote: 95 Points
. I was ecstatic when this bottle was opened, not sure how it might have held. To my surprise, this wine was shining. Showing no signs of a slide, this wine was ruby red in color, deep and dark. Primary fruit aromas of black currants, black berries and just a dash of sweet oak. Tantalizing to taste, showing soft tannins on a medium body, with fresh black fruit flavors. Showing wonderful after 16 years.
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2/10/2011 - ianinvirginia wrote: 92 Points
This wine is still drinking quite well. Nose of tobacco, leather, cardamom. Nice mouthfeel, with tannins still present but silky soft, some soy notes along with spicy blue fruit. Finish is a bit short but this is a distinctive style and a pleasant one at that.
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2/5/2011 - gutt22 wrote:
Impressive. Youthful color and bouquet, showing a touch of funk, plenty of cool black fruit, herbs, tobacco, earth, and minerals. In the mouth, focused and precise, with exquisite balance and concentration. A wine that remains fully in control, with no rough edges, as it coats an extremely pleasurable path across the tongue. The layers of flavor intermix beautifully and just give the sense of a complete, skillfully made wine. Long finish. A
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10/3/2010 - WildeMeeuw wrote: 93 Points
1995 Quilceda Creek Cabernet Sauvignon (USA, Washington) Kleur: Diep donkerrood Aroma / bouquet: Prachtige rijpe Cabernetneus met gebrand donker fruit, sigarenkistjeshout, niet heel intensief, groene kool, vleesnat, maggi-kruiden. Perfect op dronk. Smaak / Afdronk: Krachtige, zachtzure aanzet, veel body en structuur, mooie gerijpte tannines die de wijn nog steeds een bite geven, prettig bittertje. Veel lengte. Algemeen / potentieel: Mooie uitgebalanceerde wijn, perfecte harmonie tussen rijpheid en power. 50 + Kleur: 5 + Aroma / bouquet: 12 + Smaak / Afdronk: 17 + Algemeen / potentieel: 9 = 93/100
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9/3/2010 - petitblanc wrote: 94 Points
Beautiful deep cherry-crimson. Nose alternates between dry mineral and lovely violets, just a bit reticent. On the palate, plenty of sweet cherry and dark fruits, wood, with integrated tannins and nice acidity. Alcohol is barely in balance. This was a bit simple, but overall a gorgeous wine, classic Quilceda Creek, clean and fresh.
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8/28/2010 - BillBl wrote: 98 Points
A delight. Soft tannins, strong fruit with hints of leather and tobacco, 30+ second finish.
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8/20/2010 - pdonahue wrote: 96 Points
Superb. Compexity and very well developed flavor.
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5/2/2010 - rhalbert wrote: 94 Points
Had in Las Vegas at Daniel Boulud Brasserie. Was absolutely fantastic from start to finish. Not the power of the 1994, but still in a very prime drinking window. I do not see this evolving further so drink up!
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3/15/2010 - brewster77 wrote: 92 Points
Enjoyed magnum with friends at KRS, wine was delicious, better than I had hoped, as I was a bit unsure of its drink-ability. Perhaps the larger format helped preserve the quality.
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1/8/2010 - RJonesUSC wrote: 93 Points
Still drinking beautifully. Tannins have faded quite a bit and which made the acid and fruit stand out a bit more. Still a great wine though. If I had more I'd be drinking them soon.
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8/24/2009 - Wolflarson wrote: 93 Points
Beautiful nose. Long finish. Still some strong tanins so its got some life left but the fruit was a little weak. I can see the potential here just not sure if this will get better though it will definetly live another 5-10 years.
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7/20/2009 - bobbubbabs wrote: 91 Points
Nice cab, mature but not too old. Hard to distinguish from Cali cab, unlike Leonettis I've had in years past. Would encourage drinking soon.
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4/18/2009 - garambler wrote: 93 Points
I had this at a Wicked Cellar tasting on 4/18/09. It had a wonderful, dark bouquet of black currant, blackberry, black cherry, spice, cumin, cigar box and vanilla aromas…all of which followed on the palate. The tannins were round and well integrated. Smooth, seamless and very well balanced! It was a fabulous cabernet.
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4/2/2009 - suttonri wrote: 92 Points
Slightly more secondary than primary now. Lots of cigarbox and a long finish. Thinned out on day 2. I have 4 left and I suppose one per year starting in 2010 is reasonable.
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3/29/2009 - Redteeth wrote:
This was a magnum. I double decanted about 2 hours before serving. The wine was beautiful and a pleasure to drink; dark, and rich nicely balanced.
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11/29/2008 - BradA wrote: 90 Points
My golly--just glanced to see that I shared the same wine last Nov. Well, here it was, two nights after Thanksgiving and the rib roast on tap: wine opened with subtle blueberry, vanilla and cassis--good structure and decent acidity. One can drink now or over 4 more years--I wouldn't wait beyond. Very easy to quaff prior to and with dinner.
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9/5/2008 - tarheel17 wrote:
My first QC. All I can say is, it tasted like a 3 year old wine, not a 13 yr old wine. Tight, bright fruit, and man, what a finish. Unable to score, but now I know what to expect from this producer. Invaluable - thanks, Eric!
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9/5/2008 - cgrimes wrote: 91 Points
Tasted at Eric's, CT Weekend in his magnificent cellar. This was similar in style to the '93 but had a little more stuffing. Great wine.
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9/5/2008 - Rob MacKay wrote:
Opened and had side by side with a bottle of the 93 as well and I couldn't really detect much difference between the two of them. I do think that the 95 a little better and slightly more complex but some of the extra nuances may have been hidden as we opened, and enjoyed these wines, in a 55 degree wine cellar. As with the 93, if I was tasting this blind, I would have guessed a mid-level left bank Bordeaux of similar age. It has the earthy leathery scents mixed with the fruit that would make me lean in that direction. Having recently had the 2004 and 2005, I can definitely see a difference in style between the older QCs and the young, and interestingly enough much more higher rated, QC cabs. Will those big 100 pointers hold up over the next ten or fifteen years?
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4/19/2008 - Giacomo wrote: 95 Points
Absolutely delicious, completely ready to drink, impressive body weight, smooth tannins, decanted to remove the sediment about an hour before, started drinking it while making dinner, lamp chops with a mint/jalapeno Chimichurri, and it was delicious from the first sip, with dinner approx. 1 1/2 hours later it was even better. We are so sad this is our last bottle of Quilceda Creek. Each of the bottles we had previously during the last 5 years were good but disappointing, nothing particularly special. This one was definitely special. Does this mean we needed to wait 13 years before having the others? - maybe. We are very encouraged to now buy more Quilceda Creek, the prices now seem worth it based upon this personal experience. The meal was a perfect match. We both found earthy, dark fruit, with silky tannins, with just the right amount of acidity. Last Christmas, we had a 1994 Leonetti which was delicious and elegant. This Quilceda was delicious and robust - what a surprise at 13 years of age. We didn't want the bottle to end.
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12/25/2007 - caymuscat wrote: 92 Points
On opening, a dark deep ruby color; no browning on the edges. Nose was slight phenolic, with some cedar wood and pencil notes and a little red fruit. Taste was somewhat shutdown, some layers of cherry, cedar, and tannins were found. Decanted for one hour to allow the wine to open.
After one hour: tannins had faded to reveal a smooth and well balanced wine. In the wine cherry, cedar, and a slight amount of phenolic flavors were found. Nice finish, though a little heat was detected. Overall a very nice and elegant wine. Definitely a wine to be served with foods (beef Wellington or other flavorful, but not spicy beef dish).
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11/25/2007 - BradA wrote: 92 Points
So tasty and after 90 minutes in the decanter, rarin' to go! Paired with an herber rib roast--this has become the annual dinner the day after thanksgiving! What could be a better pair?!
Plenty of stuffing, rich fruit and a cool finish that just seemed endless--I could have finished the bottle myself!
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8/8/2007 - Eric wrote:
1995 Washington Horizontal (Seattle, WA): Mmm, bright violets and then a little muddy on the nose. Chewy, dark, suave tannins, savory, fairly closed up at first. With time this opened up and gained a lot of interest, chewy, powerful, really nice intensity from beginning to end, a very complete wine.
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8/4/2007 - thebonnydooner wrote: 90 Points
A bit worried on opening as the cork was extremely dry and crumbling, but this did not seem to be oxidised in any way. Notes are immediately after decanting. Really deep colour still a dark opaque black plum with only a slight lightening to garnet at the rim. Nose is not giving up much, some herbal notes, maybe a little wood. Palate is initially and unexpectedly rich and sweet but turns pretty dry on the finish with a bite of acidity. Tannins have completely mellowed. This is definitely ready to drink or maybe a little late. With some air it definitely gets richer and sweeter would upgrade to 90.
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3/26/2007 - madeiradog wrote: 93 Points
Open for business, with sweet cab fruit and soft tannins. Very bordeaux like in many ways.
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12/1/2006 - 3daywinereview.com wrote: 93 Points
Quilceda Creek Vertical (Michael's House, St. Louis Park): Red meat, forest floor, minerals and vanilla/oak. Medium plus finish and concentrated wine. Excellent offering.
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12/1/2006 - burcusabrews wrote: 93 Points
Quilceda Creek Vertical 1990-2003 (My house): This was the most interesting wie of the night and a complete mystery. I found no continuity or shared characteristics with any of the previous and future wines. I let this sit in my glass for the entire evening and it hardly budged a smidgeon. Very elemental in the nose, big, briny, iodine and beef blood. Hardly anything in the mouth and I suppose that it was the tightest wine of the night. Could not scratch the surface. This gave me incredible pleasure because it just was a complete mystery to figure out.
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8/15/2006 - norsktorsk wrote: 93 Points
This wine was very nice. Beautiful color and rich nose and palate. Soft tannins and great balance. This was a very good bottle.
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8/13/2006 - Eric wrote: 84 Points
Seattle Tasting Group does California Cabernet (Sammamish, WA): A bit candied. The palate is very tannic with a punishing finish. Searing, astringent. Not fun. Maybe my palate had been corrupted by the richer California wines tasted before it, but this was just not up to snuff.
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7/8/2006 - A&C wrote: 90 Points
The wine had nice fruit, and was soft on the finish. The wine seems, however, a bit past its prime, and not very big. Fruity and soft probably characterizes the wine.
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4/11/2006 - Spencer wrote: 90 Points
Very nice, but somewhat marred by a slight vegetal note. Deep and concentrated though, with lots of stuffing, although not as much as the '94 and '96. This dramatically improved by the next night though, with the vegetal note disappearing. The 90 score is for the night it was opened - the next night it was easily worth 2 to 4 more points. Kind of a strange showing for a wine that has always been quite consistent. I'll try another one soon.
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2/25/2006 - Jason wrote: 90 Points
The 95 is an a strange stage. Just a year ago it was among the most plush and open QCs. The two bottles I have had in the last 6 months are far more closed and tannic. The nose on this one was very faint. While their was black fruit, the palate was a bit hard and tannic and did not budge in the 2 hours it was open. I finished the last glass the next night, and it was a bit more open but still very tannic. Based solely on the experience this wine would be a 90 point wine.
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1/13/2006 - Mark wrote: 91 Points
Consumed over a period of three hours. The wine hit it’s peak openness after 20 minutes, then closed up after two hours. An impressive nose of sweet cheery and dark red fruit, spice and very smooth tannins. I thought it was drinking very well although a little under my expectations. At the end, it’s just closed, nose drops off, an ever so slight vegetal streak develops. Finish was short to medium in length with some initial dryness at first but a smooth finish at the end. I have a 1/3 bottle caped off and we’ll see what happens tomorrow.
Day2.
Unfortunately, no real improvement and a decline instead. The wine has gotten harsher in the mouth as a result of sitting for a day. Vegetal element is gone, but a pronounced acidic bite in the mouth is noticeable. I would score this several points lower than the first day.
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11/19/2005 - Eric wrote: 93 Points
Seattle Tasting Group does Quilceda Creek (Seattle, WA): Darker in profile with more mineral and pine than the 1994. Wow, this is taut and muscular, lots of mineral to the point of salty. OK, this is different but pretty terrific. Each time I have this wine it seems to get a bit bigger and more muscular, showing more structure. Perhaps it is drying out a little, but this seems to have a lot of stuffing.
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11/19/2005 - JeffGMorris wrote: 89 Points
STG Quilceda Creek tasting at Eric Levine's house. Sweet confectionary nose , some chocolate, dark red fruits and somewhat resolved tannins. 50+11+12+8+8 = 89
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10/10/2005 - Eric wrote: 93 Points
Consumed over two nights. On the first night this was a bit odd, very medicinal smelling with 'vitamin pill' smells, a little vegetal, not very forgiving, very slow and reticent to open. After a couple of hours of playing with 1/3 of the bottle, I corked it up to sit overnight in the fridge.
DAY 2: Ahhh, here we go. From the moment I pulled the cork on the second night, this was screaming with raspberry, a hint of char and some cedar. The palate is full, round and silky with a bright profile, nice acidity, lusciously silky tannins, a great mouthful of Washington Cabernet. Cranberry and red currant interplay with graphite and mineral elements, very Bordeaux-like, more than I am used to for this wine.
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6/1/2005 - Eric wrote: 93 Points
Washington wine offline with Chris Cook (Bellevue, WA): Lots of vitamin pill and a hint of uric acid at first. (And no, I didn't go to the restroom before this flight!) Mercifully this blew off quickly. The palate was a revelation, huge and enveloping with crushed raspberry, pure and intense, with mouthwatering acid. This was my favorite of the flight as it was for 7 of the 12 tasters.
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4/17/2005 - BillBl wrote: 91 Points
Just opened, not much to report on the nose, hints of tobacco midpalate. Waiting for more. (10 minutes later.) Hints of vanilla in the nose. Taste is still developing, tannins are very pronounced but smooth. Tobacco is very pronounced at this point. (30 minutes later.) Starting to open up, but not getting a lot better. (Two hours later.) Nose is bit vegetal, but hints of caramel are present. Tannins are more subdued, still smooth. (24 hours later.) What a difference 24 hours makes... Cherry, blackberry, with hints of leather. A little thin.
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1/29/2005 - wayfool wrote: 96 Points
had at French Laundry. Amazing evolving nose that started as pure black fruit and eventually developed aromas of black truffles and finally, as the evening as wrapping up, hints of cedar and cigar. On the palate, still very fresh and full of blackcurrant and cassis. Full, rich texture and absolutely seamless finish. Dead ringer for a 1st or 2nd growth Bordeaux.
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9/13/2004 - Jason wrote: 93 Points
Dinner with Tracy at Casanova's in Carmel. The nose screams Quilceda with bright blueberry, blackberry, violets, chocolate, and charred wood. The palate has picked up a lot of weight in the 90 minutes it has been opened. It is now very lush with tastes of chocolate, vanilla, and spice. The first sip was dominated by spice, but now it has integrated. This wine still is very tight, with most of the taste on the front of my mouth. It should futher open in a few years. 93+
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8/20/2004 - Eric wrote: 94 Points
Dinner at Lampreia. Hamachi filet with many flavors; mussels and fava beans; duck tortelli; braised pork cheek. As usual, Scott delivered a stunning meal with a wide array of textures and flavors. The pork cheek was gelatinous and lush with somewhat chewy, almost chunky mushrooms. The favas and mussels were a masterpiece, so fresh and simple with just a hint of lemon peel and a rich mussel broth. Oh, and the wine...
Oh my! Popped, poured and consumed over a 2 hour period. Within 10 minutes of popping the cork the nose was screaming and soaring with violet, raspberry, cedar, vanilla and a hint of earthiness. The palate was initially very tight and dusty with powerful yet silky and gorgeous tannins. At first this seemed astringent and unforgiving, but as the wine awoke it showed its true colors. The palate became slightly sappy, silky, mouthcoating, and lush. Once the wine opened it became very feminine and alluring, brightly acidic and slightly tart/sour, slightly bittersweet, with raspberry and lush fruit. This wine really keeps you off balance, and with time the defining signature is the floral nose and the bright, silky, and lush palate. Gorgeous Quilceda that is reasonably approachable with an hour of air.
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6/8/2004 - JasonD wrote: 88 Points
I was not overwhelmed by this wine. Nice dark fruit on the nose of blackberry and cherry. The tannins have mellowed some but the mouth feel is not that thick and the finish is not that long. Not one of the best Quilceda's
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12/21/2003 - Jason wrote: 94 Points
Quilceda tasting. Dusty nose with bright, black fruit, vanilla, and a hint of violets. The palate is textbook Quilceda. It is thick and lush with amazing balance and length. Ends a with a spicy, tannic kick. Still needs more time to resolve. Tremendous wine. This score may be a point low,
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10/10/2003 - Eric wrote: 91 Points
Seattle Tasting Group does "American Bordeaux Varietals" (plus 1992-1997 Pahlmeyer Red) (Seattle, WA, USA): Wow, this shows candied wood, raspberry, blackberry and exotic tropical notes. I even caught a whiff of banana?!? On the palate this has a sweet, pure entry with dominant notes of chambord, deep layering of texture and flavor and very present acidity. The finish is spicy, still showing some wood and gains length with time in the glass. (Group average 91.375)
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12/8/2002 - Eric wrote: 88 Points
Tasted this with Patrick, Chuck and Walt. Less than impressed this time, but I think my palate was being spastic. It was citric at first, but eventually started to open up and show balance and a long finish. However, it just didn't leave much of an impression on me.
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4/18/2002 - Eric wrote: 93 Points
Stunning juice. This was my first taste of Quilceda, and I was floored by the silkiness of the tannins. We had this with Turkey Shepherd's Pie when Phil Berk was visiting.
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10/9/1999 - MikeATL wrote:
A vanilla milkshake flavored with crème de cassis.
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