Enjoyed a wine with no corkage at Schosshotel Ischgl in Austria - it traveled there for some family events - it paired nicely with a regional specialty "Zweibelrostbraten vom Almochsen Rucken" - especially where the chef tried the wine before and made the gravy strong enough to match the wine. The wait staff also tried the wine and weighed in - they were very impressed by the Washington wine, and they serve top French, Italian, and Austrian reds. The notes of pine were a special treat setting this wine apart from other cabs. This wine has well-integrated acidity and tannins and still holds traces of its initial fruit with strong earthy and umami notes (and flavors). It should be enjoyed over the next few years., I have several more (and older) vintages in the cellar and look forward to matching them with robust meat dishes. It is an excellent food wine. [I am enjoying a 2013 Reising from Hirtzberger with an apple strudel - so i am not 100% biased to red wines]. All I can say is that I feel lucky to be with this family since the mid 90s and only wish there were even more wines in the cellar. I met Paul a couple times over the years and special thanks. I haven't had a chance to meet some of the new members of the team.
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Rather boring and non distinct. Decanted for an hour and not much going on. I managed to keep a glass for a few more hours and then it started to peep its head out of its shell, albeit barely.
perhaps just needs a 6 hour decant but I brought it for the poker gang and they jumped all over it and devoured it in 30 minutes after I held off the vultures for an hour while it decanted. 3 other bottles also suffered the same fate, gone in 30 minutes (maniacs!).
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Drank this beauty with brazed veil, mashed potato’s and fresh corn. The fully mature Cab fit right in to the savory meal. Inky dark color led to a fully integrated lush dark berry fruit with just enough tannins left to give the wine its beautiful structure. Gorgeous wine, that was perfect with the meal. 95
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Super stuff. Hits you like a freight train going 90 mph. Brilliant ruby with just a touch of browning. Explosive nose. Over-the-top Columbia Valley Cabernet Sauvignon (14.9% alcohol). Just enough VA to push the still young berry fruit forward. Some tannins in the finish indicate it's going to hold together for a few more years. Actually worked quite well with my clams in cream sauce with pancetta over bucatini at Trellis Wine Bar & Kitchen in Dundee, OR.
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Much more open than when I had it in 2014. It's right in its prime right now, best I can tell. Tannins mostly gone, acid integrated, it's balanced right now. Fruit is present and steals the show, but not in a brutish way. It trends towards a well aged quality Left Bank in terms of weight. Like other vintages, I pick up a note of dentyne on this one, which honestly, I kind of like.
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Fully mature. Short decant. Last couple tasting notes are spot on. A complex, well balanced classic Washington cab that has been excellent with beef dishes of all kinds. We've really enjoyed this vintage and look forward to drinking our remaining 2 bottles in the near future.
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Still holding up very well. I think the drinking window will stretch another 3 years. Tannins have faded. Maroon color and very balanced on the palate. Black cherry and a hint of tobacco on the palate
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97% cab sauv / 3% CF. Before writing this note I reviewed my previous note on this wine from '09 and note ongoing evolution and maturation but no actual revolution. Recently acquired 12 of these bottles as part of a much larger cellar contents purchase. Highly recommend despite the price point and despite the price point at this point of maturation this wine is actually quite a good QPR wine, simply that good. Mature and totally ready to drink, could do with a short 30-60 minute decant but not needed - opened up good with an hour or two open in the bottle and some additional air in the glass. Drink or hold - completely mature but still structured enough that no hurry to drink, no further upside expected with further cellaring but with proper cellaring this still has years to go. Cork pristine when tonged out. Dark purple, peripheral bricking, soft with good mouth feel, oak and tannins still present but well controlled, good fruit present, complex and balanced with secondsry flavors coming through and still quite full bodied. Lovely long lingering aftertaste. Bouquet of balanced oak up front with red cherry, coffee, lilac and a smokier finish. Flavor profile of well balanced oak, cassis, blueberry and cedar up front developing into earthier graphite, stone, forest floor and anise with smoke and black pepper on the finish. An exceptional wine which shows why the QC reputation is what it is.
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Not as robust or complex as other higher rated years. Nonetheless after 2 hours of decant and tasted through the evening: delicious, perfectly balanced and still at its peak.
Very good with a nose of plums, spices, black tea, blueberries. The palate is mouth coating with cherry and blueberry notes. Delicious. I do detect the bitterness others have discussed but I don't find it distracting whatsoever. This is a complex, well balanced wine and I am not sorry in the least that I went long on QC.
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I flat out hated this wine five years ago, finding it syrupy and bitter at the same time. I actively avoided my other bottles, burying them in an inaccessible corner of my cellar. Based on some comments from a person I trust I decided to perform an archeological dig to grab a bottle of the 2001. Opened with great trepidation, I was at first overwhelmed by a distinct blueberry/vanilla aroma, but decided to put the glass aside while I finished putting together dinner.
Fast forward an hour, and it’s still ripe, but also suddenly showing a real balance. It’s not thick or heavy as the initial aromatics would have indicated, but full-bodied with clear nuance. The fruit is still in the blue spectrum, and there is vanilla oak, but it’s not sloppy, goopy or murky. I know that’s damning with faint praise, but to go from detestable, bitter swill, to blue fruited, yet ripe modern Cabernet is quite a transformation. There’s plenty of material for further development, so I am likely to let my other bottles sit even longer, but instead of from fear, it will be in hope.
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A little earthiness, cigar box on the nose. 20 years old, but drinking perfectly. Lots of chocolate, mint, eucalyptus. Still a fair amount of tannin. Fine to drink now, but thinking will last another 5-10 before it fades.
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Figured it’s finally time to half my last bottle of this, but then discovered I had Coravan’d it sometime previously. Another case of death by Coravan. Still lots of fruit but structure has largely dissipated, clearly unable to stand up to the evenings surf and turf at home.
Gassed it off to serve late into the night at next weekends pool party,But figured it would go well with the roast chicken Rose is preparing tonight.
No rating
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Dark garnet color in the glass, clear looking throughout. Nose of tobacco, smoke, currants, plums, black berries and a hint of Herbs du Provence. Flavors of black berries, cherries, plums and licorice. Medium acidity, medium tannin, full bodied. Drink now with a little air to help it open or can be held.
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Crimson in color. 14.9% ABV. Gorgeous nose of black fruits, cedar, leather and graphite. Remarkable concentration and power. Perfect balance of fruit, tannins and acid. Blackberry, cassis, currants and tobacco on the palate. Exceptional length on the finish with prominent fine grained tannins. 2001 marked the end era before a noticeable shift in style with the 02 vintage. I’m a fan either way and this bottle showed incredibly well. Drink over the next several years.
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Very typical Quilceda Creek: plush, fruit-forward with distinct aromas of violets, followed by boat loads of sweet berries, chocolate, and licorice on the palate. Somehow still classy. Memorable finish, no hard edges here.
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Gobs of black fruit, tar, and a little herbal note on the nose. Coats the mouth with juicy fruit with a finish that goes on and on. I was worried it might be past its peak but this wine is delicious. I would say it has at least another 5 plus years of prime drinking.
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From magnum. Right ruby-garnet with a bit of sediment throughout despite a careful pour. Piercing and delicious nose of fruit punch and powdered sugar-covered beignets on the nose. Mixed raspberries and blackberries, quite sweet, with strong but smooth tannins and aggressive acids. Though one taster complained it tasted like a zinfandel port, I thought it was more like Caymus made for whatever group comes in second to the masses. Good, and we’ll-made, but it lacks the nuance that earlier vintages evinced.
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Like-new waxy, clean cork. Dark purple colour; no bricking; polished red fruit, hint of bell pepper, still significant but not angular tannins. Still in late adolescence; lots of life yet
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Very nice wine. Full, warm and tasty. Fruit is still there and while softer, enough to cost the palate and last. Certainly a wine to drink near term as improvement/ further maturation is unlikely.
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Over the hill now, not a bad wine still, but it is lacking the power and nuance which pushed the last bottle into the upper ranks. Drink em if you got em.
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Drank this over 2 nights and definitely preferred night 2 as the wine was softer and rounder and the fruit more expressive. Night 1 struck me as to how much this doesn't taste like a Napa cab and much more restrained and relatively muted. Personally prefer that more forward Napa experience but this was very nice
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Dark red, mixed berry nose needed 60 minutes of airtime to fully develop. plenty of dark berry fruit on palate, a touch of acidity, integrated tannins, long smooth finish. Great with prime grade NY strips
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I loved this wine in 2009, I loved this wine in 2014. It is continuing to be impressive. 9 of 14 bottles. Cool black fruit with no stewing. Long and delicious. I think this is their best vintage
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Give 30 mins to open. Very subtle...dusty blueberry, edge of raspberries and cherries, pencil lead and softened tannins. Long finish. Really integrated.
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From magnum. First bottle of this in nine years. Still super youthful, though the 19 years has nicely mellowed some of the largeness, and really has turned into a pleasant drink that went quite well with a tenderloin roast. Very bright dark fruits predominate, though a myriad of secondary characteristics are emerging.
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Fully mature and an amazing pleasure to drink. Very expressive nose....dark cherries, cassis, flowers, and herbs. Dark ruby color, full bodied, very smooth. Intensely packed with dark fruits (Blueberry, blackberry, dark cherries), mineral, some licorice and baking spices. Long, long finish. Drink or continue to hold.
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Garnet with bright violet at the edges. Mixed berries with cream and vanilla on the nose. Notes of Red berries, some fruit funk, resveratrol, a bit of banana peel. Silky mouthfeel. Delicious, aside from the funk notes.
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If you like big Napa cabs this is probably not for you. I love it. Deep, dark, with a brooding nose of plums, exotic spices. The oak is not overwhelming but nicely balanced with the fruit. Perfectly ready to drink. Excellent!!
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Hot mess. No balance here whatsoever. Strong alcohol, plenty of fruit, but it's slightly sour. Stored since purchase in a temperature-controlled cellar Consumed over 3 days and never got better, sadly. Not over the hill or with dried-out fruit. Just....not very good.
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Still amazing after all these years. Kept in a colder cellar with temp closet to 50 than to 55, color is still amazing dark purple, fruit still there in abundance, and the finish still there to remind you there’s plenty of life yet! Sadly, my last bottle.
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Still garnet and almost completely opaque. Pronounced aroma, but with my eyes closed I'd think it was a Coke! Exactly the same aroma profile, minus the bubbles! On the palate, medium body, round, soft fruit, but one-dimensional, moderately tannic, also with Coke flavors. Long aftertaste, but hints of Chinese five-spice...strange. I never understood Parker's high ratings of these wines...just haven't felt the magic. Drink up. Ric
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Still young and muscular. I opened it four hours ahead of time, but still needed to breath. Dark color, firm tannins. As is sat in the glass an hour, the aromatics evolved. It drank well but, for my palate, needs a bit more time. Very good, will be great!
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Tasted non blind. Opened and decanted two hours before serving. Followed over about four hours.
Dark garnet color in the glass, clear looking throughout. Nose of melted black licorice, white pepper, cassis, plum and violets. Flavors of black berries, black cherries and plums. Medium to bright acidity, firm tannin, full bodied. Drink now with air or continue to hold.
It had a huge fruit filled nose when first opened. Decanted at two hours it took on nice aged Bordeaux like aromas. Even at three hours tannin was still firm. So a delicate balance here. Whether to continue holding or drink now with a decant. I'm leaning towards extending out my remaining four bottles one to two years year longer than they are currently scheduled.
Note there was some sediment upon decanting.
McClure Christmas Party.
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Shared this wine with a group of hunters. Universally loved. This wine is really hitting on all cylinders. Absolutely delicious with pot roast. Love this producer.
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Deep, dark, reddish-purple garnet in color with ever-so-slight clearing at the edges. Full, forward & attractive nose of ripe fruit aromas of cherries, blackberries & cassis with overtones of lovely floral & earthy/dusty notes, spices, herbs, minerals, pepper, truffles, dark cocoa/coffee & a hint of oak/vanilla in the background with a hint of VA which dissipates with airing. 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 oak/vanilla. Long lingering finish. Drinks quite well at present with decanting & extended airing but 18 years of age, it could continue with its current plateau of development if cellared properly but any further development may be minimal.
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Opened bottle an hour before, decanted just before pouring. What a glorious wine this is! Deep garnet colour, hardly showing its 18-year age. Beautiful nose - floral notes, blackberries, cassis, a little pepper and spice. And such power and intensity in the mouth, yet smooth and silky on the long, lingering finish. Great stuff - glad I have another 3 bottles.
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Maybe this was an off bottle (have one more to compare it to) but this was incredibly flat to me. Perhaps I shouldn't have decanted for an hour before tasting. Some of the flavors were there -- tobacco, leather, cacao, earth -- but this was very simple, lacking the complexity and structure I was expecting.
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Dark in color with no signs of bricking. I get black and blue fruit on the nose with a fair amount of cedar coming through. Heavy thick legs on side of glass. Upon first taste it seems closed and tight. Will decant and revisit in in a little while. Coming back to the wine an hour later it has opened up and now I am getting cassis some slight herbal notes and a bit of graphite with a bit of heat on the finish. The wine is balanced and the finish goes on for a good 30 seconds. Overall it has mellowed and is really drinking nicely right now. It paired very well with a herb crusted prime rib.
Poured my last glass the next day. The heat has seemed to be gone, still lots of dark fruit, nice acidity that coats the mouth with yummy fruit and and long finish. The wine is better now than yesterday. I have two more 2001's in my cellar and I will certainly decant them significantly before drinking half the bottle. Quilceda is so good!
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The only thing wrong with QC is the time you have to wait for these wines to peak. Opened my last 2001 at the Symphony WOW dinner and it showed well against a Bevan, Barolo, a 2000 Bordeaux, etc. It had an amazing concentration of dark fruits, some coffee, and an amazing silky finish from a 17 YO Cab. It still showed as a fresh wine with not a hint of decay or that this wine was getting too old. Everyone I shared a pour with was completely impressed. It could have cellared longer, but why wait as this wine is in its window of drinkability.
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Deep dark ruby red. Intensely sweet mountain berries on the nose with a hint of Porcini mushroom. Intense black and blue fruit notes including plumskin, blueberries, blackberry, and a bit of coffee.
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2018 Heritage Blind Wine Challenge (Chicago, IL): Served double blind. Oak/blueberry milkshake. Modernist crap, with only the high extract and oak clearly discernible. Coconut is not a good taste in red wine. I guessed 2006 SQN Raven (syrah), but who really cares? I nailed the style and it doesn't matter what's on the label after that. Garbage-tier. As a postscript, I really regret labelling this as SQN. SQN is generally better than this shit.
If you had given this to me blind, I would have said that this was a nice entry level bordeaux from a ripe vintage - something like 2010. Maybe grand cru classe - but 4er or 5er. Has a tinge of earth and green notes on the nose, but mainly nicely ripe fruit - cherry and blackberry maybe a tinge of currant. On a palate more of the same, medium bodied, ripe but with an acidic edge, does not taste green, but almost bordeaux in profile. Lovely smooth long finish.
Would have to say that this seems to be at end of life. Will revisit with the other half of the bottle tomorrow, but no expectations.
Had this wine, four times, seems to be better earlier, as the promised evolution does not happen.
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Medium-dark purple violet. Not much of a nose, but I was cold, which may explain it. Deep gripping tannins, intense purple fruit. Sweet, delicious. Fresh and drinking young.
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Excellent-quality fruit in a modern ultra-ripe style. Thick preserved black and fruit fruit with low acidity. Aromas of smoked meat and spices. Some resemblance to zinfandel, some resemblance to Chateauneuf du Pape. No resemblance to Bordeaux. I think it's a shame that this wine was made in this way, but to each his own.
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very concentrated with raspberry and black berry notes, milk chocolate, smooth tannin, long finish. a sumptuous wine. It is definitely at its peak right now. I would drink my bottles in the next 4-5 years.
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In a word, surprising. Maybe confusing would have fit too. Fruit is very forward, a mix of black fruits with very ripe red fruits. Raspberry liqueur and red cherry pie, with some blueberry and blackberry. Tannins have softened tremendously, this is quite soft. Alcohol is high but not in your face. To be honest, I expected more out of well-aged QC.
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Decanted for 4 hours; had with pasta and sausage dish; beautiful balance; tannins are in check now and while there is fruit, more secondary notes of cassis and tar. Great food wine now enjoy my remaining bottles. Thinking this is peaking now. A great wine.
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Beautiful QC. Had against a Cote Rotie and a TR Brown Wine. Personally I thought the QC was the winner. Long silk finish, black fruit, nice age to the wine. Wasn't a monster but had great elegance to it.
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PNP. It improved with air. I agree with the previous review- the soft, velvet texture is a major feature. Flavors of cassis, blackberry jam with a somewhat earthy/iron finish. An elegant wine. I will revisit it tomorrow to see if it improves overtime.
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Phenomenally smooth - lacier than velvety, and very integrated, but likely on the tail end of its life. The acidity was a bit lacking, but the tannins have softened tremendously. The alcohol registers on the palate and nose well below what the bottle states - a 2003 Leonetti (at .4% lower alcohol) came off much hotter. The highlight was the elegance, and not the power or complexity (this sings with one voice in one chord, but not a chorus or orchestra), but this is one elegant wine.
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A little funk on the nose that blew off after a brief decant. Plenty of fruit, not much in the way of tannin or acid so I'm not sure this is a good aging wine. A bit thin on the palate although it picked up a little weight toward the end of dinner. Good $50 wine that costs $150.
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Deep garnet colour (still). Pop and pour, and nose a bit shy at first, but a few swirls later and glass-filling floral notes emerge, followed by black fruit, cassis, crushed peppercorns, jammy, fruity, provencal herbs. Mouth-filling fruit on the palate, with plenty of grip and backbone, but not at all tannic, silky smooth and full-bodied into the so long finish. Drinking beautifully....now I see what all the fuss is about. Stellar Cab !
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Opened on election night and quickly soured as the night went on. J/K.
The wine is in a great spot. The color is vibrant. It was pop and poured on the first night, and the nose wasn't giving much. It was much better the day after and even 2 days after. It looks like it just needed some air. I got lots of cassis and raspberry liquer on the nose and on the palate with no heat or harshness. Adequate acidity to keep the wine fresh. Tannins are integrated resulting in a smooth finish. There are some sediment. I would just filter the last tenth of the bottle if the bottle has been standing for a few days.
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Had this bottle with Filet Mignon at Kincaid Grill. Pop and pour. Heavenly wine. fruit, balance, complexity, depth. Just superb on very level. Certainly in prime time now.
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Interesting nose. The fruit is ripe, the finish is only medium but the alcohol is spiking in the nose and palate. This could not hold its own against the Shafer hillside select 2001.
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My son-in-law said it best. "Before I started drinking red wine, this is what I imagined red wine tasted like." I have had dozens of Quilceda Cabernet over the years. This is the best I ever had. It is lush, deep, layered, balanced, intriguing, rewarding. What a wonderful wine. I left it open, but not decanted, for about seven hours. When I tasted it on cork removal it smelled a bit hot and a bit port-like (which I despise) and it even tasted a little port-like. But when we drank it with New York steaks it was calm, plush, dark blackberry and blueberry compote. The acids are background and structure. The wine caresses your mouth. The only flaw was just a hint of thin flavor, momentarily, on the mid-palate. Otherwise, this is a dream.
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Really good, dark dry Stoney black fruits, lots of muscle and depth with nice dark chocolate flavors. Drinks much younger than vintage. Served in mag and much better on day 2 & 3. I'm impressed.
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TTTG Blind (North by Northwest) (ER): Wow do I really dislike this. Black, Overly rich, hot, port-like but without the depth or complexity. Strange finish that reminded me of tropical Skittles and Pina Colada. A mess. I wasn't a fan of the other two Quilceda Creek Cabs served tonight, but they were at least drinkable.
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From magnum. Plum, dark chocolate and liqueur. Great concentration and fruit, just still extremely firm and tannic in a manner that doesn't exhibit perfect harmony yet. Everything is there, but....
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Tasted blind with the 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000 and 2003. All very similar and I stand by my remarks from 2014. Just not my kind of wine, but it is well made and if you like this style good for you.
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Drank with O'Quins and Mom. Beautiful. Fully evolved in my opinion. No reason to wait to drink up. Solid Cabernet in a somewhat sleeper vintage. Had with gorgeous. SRF Eye of the Ribeye steaks. Yummmmm.
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Dark garnet to purple color in the glass, clear looking throughout. Nose of violets, cassis, black berries and plums. Flavors of plums, berries and cherries. Medium acidity, medium tannin, full bodied. Drink or hold. Could use a little air still to open just a little before serving.
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Wine #1 on Mrs Davidandrose's 50th. While fruit-dominated this has a soft approach with cherry, thyme/rosemary on the nose. Semi-sweet chocoloate, musty earth and a dry (brief) front-palate finish. Drinking well, this is probably better paired with food than on its own, and is on the downside but well-within its drinking window. Not decanted, with the remaining (previously coravin'd) bottle followed over an hour.
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Has definitely improved over the last 4 years. The biggest improvement is in the complexity. There is a lot going on in this wine and the flavor profile is constantly changing (in a good way). It's in t's prime window, but I believe it will still improve at least a couple points. The only negative would be the alcohol level is still a bit noticeable, other than that, it's a very fine wine.
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This was disappointing on open, but after about 30 minutes in the decanter, it got good. The wine is all about the fruit on the palate. The nose was less heady than other bottlings of Quilceda I've had. Not much in the way of earthy tannic structure - seems to have integrated in. Also, it handles 14.9 alcohol pretty well. Still a bit hot, but not distractingly so. Probably not going to get better with time, but drinking well after 30 minutes of air.
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This is very, very good wine and likely smack dab in the middle of its prime drinking window. Has a sweet blueberry, cherry nose with the same fruit flavors on the palate but held in restraint against the now manageable tannins. There is some extra dimension to this wine of cinnamon, vanilla and some gravel that take the wine to a higher level. I'd held off drinking these til just recently and am glad that I waited.
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A stunning wine with impeccable balance. All of the things you would expect from Quilceda: blueberry, blackberry, cassis, with secondary nuances of cedar, menthol and a touch of vanilla. Full body, but the balance is so precise that it does not come across as at all heavy. Leaning slightly more to CA than BDX, it possesses elements of both. Smooth body, very complex and a long finish. This wine exudes class. Probably at or near peak, but certainly seems able to go much longer. Extraordinary. www.advinetures.ca
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Open for 2 hours -- after tasting, we decided to decant for one additional hour. Served with pork ribs. Wonderful wine -- full bodied cab with smooth tannins. The terrific flavor of the wine really began to show after the extra hour of decanting. Wish I had more of this vintage. Should still be a great wine for many more years.
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Much better than bottle 1, a progressising trichotomy. Off the open a great nose of dark fruit with a smooth non tannic finish, somewhat closed fruit on the palate but very good with a somewhat short finish, after 45 min, got a little acidic and tannic with a sharp,pepper finish with no fruit, after 75. min, smoothed out again with blueberry blackberry longer finish
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Decanted for an hour and drank over 90 min. Tannins still in full force. This a V8 powerhouse wine with lots of alcohol. Licorice, smoke and charcoal on the nose, good mix of fruit on the palate. Med to long finish. Will decant last bottle 2 hr and see if it softens at all.
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Given a day to breathe, showed well, albeit still in the younger half of its life, and to me, very clearly new world. Ripe with fruit, some oak, tannins well integrated, makes me wish I had the time to get to know Washington state better.
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Day after BBQ (Ponsonby, Auckland, New Zealand): Rather Napa cult wine in style. High alcohol, ripe and opulent fruit - very high toned with noticeable VA. In the mouth, quite developed and very tannic. Distinct green bell pepper notes intermingle with the high toned and ripe fruit quality. It is in no way drying out but it seems clear to me that the fruit will not outlast the tannins. Powerful and concentrated, this is outstanding but is not at all in the class of the Harlan 1997, drunk the night before. The Harlan was by far the more refined, plush, complicated and less evolved wine. Excellent and very new world but not a world beater, by any stretch of the imagination.
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Had alongside a 2007 Venge Family reserve and a 2007 Giraud "Grenache de Pierre" CdP. This was WOTN by a big margin. Still fresh and vibrant, showing no signs of age. Great nose, full body, and a killer finish. Wow!
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HDH Auction (Tru - Chicago, IL): Not very good, at all. Dense, sappy blue fruits. This was served blind and was easily distinguished as a Washington Cabernet. I called Leonetti, but, whatever. Dense, pretty simplistic and out of balance. It's all sweetness and alcohol.
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HDH Bordeaux Auction; 10/31/2014-11/1/2014 (Chicago, IL): "Oh my god, this is gross." Served blind, but I knew it was a cabernet. I couldn't place this as a cabernet as all (it was more grape juice than wine), though I estimated based on the age of the decaying and rotting blueberries and black cherries that this was probably around 10-15 years old. No acidity, but there's plenty of oak and residual sugar to make up for it. My initial reaction was generous, and calling this "wine" is a charitable endeavour. Certainly not fair to blind someone on a "wine" that has no sense of terroir, place, or even grape!
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Coravin'ed small pours to 2 glasses: 1st glass - swirled and tasted. Lots of alcohol and a little funk, a little meat. Bitter, some red fruits, not much on the palate, very tannic, acidic. 89 pts. 2nd glass - swirled and left in glass for 3-4 hours. Wine opened up with wonderful cedar, blue and red fruits, charcoal, much less heat, tannins softened up, acid balanced with fruits, silky, very high quality wine. 94 pts.
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Worked really well with harissa-marinated, grilled flank steak served over arugula with shallots and a dash of olive oil. Dense purple, loads of graphite and vanilla on the nose. Lots of grip in the mouth, but well balanced overall. If you like big, brawny Cabs, this one will fit your style. For me, these are an every now and then wine, not a style I go to regularly.
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Decanted just prior to drinking. I could almost go this wine if only the ALC didn't induce some headiness to this wine. I think if this was sub13% it would be a lot more appealing. ALC 14.9% and it drank like it. Lots of people will love this though as it does have a lot depth if you can get past the alc.
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Opened and decanted, but only about 30 minutes before tasting. Assertive nose - charcoal, licorice and blackberries. Blackberries on the palate, with hints of sweetness and heat. Tongue-coating viscosity, producing a 30+ second finish. Terrific wine, but I didn't quite see God, so it "only" gets a 96 rating. Amazingly, it still needs some time in the bottle before peaking.
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Nothing wrong with this bottle, but this is just not serious wine... not if you have an European pallet. Sweet, port-like, no sense of place, fruit juice like, somewhat harsh, not profound. Tasted blind with 3 other experienced tasters, who all agreed. This is not it. The Vieux Telegraph CDP 2001 served blind in the same flight was way better. So it is not that we don't like "sweet" or "alcohol", but there should be other elements there, like terroir, complexitiy, which the Quilceda just lacks. It is an emperor without clothes. Retasted the next day with similar conclusions.
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Garnet in color. 14.9% ABV. Blue fruits, violets and menthol aromas explode from the glass. Rich, powerful and immensely concentrated. Blueberries, currants, cocoa, leather and cassis on the palate. Super silky tannins on the long finish. 13 years young. I'll drink my last few bottles over the next 2-4 years.
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Good wine, needed air time to really integrate as was a bit acidic at first. Decent fruit and mouth feel, medium finish. Have had better Quiceda's. Good, not great
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Dark purple with violet at the edges. Ripe plums and blackberries on the nose. Unctuous, silken texture. Coffee and a bit of tar with blackberries on the nose, all three of which linger into a very long finish. There is also a hint of blueberry juice at the very end of the finish. Good stuff, but nowhere near as good as the last bottle of Quilceda that I had, which I think was a 2004.
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Opened for 2 hours. On the nose, dark fruits, hints of sweet perfume against a somewhat herbal, almost funky background which gives a sense of age that I like but wasn't really expecting. On the palate, more open than I was expecting. Medium to medium heavy in comparison to the Napa cabs I've been drinking recently. Nice counterbalancing acidity. Very fine tannins are quite faint. Overall, smooth and nicely balanced.
I don't think I'd go with WA's 98 points at this point, but I was pleasantly surprised as to how approachable this is now. I was under the impression that these needed quite a bit of age to come around. Looking back, I guess none of this should've come as a surprise, as I had a similar experience with this 3 years ago. A good experiment in advance of the upcoming 2011 release.
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Opened, but not decanted, about two hours before drinking. Initial impression was underwhelming. Nice nose, fairly rich, and a good finish, but it lacked fruit and/or the "Wow" factor I had expected. However, after another hour, it finally started to open up, revealing more fruit, some chocolate, and some coffee. Maybe I'll learn someday - this wine needs to be decanted!
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A bit restrained, the nose had raspberry, cedar and cinnamon. The fruit followed in this style with fine tannins well integrated. Smooth but short finish. Don't believe this is going to develop any further.
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14.9% alcohol. Dark ruby red. Expressive red fruit and cocktail aromas. Some decent Cab typicity, with a nice streak of raspberry fruit, but the wine lacks the fruit concentration and/or depth to mask the alcohol. Hot on the finish.
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Needs serious air/decant. Complexity and fruit comes in esp 2 day, little acid initially, tannins mild but persist. Not a long finish. Needs more time.
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Really one dimensional. Nice fruit but not a lot of depth or complexity. Not sure where this is headed or if it will get any better. Overall disappointing.
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Tasted non blind. Opened and decanted 2 hours, double decanted for another 2 hours before serving.
Dark garnet color in the glass, clear looking throughout. Nose of talc, berries, currants, plums and flowers. Flavors of berries, cherries, raspberries and plums. Medium acidity, medium to firm tannin, full body. Drink now with plenty of air or continue to hold.
Starting to come around. The nose is attractive now and the palate is just hair short of being there. Patience should be rewarded with this wine.
This bottle was bizarre. Upon opening, a huge mouthful of raspberries, blueberries and other young fruit. So, concentrated and rich it tasted like a late harvest bottling or even a fortified wine. So I decanted and let it sit. Five hours didn't improve it much. Over a couple of days it started to improve but it's still nowhere drinkable. The 2002 consumed a year ago was great. And I've enjoyed several other earlier QC Cab vintages. So this is unique. Hold til 2020.
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I think this suffered from either being too young or because we foolishly drank straight away after opening. Such a dense wine, and there was that Q-Creek blueberry and crushed blackberry on the nose initially. It just never really opened - it stayed dark and brooding, and palate saturating. While very good, I think there is potential for much more.
A lovely massive, yet strikingly elegant effort from Quilceda Creek. The nose offers deep profound red fruits, cherries and menthol. There is a also a rather vegetative tone adjoined by led pencil to be found. Palate is integrated with silky and smooth tannins. The length on the finish is superb. The overall impression is one of classy elegance and that this effort will continue to develop for many years to come. (Compared to last time I tasted this effort there is no sign of raisins which certainly raises the score. This is true also for the other vintages tasted in the same flight.)
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Hard to beat QC for consistently delivering delicious wine. Another great bottle shared with friends. Rich, complex, big fruit. Double decanted about 4 hours before.
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Extraordinary. Wow! The Quilceda Creek nose jumps out of the glass. Elegant but powerful aromas of perfumed spice, red fruits, hints of cedar (?), cigar box. Jazzy mouth of fruits, acid, lithe tannins, smooth. Finish lingers like a fond memory.
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Absolutely pure, wonderful wine. My first experience with a QC that wasn't infanticide. The finish lasted for 30 seconds and combined dark berries, black currants and a hint of smoke. Terrific, terrific wine.
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Judgement Day - 2001 Bordeaux vs. 2001 USA Cabernet Blends (Holiday Inn Chicago North Shore - Skokie, IL): Tasted blind. This had a lot of dark fruit and woodsy tones on the nose. Much like other QC's I've had the alcohol was noticeable on the nose which was distracting. The alcohol was more integrated on the palate, but the dark fruit mixed well with some red florals and mocha. QC has never really been my style - too big, too broad shouldered and this completely fit that bill. I actually guessed this wine blind as the 2001 QC, so it ranks up there with my calling of a double-blind 2001 d'Yquem! I ranked this 9th out of 12 wines.
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Wine, the antidote to jackasses (The Bridge of death): Spice and cigar leaf on the nose, with black fruit and chocolate, and some floral notes at the end. Rich and juicy on the pala, with tobacco and spice, black fruit on the mid-palate, and nice bittersweet chocolate finish.
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San Diego WineSpectator.com Offline, 4/7/2012 (Casa Red Guy, San Diego): Tasted blind. Clear deep dark garnet-purple. Fresh bouquet of minerals, charcoal, blackberries, licorice, bitter earth. A tough night for this pricey darling of the pro critics. It got no votes for 1st, 2nd, or 3rd place. It didn't seem flawed in any way, and does seem to have plenty of power lurking behind those closed doors. Let's hope it's just going through an awkward adolescent phase.
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Dark, dark purple. Dark fruits, very tight, on the nose. 95. No detailed notes due to dinner party. I did remember thinking that we had killed a baby. Long, long life ahead of this one.
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Dujac Dinner with Jeremy Seysses (Charlie Trotter's - Chicago IL): Plum and cassis on nose with hints of dark chocolate. Same big black fruit on palate, very dense and concentrated, still with lots of baby fat. Showing much more balance than I remember from when last tasted 4 or 5 years ago, this is drinking well now but should continue to improve for at least another 5 years.
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Decanted 4 bottles for 6 hours and believe the time opened was well worth it. The nose had a lovely floral bouquet with hints of dark fruit(blueberry and balck cherry I would say). The taste was medium to full bodied and was beautifully balanced as it rolled to the back of the mouth. The grilled pork chops compimented this excellant vintage very well. Enjoy!!
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About the same as the last bottle but with more sediment - this bottle had more Cab Franc flavors with a balsamic note. Good but not top tier Cab Sauv (blend).
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A very complex wine that made for some thoughtful drinking. Probably one of the most unique wines I've had the pleasure of partaking in. However, as a small contractor with a modest wine budget, I can't seem to wrap my head around the price of this wine. This wine is obviously aimed at a different cliental than the average wine drinker which is unfortunate given that I live in Snohomish Washington- about a mile from the winery. ah well..
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Tasted non blind at a wine dinner. Opened and served immediately.
Dark garnet to purple color in the glass, clear looking throughout. Tight nose giving way to some aromas of spice, berries and maybe cherries. Tight palate showing some flavors of black berries, black cherries and plums. Medium acidity, firm tannins, full bodied. Drink now with lots of air or continue to hold. No rating because not enough air or bottle age.
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Not showing a lot right now. A big wine, though very subdued. Right now that combination is not great as it emphasizes the 'big' aspects. Dark fruit, nice finish, almost modern California cab finish, with oaky, caramel hints. Tastes more alcoholic than it is. Yet, better than this note sounds... Will improve. Needs many years.
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Dinner at El Gaucho consisted of a nice filet mignon (Oscar style), with nicely prepared mushrooms. The wine was a 2001 Quilceda Creek from my cellar. Cork was perfect and after decanting, we noted a beautiful fragrance of blueberries in the immediate area. 30 minutes later, I tasted the wine expecting an excellent drink and was not disappointed. The midpallet was complex and balanced, the mouthfeel of the wine was soft and balanced. The finish was a bit short for this wine -- about 20 seconds and I wonder if the problem was me on this occasion. Quilceda pairs will with traditional cabernet driven foods and this was no exception. It still has several years of life in it and may become a bit more complex, however I believe that it is pretty well mature at this point but not on the decline. Drink and enjoy if you've got some. I suspect that it will serve us well for the next 10 years or so.
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This wine is just starting to emerge. Needs to be decanted and given some time to breath. Initially very closed, but a solid cabernet with plenty of weight, lots of blueberry and dark cherry...oak & alcohol still being integrated. Secondary characteristics are trying to surface (spices, chocolate, tobacco). Plenty of tannin and acidity. Just needs more time. Revisit in 3-4 years.
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1990 Californian Wines & Quilceda Creek (Ruths Chris - Washington, DC): Put this into a carafe to let it breath. The nose didn't really offer up much even after 90 minutes in the decanter. The palate took some time to open up too eventually showing black fruit, warm spices, and lilacs. Hard wine for me to judge as it didn't show all that much at dinner. Should be noted that this bottle traveled from Los Angeles to Washington, D.C. a couple days before the dinner so I'm wondering if this was experiencing some sort of travel shock...
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It's not the 03, bu it was very good. An initial must on the nose, followed by a nice floral bouquet. Still has some fruit left, but it is definitely ready to drink.
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Quilceda Creek Vertical (Zum Hirschen, Aarau, Switzerland): This was too alcoholic for me to permit a higher score, this vintage does not seem to absorb the 15% very well. But everything else was there: good fruit, notes of chocolate, spices, leather, tobacco.
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Had this for Barb's 62nd BD celebration. Double decanted 4 hours prior. Very delicious cab. Perhaps lacking some of the complexity evident in earlier bottles.
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I keep getting less exuberant about this wine over time. It's certainly a high quality Cabernet, but there is an increasingly obvious "Late Harvest" aspect to the wine. Balsamic, chocolate, and a touch of raisin are all notes that tinge a powerful, concentrated, silky and plush Cabernet. There is no heat, but the intense ripeness is increasingly obvious. Tonight it drank quite well on its own but was rather awkward with roast chicken.
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Dark garnet color in the glass, clear looking throughout. Nose of herbs du Provence, berries, plums and cherries. Flavors of black berries, black cherries and black raspberries. Medium acidity, medium to firm tannins, full bodied. Drink now with a good two to four hour decant or continue to hold. It looks like it might pick up some points as it continues to age in bottle.
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Elegant on the nose, with a distinct feminine perfume. Very alluring. Less so when mistakenly poured into the nose (the risks of sniffing wine semi-reclined!). On the palate, remarkably open when compared to my only other Quilceda ('94) which still seemed tight a year ago. While approachable, this still has a wound-up tightness. While everything is in balance, one gets the sense that it will explode on the tongue with another 5 years. My best Quilceda yet, and if this marks the "new style", I'm a fan. I'd rate 92-94 for current drinking, but I think this wine will be a classic when it comes of age. And at that point, my 95 point score could likely be viewed as conservative. Update: after 3 hours, this shuts down a bit. Still has all the right materials, but they go a bit into hiding. I'd either pop/pour and guzzle, or hold for 5 + years.
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Washington Red Retrospective (Dennis' Place on Erie): Darker rustic coloring. Some sediment in the glass. Asian spice, gray pepper corns, licorice, raspberries, cinnamon, clove with some traces of earth and smoke. Some nice red vegetation coming through with a touch of rubbing alcohol on the back end. The sun roasted tomato accents on the nose and palate were unique - very nice. Great pure mouth feel. Good finish. Red all the way through with some savory red spice on that finish. Almost a Big Red gum quality. Old World hints here and there. Solid complete wine.
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This bottle seemed distinctly different from the previous one tasted. Fruit was much softer and lacked richness and complexity. Wine may have been corked. At best wine tasted much older, say at least 15 years. But there were no off putting characteristics.
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2/1 - Black fruit with dark chocolate finish - well balanced - full concentrated notes - approachable now - will likely maintain its balance for years - double decanted with aerator. 95 pts.
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Fortunate to have tried the 99, 02, and 07 this year and this wine was clearly in a league of its own. Nicely balanced but firm tannins still present giving me a feeling this will age forever. Blue and black fruits, plum, currant, and light vanilla/oak. Had some leftovers the next night and the wine slightly faded but was still a pleasure to drink. My fav QC to date.
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Tasted non blind. Opened and allowed to slow-O over several hours.
Dark garnet to purple color in the glass, clear looking throughout. Nose of camphor, currants, plums and black cherries. Flavors of black cherries, black berries and plums. Medium acidity, medium to firm tannins, medium to full bodied. Can be drank now with some air but I think I'd recommend holding another year or two before trying again.
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Delicious, rich black cherry/blackberry/blueberry fruit with vanillin, moca, cassis, and earthy flavors, superb depth and structure, took wine about one hour to open up and then it exploded out of the class, extraordinary wine
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This wine is amazing. Opened and decanted for 4 hours. Tasted on opening and the aromatics and flavors were amazing. I think in the future I will shorten the decant on this wine to 1 hour. The color on this wine is inky garnet, maybe a slight cloudiness. The nose on this wine is immense. The nose is almost succulent with cherry, blueberry, and a potpourri of spice. The aroma alone is addictive and distinguishes this wine, drawing you into the flavors. Intense, rich and flavorful; beautiful balance. Soft and delicate tannin with loads of concentrated dark fruit and spice with a lingering finish. Absolutely delicious. Quilceda Creek continues to amaze me with every bottle I drink. Bravo!!
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Decanted for 90 minutes. Still a dark purple. Beautiful majestic nose of raspberry, red currants, leather, licorice, cedar. Sets up a real presence on the palate with layers of black raspberry fruit, plum, black currant, sage, and cinnamon. Authoritative structure counterpointed by equally delineated fruit, wtih tannins filed off and low to moderate acidity present. Very long, nuanced finish echoing dark berry fruit and sage notes. Although young, already developing complexity and showing very well with a short decant.
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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 is a little tight right now giving way to aromas of berries, plums, rose petals and white pepper. Flavors of black cherries, black berries, plums, a little boysenberry and a bit of bitters on the medium to long finish. Medium acidity, medium to firm tannins, full bodied. Drink now with some air time or continue to hold. 92-93.
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Initially cool and menthol in the nose and mouth, seemed tight, but reasonably good fruit. As it warmed, it opened up and had balckberry and plum to go with deep dark coloring. While it seemed young, I am usnure of it's aging potential, as it was a touch short and lacking complexity. Did not seem to be developing the secondary characteristics and complexity that I love in bordeaux, and was expecting given Parkers hype
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Deep garnet. Nose was black licorice and blackberry jam. initially weird. But with time in the glass is mellowed out a bit with menthol, licorice and blackberries. Taste was exactly as the nose promised. Very good, but perhaps a little on the young side.
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Dark purple, slightly cloudy from considerable sediment; Lots has been said on this wine so in short the overt fruit is probably on the way out with this wine but the integration is improving. In all a good wine with noticeable alcohol on the finish. This year is probably the last of the "older" less over-the-top Quilceda style. It was a stunner on release with great fruit and structure but its future is a question for me - it will change but improve?? I recommend standing this up and decanting before serving which was not done with this bottle.
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This wine seems a bit understated compared to other vintages of QC, especially 2002 and 2003. Rich dark berry flavors nicely balanced with remaining tannin.
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Dark purple color. Incredibly rich nose with dark chocolate, black cherry and cassis coming through beautifully. Well balanced with some nice minerality on the palate which adds complexity. Long finish A great example of Washington cabernet!
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Pleasantly surprised by the reasonable balance of this wine -- many of the QC's I've tasted over the past several years have been alcoholic, jammy messes. There is still a touch too much oak, but it's not overwhelming and I suspect it's going to integrate as the palate is quite rich with notes of chocolate and blueberry. Decanted this for 90 minutes, next time I'll decant longer and would expect an even better showing. There's hope yet for Quilceda Creek.
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I sooooo want to like these more than I do, but I don't. Lots of pencil lead, creosote, some blue/black berry hidden behind the other aromas and flavors. This showed a lot of alcohol (tasted way higher than 14.9%). Tannins are integrating, but this has a lot of life left, although not sure it will ever provide me all that much pleasure. (PE: 89)
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Uhhh... I am somewhat dumbstruck by this astonishing wine. The first whiff is all cigar, but two or three seconds of contemplation brings black cherry, raspberry, charred meat, and a little vanilla. Really all-around delicious after a couple hours' decant.
Decanted for about 30 mins before eating with dinner. Definitely a young wine, but harsher and rougher than i would expect. I have had multiple 1999 and 2000 Quilcedas that seemed more balanced. Tannic, certainly, but hopefully that will resolve over the next 3-5 years. Still, a delicious wine. Drunk side by side with 1997 Leonetti that was much more balanced and refined.
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Wineflock - Quilceda Creek Intro/Retro (Home): Group #5, My #2 - Full deep red with slight lightening. Full dusty clean black fruit with spice hints on the nose - nice. Mmmn, nice electric spicy black fruit on the palate. Still young but balanced and complex. Good omen for the younger wines.
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Pop'd & pour'd over 3 hours. Still young & slow to open. Rough initial nose, though kept changing throughout the night. For some it was the WOTN, others ranked it lower. Needs time, greater potential if you wait.
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Very tight on opening... double decanted and back into the cellar for 6 hours...
decanted again about an hour before dinner... a touch of heat on the nose, touch of plums and and black berries to the taste but balanced delivery. From other notes I had been expecting a more fruit forward bottle. I wonder if this has early oxidation in the bottle?
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Day 2 for this wine and I'm starting to get a little of the "burnt" note that other tasters have spotted. On Day 1 this was very primary - loads of well balanced and concentrated fruit, but lacking a little extra to merit a high 90 point score. Day 2 still showing the really polished and well balanced structure of this wine - crunchy ripe blackcurrant and blackcherrry fruit with juicy acidity. Softr and dry tannins. Maybe some dark chocolate hints but mainly ripe fruit. Really nice.
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We drank this beauty on Christmas Eve; a perfect pairing with the Flannery rib cap. A youthful purple color, with a relatively primary -- but impressive -- bouquet of blackberry, cassis, plum and a hint of smoke. Medium to full bodied, with great concentration of flavor( but no heaviness), firm structure, impressive depth and a long and powerful finish. Still has some tannin to shed, and I think this wine should continue to improve over the next five to ten years. Significantly better than a previous bottle drank this summer.
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Popped, poured and drank over the course of 2-3 hours. Deep purple in color. Cherry, blueberry, spice, and flowers on the nose with hints of cocoa and anise. All follows through with a rich velvety feel and seamless finish. However it did seem a bit hollow at points and I wonder if that just means it needs more time to show it's stuff? An outstanding wine though with what seems like a lot of life left.
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Drank this after a couple of bottles of the 1996. This one was clearly better and quite young. However it showed well after being quickly decanted and served shortly after the bottle had been opened. Great structure and full body. The bouquet had incense mingling with plums and cocoa scents. Nice acidity and a flavour profile that is reminiscent of ripe and sour plums, blackberries and licorice. Sexy in a hedonistic sort of way.
50+5+13+18+9=95
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The OC Bagged Crew--October 2009 (Sun Dried Tomato Cafe, San Juan Capistrano, CA): Graphite, dark fruit, chocolate, mocha, plum, currant and herb. Tight and young, I kept thinking Switchback Ridge cab but was very surprised to see the bottle revealed with a 2001 vintage. This wine still seems young, somewhat primary and loaded. There is a life ahead for this wine to live, to allow the youth to settle in.
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The Blind Crew at Sundried Tomatoe Cafe (Sundried Tomatoe Cafe, San Juan Capistrano): Very tight overall. Touch of heat and rubber with strong grip but really nothing to talk about as it pretty much seemed wrapped up. There was a bit of spicey Cab coming alive on the nose after about a half hour straight of swirling. Decant or leave alone for a few more years.
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This was relatively undrinkable upon opening....disjointed, bitter, and primarily burnt oak showing. I "re-canted" my glass (so only about 2 oz was missing from the bottle) and retried on night 2 (also only 2 oz pour), when I found significant improvement, but still not something I wanted to drink. Night 3 is signifcantly improved again, and now it's actually a quite nice Cab, with defined fruit showing through the oak, some of the burnt/toasty element gone, and though still not what I would consider a highly "drinkable" wine. Blueberry and bing cherries, and sort of an exotic sandalwood-cinnamon component. Again, a dramatic improvement from the 80-ish points I would have given on night one.....Interesting for me to see this kind of dramatic improvement over a timeframe that would ravage the fruit of most wines (but which this wine really needed).
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F me; when I saw this wine on the table, I couldn't believe our good fortune -- what generosity -- but in reality, this was a disappointment, and a far cry from the '98 I had a few months ago. An opaque purple color, with primary aromas of blueberry syrup and licorice. Full bodied on the palate, with a thick texture -- nothing feminine about this brute. Very concentrated, with noticeable alcohol,firm tannins, and a slightly closed finish. I don't know where this wine is going -- my first experience with the '01 and I have a bottle in the cellar -- but I don't see how it will ever reach the heights of the '97 or '98, which seemed to come from a different winery alltogether.
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There are hints of what may be greatness to come, but I had a hard time understanding this wine or finding the qualities that have been touted by RP and company. Does this need ten more years? Good fruit, full body yet light, very present alcohol taste. Drank after 2.5 hour decant.
In 2009 I gave this an 89. By 2017 this wine has significantly transformed from a light weight to an intense Left Bank Bordeaux.
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Here is the puzzle: this is either incredibly shut down and in a dumb downed and closed up stage, or it is over-rated. This had a slightly nice nose, and a slight complexity, but all-in-all, it was simply ok. I kept apologizing and telling people, yes, it is in fact rather ordinary.
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Another wow wine - greatly enjoyed this 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. Huge bouquet of balanced oak, red cherry, smoke and herbs. Inky black, very well balanced, very full bodied and complex with enough tannins and structure in place for many years of cellaring. Primary flavors included well balanced oak, dark fruit, some underlying mint, licorice, black currants with development of smoke and black pepper on a long aftertaste. Simply great, highly recommend this.
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Wow. I was looking for a special bottle to open with dinner before my wife took a trip to Japan (the first time we were going to be apart since getting married). Decanted this for about 2 hours. When first opened I took a small sip and the wine was surprisingly approachable, if a bit hot. But after the full two hours the wine was sublime. Rich ruby color with purple hues. Glorious nose - blueberry, blackberry and spice. Silky and medium to heavy body. Raspberry, black fruits and cocoa explodes on the palate. Huge and impressive fruit. But balanced by solid acidity. Great structure and complexity. Pleasantly, all of the heat had gone away after decanting. Bottles like this make clear why Quilceda Creek is THE cult wine in Washington (no offense to Cayuse). Extraordinary!
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Tasting Group Dinner - West Coast Cabernet (Dave McMahon's House, Minneapolis): This bottle was in a bit of a strange state, and may have been a bit shut down or affected by low-level TCA. Signature Quilceda blueberry nose. The palate is soft and ripe, showing simple blackberry fruit and earthy flavors. Creamy, almost lactic texture. Flat midpalate and finish. Judgment reserved.
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Domestic Cab Tasting at the Dave M Condo: Nose: Dark, earthy nose with white pepper and leather hints. Palate: Very spicy with the dark fruit coming through. Good acid levels. This wine is still very primary and over time I could easily see it score 93+. All the components are there. My first Quilceda Creek. Thanks Dave.
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Opened and decanted about 90 minutes before serving. Followed over a total of 5 hours. Purple color in the glass, opaque looking. Nose of sandlewood, currants, plums, black berries and potpourri. Flavors of plums, currants and berries. Medium acidity, medium to firm tannins, full bodied. Slightly elevated alcohol on the palate. Probably should be held but I'll revisited again later this year. Nose and palate never varied over the entire 5 hour period. If I was rating this wine on the nose alone it would be a WIML95+ but based on the palate at the current moment at best it would be in the lower 90s so I'll stick with my previous rating of WIML94 and presume it'll hold true with more time in bottle, perhaps even improve.
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Tasted in London. Very young, presently exhibiting distracting oak and alcohol. Dense blackberry and blueberry more prominent on the palate than the nose. A bit too massive for most food matches.
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Wine #1 - Nose of cherry and spice with a touch of true cinnamon. Cherry with smooth well integrated tannins and bright acidity. This wine has a 30 second plus finish with a touch of raisin and hint of metal on the finish.
My rating = 4th place / 94 pts
Group rating = 2nd place (tie) / 13pts (2+1+4+4+2)
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deep garnet. Nose was a sweet mix of blackberries, blueberries and spice, clove. Taste was a barrel sample of a rich full Cab with noticable tannins. Very Good but only hints at a great future. Don't try again for 5 years+.
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A bit one dimensional; didn't stand out. Dark fruit, a bit of wood, and noticable sweetness. Drank over 4 days, did not improve. Be sure to drink under 65 degrees F, because as it warms pass this point, the alcohol becomes very very noticable, even for someone that likes many high alcohol wines.
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This bottle was opened at Charlie Trotter's 21st Anniversary dinner. It was opened and decanted for more than an hour before drinking. It was a hit and had to follow a lot of outstanding wines. I will continue to stock up on this outstanding wine and winery.
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Blind at Zimmer's (Lewis Center Ohio): picked this one out immediately. Massive ripe, rich, overly sweet fruit. Too overly sweet was the problem. Almost borderline cotton candy. Has a silk like texture and the oak was perfectly integrated. Really a seamless wine that would have scored big points if the fruit was toned down a bit, just overly sweet unfortunately. Finished 4th, but had a number one vote
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Massive improvement from two years ago - alcohol integrated, much better balance. Still, one can see the direction this is going in. Wait at least a year more.
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Opened wine with trepidation based on so many comments about sitting on QC for 10+ years and the raging debates of QC lovers and haters. Would a highly rated QC live up to the hype with only mid-level maturity? Far exceeded expectations. Stunning wine. Everyone at table (mostly non-snobs) commented on the elegance and balance of the wine. Surprising considering the alcohol level (which showed up on opening, but integrated nicely w/ 2+ hours decanting.) and reputation of QC. Furthermore, this wine paired beautifully with dinner and did not come across as heavy bruiser of an 'event wine' better consumed on its own.
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A bit hot until it opened up a bit in the decanter...no issues with oak or tannin...seems lighter and more supple (less of a fruit monster) than prior tastes
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Cherry cough syrup, eucalyptus, a touch of wood. Quite hot and alcoholic, one-dimensional jammy fruit. Some secondary development could improve this over time, but the alcohol is likely to dominate.
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Bottle was delicious. Decanted in the cellar for an hour or two before consuming. Pure fruit. Long smooth finish. Red and dark red fruits dominate with some slight secondary elements begining to show.
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Not nearly as approachable as the 2000 that I had a few weeks ago. The tannic structure promises the wine will last for years but also that it will need to mature to be more enjoyable. Drunk in a restaurant with only a half hour to an hour in a decanter it never really opened up to give up its bouquet and tastes as I had hoped it would. Clearly an excellent wine is lurking beneath the tannic structure and giving it a rating based on the less than ideal treatment of this wine would do it an injustice.
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Completely different from the first bottle that i drank. This one had no major flavors of fennel or anise, instead had much more dark fruit attributes. Also high tannin and finished strong. Ate with a meatball pizza and chevre cheese!!!
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Well, this continues to be a very consistent wine. Not bad by any stretch, but it just doesn't wow me. Coffee and some berry on the nose, a somewhat muted palate showing red and black berries, decent backbone, a very soft mouthfeel, and surprisingly restrained tannins given the age. This is good wine, but I feel like I must be drinking something totally different than the folks giving it a score in the high 90s.
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Did not decant. Closed and tannic at first with subdued fruit. Opened up to display blackberries and currant. Smooth and very rich later during dinner. Very nice!
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Dinner at Pomegranete: This was singing - no decanting just popped and poured. Really good straight out of the bottle, lots of interesting cabernet fruit, some sweet cassis, some berry, lovely refined, smooth palate, soft tannins, juicy acidity, great length of flavour. I would have no hesitation in opening one of my now.
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Not yet ready to drink but still an outstanding wine. Intense with a lot of fruit and terroir but hard to distinguish what's there because of the tannic component and astringency from opening it too early. This could easily get a few more points as it gets older.
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We drank this bottle over 4 days, running the course of micro-oxygenation to macro-oxygenation. Beautiful aromas with dark berries and blueberries, moderate oaky vanilla, lots of heat. Intense alcohol on the nose didn't blow off until the 4th day. Everyone else rated it 95+. A bit too massive, oaky, and alcoholic for my tastes.
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i never seem to be drinking QC at the right moment. closed, shut down, off bottle, heat damaged, not decanted enough...whatever, you think i would get lucky once and drink this wine in supposed tune. but, matter of factly, i think it is just time for me to give up on QC. this was...not very good. and like it or not, and agree or not, a good wine should at least have SOMETHING going for it at age six. this has nothing.
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So much great stuff here, but this is on the monstrous side for me. Easily 90+ point potential if/as this harmonizes and softens, but not enjoyable for me at all right now.
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Started out as pure alcohol with zero fruit. After four hours in a decanter it started to flesh out considerably. Hold for three more years, minimum. Judgement deferred.
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A bit of mint and forest floor on the nose; on the palate chocolate/mocha and (first and foremost) gobs of fruit that prevent the oak from seeming like overkill. Long finish. Low acidity. Excellent wine, though it would be better if the alcohol didn't manifest as heat.
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What the hell? To me this is indistinguishable from an overly roasted/toasty bottle of Columbia Crest Reserve Red or even a Walter Clore Reserve Merlot. I don't understand how anyone would find this an exceptional wine...Is it just closed? I don't know, but with so many great wines in the world, who has the time to mess with this stuff?
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Quilceda Creek Vertical 1990-2003 (My house): My WOTN! Plush with a super balance. The wine just exploded with italian meats, brine and perfectly ripe cherries. Just absolutely plush and velvety in the mouth with mocha and a roundness that was not seen in any of the other wines with the possible exception of the Pedestal.
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Blind Cabs with Friends and Family: Decanted 6-8 hours and Tasted Blind. Oh NO! Clearly Corked. Although some waded through the mess to say there was underlying quality. Upon reveal... lots of moaning.
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Opened earlier in the day. Large and full bodied in all aspects. Wonderfully held together. Graphite and cassis, dark blackberries, and great texture. A long lovely finish. 94pts
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Did not decant this wine. After pouring, the initial flavors were pineapple and anise. After a couple minutes, the flavors turned to mocha, coffee, and dark fruits. After 1 1/2 hours, this wine really mellowed and opened up. Enjoyed it very much.
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Decanted 11 hours before tasting blind. On the nose, blueberries in spades, blackberries and maybe a hint of chocolate and tobacco. On the palate, silky and smooth with slightly elevated acidity, with more black fruits than blue, and a very long, spicy, tannic finish.
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Decanted and allowed to sit for 5 hours. Nice nose and mouthfeel, but as one of many bottles, no detailed notes taken. When put side-by-side with an Ehlers Cab Franc and tasted blind, 3 of 4 incorrectly guessed the CF as the QC; indicator of a solid CF on the part of Ehlers, and the strong fruit-forward nature of the young QC.
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First QC. Had at USG. Seemed somewhat "hot" on opening, not very well integrated. Had a lot of nice blueberry and blackberry fruit on the nose and palate, but stil seemed a little disjointed. There was a little heat on the finish as well. This was not decanted and was a little too warm, so I didn't think it had a chance to show its best, but owning the 2001, 2002 and 2003, I was a little dissapointed.
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Infanticide? Maybe. But when faced with my first opportunity to try a q creek at a reasonable 135 tariff at a restaurant, I had to bite. I had been talked out of this wine and into a dalle valle 3 months ago at another florida restaurant with very disappointing results. This was young but none of that tobacco and hefty tannins I associate with such a young cab. Yes, its one of the reasons I like the syrahs and pinots, as they tend to be much more approachable early on. I guess I'm impatient.
This did not disappoint. Floral, dark ripe fruit. Took half a bottle home from Criolla's to try tomorrow, so looking forward to posting additional notes. Ironically, this restaurant had the dalle valle that dissappointed earlier....at half the price. What a solid list, certainly deservind of their WIne Spectator recognition.
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Drank this alongside an '03 Foley Claret, which ended up being a terrible match due to the Foley being so big and muscular that the QC tasted like plonk Merlot by comparison. That said, this isn't bad, but not what I was expecting. I wonder if it might be closing down, or in a semi-closed stage. The nose didn't give up much at all. After 3.5 hours, there was a faint aroma of dark fruits and a bit of spice, but the nose never really came around. On the palate it was fairly well-balanced, but just not enough of what I normally expect from QC. Velvety texture, with fine tannins, it was a big more elegant - a word I've never associated with QC before. The roasted strawberry fruits and hints of coffee and chocolate were very good, but the finish was a bit short. Score is based on this bottle (maybe a touch off?) on this night.
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Qulceda Creek Vertical w/ Alex Golitzin (Vancouver Museum): Oh boy, are we ever back on track with this one. Great, classic, soaring, huge nose with violets galore! A very similar flavour profile to the 2000, but this has all the components that wine lacks - especially a structural backbone to create a sensational texture and mouthfeel. This wine is coming together really well and is infinaitely better than the last sample I had of this vintage. This was my wine of the night. A 96+++.
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CFTG Quilceda Creek Vertical (Glen's): Deep opaque black purple. Nice clean round black fruit bright nose. Rich chocolate black cherry fruit on the palate. Nice but tight.
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Quilceda Creek 1996-2002 vertical (Chicago suburbs): Now we're talking. Violets and concentrated dark red cherry. Started soft but gained depth. Really started to kick in by the end of the night. Our host was kind enough to let me take home the bottle with maybe 6 ounces in it. It was holding strong and better in some ways the next day. Great length with layers of dark red fruits.
On the day of our dinner, I poured into the decanter about 1:30 pm and gave it an hour. I poured it back into the bottle and left it uncorked for another 2 hours. Recorked the bottle and left for dinner. Took the cork out around 6:30. We started pouring these around 8:30 or so? Could have used more air time. Great upside potential.
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Very different cab than what I've been drinking lately...Very smokey, fresh fruit on the nose, with a woodsy to butter delivery on the tongue...This wine was lush and delicious and worth chasing bottles for later consumption, maybe 5 years to 10
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The Mother of All Cult-Cab Tastings 2001 (TMOACCT) (Seattle, WA): A very Pride-like nose with lots of notes of sweet wood and brown sugar then followed by big notes of blueberry and blackberry. Mmm, this has a big, sweeping attack with surprising freshness. The finish is spicy and surprisingly well integrated. In hindsight, once the bag was removed it seemed obvious that the wood-notes are dominating this wine right now.
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Tasted over a one week period. This monstrous wine is dark and brooding. Mostly oak and tannin on the first 2 days. Day 3-5 showed promise with dashes of dark fruits and mint, teasing with just enough materials to make you beg for more. Incredible structure. Days 6-7 showed little more, but overall not the most enjoyable at this time. Shame to open any more - will wait minimum 5 years to try again.
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The STG and Me take on 2001 Bordeaux (Susan's House, Seattle, WA): As a ringer in this 2001 Bordeaux tasting, this wine failed. It stood out quite badly and was not flattered by the company. At first, the nose was holding back. (Later the nose opened some and Roy called "butterscotch", which was right.) Surmature, raisiny palate with both cola and root beer. Brown sugar too. Just too sweet. Hot on the finish. Not good. Called this ringer as not Bordeaux in a second.
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STG Does 2001 Bordeaux (Susan's house): This was obviously not Bordeaux. The nose had some touchs of VA and a bit of heat. I also found bacon and mocha. The palate also had some heat on the finish. I also got baking spices and sweet dark fruit. Each time I have had this wine since launch I have liked it less. I hope it is completely closed down. I would not open another one of these for a decade.
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Tasted in double-blind fashion at Vintage Wines, Ltd. Bottle provided by Rob Norberg. Bright disc. Opaque black robe with purple rim. Clean, moderately intense nose, showing smoke, cassis, cedar, vanilla and oak aromas. Full-bodied on the palate, with low-to-medium acidity, big dry tannins and similar flavors as for the nose. Long, somewhat tannic finish. Needs time to fully strut its stuff.
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Tried this wine with a char-grilled steak. I decanted, but only for 45 minutes to 1 hour. The wine was very elegant and clearly has huge potential, thus the 95 score. However, it was very, very closed. I recommend at least 2 hours of decanting at this point. This is going to be a wonderful wine with additional age.
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1 glass on 7/1/04. Decanted over two hours. Lots has been said so I will say this is gorgeous wine. Close to my "Wine of the Month" for July 2004. Had another quick taste from a different, undecanted bottle and the wine was very tight.
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Served with grilled ribeye marinated in maple and red pepper flakes. The aromatics were initially very restrained, but with a couple of hours the blueberry, violet, and char emerged. The palate is very powerful and extremely tannic with a nuclear blast of raspberry and a hint of bitter espresso. This wine is very tight right now and really does need a decade to unwind. DAY 2: Much more classic Quilceda with floral and raspberry aromatics. The palate is still extremely structured and compact with laser focus. Some mild notes of caramel show a hint of wood, but the palate is silky and delicious. There is a clear element of bittersweet chocolate on the palate that I love. It really gives an element of contrast to the wine.
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Drank this bottle at Chelan. Decanted for 5 hours, this is a wonderful wine that has amazing potential. Over and hour in the glass this wine was still evolving, Chocolate, Chocolate and more Chocolate on the nose. Dark brooding fruit with a long finish. Still needs years, but will be more balanced than any quilceda. Jill rates a 90. PS No yeast or chedar as Jason G notes in this bottle
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This is my third tasting of this wine, and I have now had 3 different experiences. The first time was extremely tight but expressive, the 2nd was nearly completely closed. This time the nose has a distinct yeasty, cheddar cheese element to it. I was convinced that we were tasting the barrel sample of the 2002. I was shocked that this was the 01. Despite the strange nose, I loved the palate. It showed sweet, pure, lush blackberries and char. It seems to lack the perfect balance of the 02, but with some time (assuming the nose improves) this will be a winning. I plan on opening another bottle of my 01 to see if I just missed the cheddar cheese or if this was a nonrepresentative bottle.
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It's possible that this bottle (my first) was a bit cooked, as the cork was protruding a bit (my fault -- a brief storage lapse). Still, the wine was very expressive aromatically, with plenty of Chambord, smoke, earth, and a distinct overlay of....fresh-picked corn! I kept smelling and smelling, and kept coming up with corn-on-the-cob! Weird, but there it is. Almost over-the-top dense, with loads of concentrated black fruit, smoked meat, and underlying dusty tannins. I wonder if this might be a bit too much for most food, but I'll have to see how it does with a bit more air. It's teetering on the edge of Aussie-fruit-bomb, but if it pulls back a bit, I'd probably give it a higher rating.
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Vinexpo OL - My first experience with this wine. Black/purple color. Rich aroma of sweet black fruit. Really rich blueberry fruit on the palate. A little over the top for my taste, but I can certainly see what people see in this wine. 6/04
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This wine is much different than the 2000 in that it is already closed. The 2000 was drinking quite well (as long as it got 12 hours of air) for 6+ months from release. The 2001 is already much tighter and nearly shutdown. Even after 12 hours of air, the nose is heavily dominated by char. I also find some blackberries, violets, and vanilla. The palate remains massive with tastes of charcoal, chocolate, and every dark fruit I can imagine. Despite the incredible power, the balance is perfect. With the exception of the 98 Grange, I have not encountered such a huge wine in perfect balance. This wine might change the world's impression of Washington wines in 15 years. Unfortunately, it will need that long to be anywhere near its peak.
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Tasted at release weekend. Very closed on the nose. Nice mouthfeel but still closed. Dark chocolate covered cherries followed by oak showing through. Too young and closed to get much of an impression on the midpallet. Finish was elegant and stayed with me minutes after a taste.
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Quilceda opened their new facility today. It is truly terrific. The last facility was crammed with barrels, boxes, and people. This new facility not only looks beautiful but provides lots more space and light. Last year I posted that the wines were a touch too cold and that glasses were not up to the wine. John Ware (VP Sales) sent me an email saying that they would have all that fixed at the new place. They "fixed" those issues and then some. I did not check the brand on the glasses, but they were perfect for the wine. Now on to the wine. Imagine a blend of the 1995 and the 1999. This vintage shows the elegance of the 95 and the power (perhaps a touch more restrained) of the 1999. I was prepared for a big wine, but I was pleasantly surprised by the tremendously silky tannins. The nose was fairly closed but did show chocolate, char, and violets. The palate was simply awesome with the aforementioned silk qualities and loads of dark fruit and spicy oak. This is certainly the most elegant of the power vintages (94, 98-01). I still am a bit partial to the raw, unrestrained power of the 1994, but this wine is certainly in the same league. Pierre gives a drinking window of 2008-2020. I have to think the well-stored this wine will last a least a decade longer. If you want to try one, I would open it in the next few months before it fully shuts down.
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Tasted at the Quilceda Release Party. 97% Cabernet Sauvignon, 3% Cabernet Franc. Wow! This is very young and pretty closed up aromatically, but right after they popped and poured it was at its most expressive with very typical Quilceda aromatics of violet and raspberry along with a distinct note of cocoa. On the palate this was stunningly silky, elegant and balanced in a way that was almost deceptive, as quite frankly it is a huge and tight wine. Flavors of cassis, raspberry and subtly bitter dark chocolate wash all over your palate and finish in a long and harmonious way. Where lots of Washington wines have a lot of sweetness and acidity, this wine was cool and dark, much less forward, much less sweet and just utterly balanced and gorgeous. I absolutely need to try a couple of these over the next month or two while they are still relatively approachable. Later the same evening I opened a bottle to have with roast chicken and to get a deeper impression of the wine. Oh my! I don't have a lot to add to my notes from earlier in the day. The aromatics are still fairly restrained right now, and this is a tightly wound wine. At the same time, the power, depth and balance on this beauty are amazing. The flavor profile is far more complex than the 2000 Quilceda with a wash of flavors, some dark with subtly bitter chocolate and espresso notes, some approaching sweetness with cassis and floral elements. The length is stunning. This is an easy 97 pointer and the best Quilceda I have ever tasted.
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Golly; don't understand this. Raspberries that made it almost taste like the Pegau from the night before. This needs way more time than what we were able to give it. A shame to have wasted this bottle so young.
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Held a mini-vertical tasing over the last two nights. Opened and put half the bottle in the decanter for 6 hours before tasting blind along side the 2000. Deep crimson in color with a little purple at the edges. This was VERY tight and closed at first, but with enough swirlng you could begin to coax out some lovely dark fruits. With time the wine continued to open and show a very primal flavors, including black currants, red raspberries, crushed cherries, game, and saddle leather. On the palate this is huge, chewy, and sweet. For me, tea and cola notes preceed the fruit which comes on in spades before the massive but fine tannins clamp down midpalate. The finish is quite long with noes of bright cherries and raspberries, as well as some raspberry liquoer. On the second night this became more expressive with a bit more depth and complexity. Compared to the 00, this is bigger, richer, brighter, and clearly a better wine that will surely overmatch the 00 in complexity and depth in the very near future. This obviously has plenty of potential to improve.
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WIML94 Tasted at an offline with the DAWGS. Brief comments only. Can't believe somebody hasn't already started a tasting note on this wine. Yes, I know, I’m a baby killer. Ordered two cases of this wine, one for me, one to split with the DAWGS. Unforturnately there was one orphan bottle so it had to meet its’ early demise. Decanted four hours before being returned to the bottle for transport to the restaurant. Reopened at the restaurant and tasted 6 hours after it was first decanted. Just about the perfect amout of time if you must open one right now. Obviously this wine was very tight and just a little disjointed at this early stage of the game. Pleasant notes of black cherry, tobacco and blueberry. Great feel in the mouth. Drinking as a solid 93-94 wine right now. I’m betting big this wine will get better with age. IMHO, this is a long-term wine without a doubt.
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Wonderful, classy, elegant cabernet. Opened up very quickly, menthol and licorice nose, silky smooth very refined taste. Dark fruits, a somewhat brooding and reserved attack, but wonderfully rich. Nice balance, has all the elements to age nicely but should definitely be experienced now as well. I'd be very surprised if this one enters into any "closed" state along the way. A fabulous effort by QC.
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4/12/2024 - jlgnml Likes this wine: 94 Points
Decanted, which was needed. Deep Cabernet fruit color, elegance in the glass. Sophisticated. A real treat.
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3/29/2024 - tmb@bmtintl1.com wrote: 92 Points
Enjoyed a wine with no corkage at Schosshotel Ischgl in Austria - it traveled there for some family events - it paired nicely with a regional specialty "Zweibelrostbraten vom Almochsen Rucken" - especially where the chef tried the wine before and made the gravy strong enough to match the wine. The wait staff also tried the wine and weighed in - they were very impressed by the Washington wine, and they serve top French, Italian, and Austrian reds. The notes of pine were a special treat setting this wine apart from other cabs. This wine has well-integrated acidity and tannins and still holds traces of its initial fruit with strong earthy and umami notes (and flavors). It should be enjoyed over the next few years., I have several more (and older) vintages in the cellar and look forward to matching them with robust meat dishes. It is an excellent food wine. [I am enjoying a 2013 Reising from Hirtzberger with an apple strudel - so i am not 100% biased to red wines]. All I can say is that I feel lucky to be with this family since the mid 90s and only wish there were even more wines in the cellar. I met Paul a couple times over the years and special thanks. I haven't had a chance to meet some of the new members of the team.
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12/30/2023 - essenceofreal wrote: 88 Points
Rather boring and non distinct. Decanted for an hour and not much going on. I managed to keep a glass for a few more hours and then it started to peep its head out of its shell, albeit barely.
perhaps just needs a 6 hour decant but I brought it for the poker gang and they jumped all over it and devoured it in 30 minutes after I held off the vultures for an hour while it decanted. 3 other bottles also suffered the same fate, gone in 30 minutes (maniacs!).
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7/22/2023 - Steve Fishback wrote:
Drank this beauty with brazed veil, mashed potato’s and fresh corn. The fully mature Cab fit right in to the savory meal. Inky dark color led to a fully integrated lush dark berry fruit with just enough tannins left to give the wine its beautiful structure. Gorgeous wine, that was perfect with the meal. 95
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7/13/2023 - oakville72 Likes this wine: 95 Points
Super stuff. Hits you like a freight train going 90 mph. Brilliant ruby with just a touch of browning. Explosive nose. Over-the-top Columbia Valley Cabernet Sauvignon (14.9% alcohol). Just enough VA to push the still young berry fruit forward. Some tannins in the finish indicate it's going to hold together for a few more years. Actually worked quite well with my clams in cream sauce with pancetta over bucatini at Trellis Wine Bar & Kitchen in Dundee, OR.
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2/11/2023 - vanpe003 wrote: 95 Points
Much more open than when I had it in 2014. It's right in its prime right now, best I can tell. Tannins mostly gone, acid integrated, it's balanced right now. Fruit is present and steals the show, but not in a brutish way. It trends towards a well aged quality Left Bank in terms of weight. Like other vintages, I pick up a note of dentyne on this one, which honestly, I kind of like.
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12/23/2022 - cadamson Likes this wine:
Drinking very very young, easily two decades left. Big, but not brash. Nice balance. Very good with prime rib.
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12/22/2022 - wine4ever Likes this wine:
Fully mature. Short decant. Last couple tasting notes are spot on. A complex, well balanced classic Washington cab that has been excellent with beef dishes of all kinds. We've really enjoyed this vintage and look forward to drinking our remaining 2 bottles in the near future.
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10/7/2022 - EZEddie Likes this wine: 95 Points
Still holding up very well. I think the drinking window will stretch another 3 years. Tannins have faded. Maroon color and very balanced on the palate. Black cherry and a hint of tobacco on the palate
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9/22/2022 - ikkaariainen Likes this wine: 98 Points
97% cab sauv / 3% CF. Before writing this note I reviewed my previous note on this wine from '09 and note ongoing evolution and maturation but no actual revolution. Recently acquired 12 of these bottles as part of a much larger cellar contents purchase. Highly recommend despite the price point and despite the price point at this point of maturation this wine is actually quite a good QPR wine, simply that good. Mature and totally ready to drink, could do with a short 30-60 minute decant but not needed - opened up good with an hour or two open in the bottle and some additional air in the glass. Drink or hold - completely mature but still structured enough that no hurry to drink, no further upside expected with further cellaring but with proper cellaring this still has years to go. Cork pristine when tonged out. Dark purple, peripheral bricking, soft with good mouth feel, oak and tannins still present but well controlled, good fruit present, complex and balanced with secondsry flavors coming through and still quite full bodied. Lovely long lingering aftertaste. Bouquet of balanced oak up front with red cherry, coffee, lilac and a smokier finish. Flavor profile of well balanced oak, cassis, blueberry and cedar up front developing into earthier graphite, stone, forest floor and anise with smoke and black pepper on the finish. An exceptional wine which shows why the QC reputation is what it is.
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1/22/2022 - btwine Likes this wine: 94 Points
Not as robust or complex as other higher rated years. Nonetheless after 2 hours of decant and tasted through the evening: delicious, perfectly balanced and still at its peak.
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12/16/2021 - zinnut wrote: 92 Points
Very good with a nose of plums, spices, black tea, blueberries. The palate is mouth coating with cherry and blueberry notes. Delicious. I do detect the bitterness others have discussed but I don't find it distracting whatsoever. This is a complex, well balanced wine and I am not sorry in the least that I went long on QC.
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12/11/2021 - Rieslingfan wrote:
I flat out hated this wine five years ago, finding it syrupy and bitter at the same time. I actively avoided my other bottles, burying them in an inaccessible corner of my cellar. Based on some comments from a person I trust I decided to perform an archeological dig to grab a bottle of the 2001. Opened with great trepidation, I was at first overwhelmed by a distinct blueberry/vanilla aroma, but decided to put the glass aside while I finished putting together dinner.
Fast forward an hour, and it’s still ripe, but also suddenly showing a real balance. It’s not thick or heavy as the initial aromatics would have indicated, but full-bodied with clear nuance. The fruit is still in the blue spectrum, and there is vanilla oak, but it’s not sloppy, goopy or murky. I know that’s damning with faint praise, but to go from detestable, bitter swill, to blue fruited, yet ripe modern Cabernet is quite a transformation. There’s plenty of material for further development, so I am likely to let my other bottles sit even longer, but instead of from fear, it will be in hope.
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9/25/2021 - phandley66 Likes this wine: 94 Points
A little earthiness, cigar box on the nose. 20 years old, but drinking perfectly. Lots of chocolate, mint, eucalyptus. Still a fair amount of tannin. Fine to drink now, but thinking will last another 5-10 before it fades.
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9/7/2021 - davidandrose wrote: flawed
Figured it’s finally time to half my last bottle of this, but then discovered I had Coravan’d it sometime previously. Another case of death by Coravan. Still lots of fruit but structure has largely dissipated, clearly unable to stand up to the evenings surf and turf at home.
Gassed it off to serve late into the night at next weekends pool party,But figured it would go well with the roast chicken Rose is preparing tonight.
No rating
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7/11/2021 - Easter Everywhere Likes this wine:
Quite good now
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7/8/2021 - Topper wrote: 94 Points
Plenty of notes on this one. Drinking just like the last one I had in 2015. Terrific Washington Cab.
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6/24/2021 - dsimmons Likes this wine: 96 Points
Delicious cab still going strong.. give it an hour or two of air. Drink or hold
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5/30/2021 - wineismylife wrote: 94 Points
WIML94
Tasted non blind.
Dark garnet color in the glass, clear looking throughout. Nose of tobacco, smoke, currants, plums, black berries and a hint of Herbs du Provence. Flavors of black berries, cherries, plums and licorice. Medium acidity, medium tannin, full bodied. Drink now with a little air to help it open or can be held.
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5/11/2021 - curtr Likes this wine: 93 Points
Fully resolved. Paired very well with meatloaf.
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4/13/2021 - jgreco wrote: flawed
Corked
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4/10/2021 - tomlee wrote: 95 Points
Crimson in color. 14.9% ABV. Gorgeous nose of black fruits, cedar, leather and graphite. Remarkable concentration and power. Perfect balance of fruit, tannins and acid. Blackberry, cassis, currants and tobacco on the palate. Exceptional length on the finish with prominent fine grained tannins. 2001 marked the end era before a noticeable shift in style with the 02 vintage. I’m a fan either way and this bottle showed incredibly well. Drink over the next several years.
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4/4/2021 - curtr Likes this wine:
Not a good pairing with ham. Still a nice bottle.
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4/3/2021 - peterk Likes this wine:
Dark purple - no suggestion of bricking. Juicy, intense wine with perfectly integrated tannins. Plenty of life left in this.
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3/4/2021 - hfindlay Likes this wine:
Very typical Quilceda Creek: plush, fruit-forward with distinct aromas of violets, followed by boat loads of sweet berries, chocolate, and licorice on the palate. Somehow still classy. Memorable finish, no hard edges here.
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2/7/2021 - Gscwinecellar Likes this wine: 94 Points
Gobs of black fruit, tar, and a little herbal note on the nose. Coats the mouth with juicy fruit with a finish that goes on and on. I was worried it might be past its peak but this wine is delicious. I would say it has at least another 5 plus years of prime drinking.
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2/6/2021 - RebeccaSny Likes this wine: 95 Points
Smooth, did not need much airtime. Sediment - so watch the pour or decant.
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1/30/2021 - TexasBob Likes this wine: 93 Points
From magnum. Right ruby-garnet with a bit of sediment throughout despite a careful pour. Piercing and delicious nose of fruit punch and powdered sugar-covered beignets on the nose. Mixed raspberries and blackberries, quite sweet, with strong but smooth tannins and aggressive acids. Though one taster complained it tasted like a zinfandel port, I thought it was more like Caymus made for whatever group comes in second to the masses. Good, and we’ll-made, but it lacks the nuance that earlier vintages evinced.
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1/9/2021 - SadEdjo wrote: 93 Points
Like-new waxy, clean cork. Dark purple colour; no bricking; polished red fruit, hint of bell pepper, still significant but not angular tannins. Still in late adolescence; lots of life yet
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11/28/2020 - BradA Likes this wine: 92 Points
Very nice wine. Full, warm and tasty. Fruit is still there and while softer, enough to cost the palate and last. Certainly a wine to drink near term as improvement/ further maturation is unlikely.
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11/5/2020 - akpace wrote: 94 Points
Strawberry cherry nose, toasty, spice, raspberry. Lingering on the palate.
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10/30/2020 - laetulos wrote:
Over the hill now, not a bad wine still, but it is lacking the power and nuance which pushed the last bottle into the upper ranks. Drink em if you got em.
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10/12/2020 - Mr T wrote:
Drank this over 2 nights and definitely preferred night 2 as the wine was softer and rounder and the fruit more expressive. Night 1 struck me as to how much this doesn't taste like a Napa cab and much more restrained and relatively muted. Personally prefer that more forward Napa experience but this was very nice
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9/15/2020 - Schwarzer Hund Likes this wine:
Dark red, mixed berry nose needed 60 minutes of airtime to fully develop. plenty of dark berry fruit on palate, a touch of acidity, integrated tannins, long smooth finish. Great with prime grade NY strips
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8/21/2020 - Mike V wrote: 94 Points
I loved this wine in 2009, I loved this wine in 2014. It is continuing to be impressive. 9 of 14 bottles. Cool black fruit with no stewing. Long and delicious. I think this is their best vintage
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8/2/2020 - DesMarteau wrote: 94 Points
Give 30 mins to open. Very subtle...dusty blueberry, edge of raspberries and cherries, pencil lead and softened tannins. Long finish. Really integrated.
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7/3/2020 - cadamson Likes this wine:
From magnum. First bottle of this in nine years. Still super youthful, though the 19 years has nicely mellowed some of the largeness, and really has turned into a pleasant drink that went quite well with a tenderloin roast. Very bright dark fruits predominate, though a myriad of secondary characteristics are emerging.
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7/1/2020 - wine4ever Likes this wine:
Fully mature and an amazing pleasure to drink. Very expressive nose....dark cherries, cassis, flowers, and herbs. Dark ruby color, full bodied, very smooth. Intensely packed with dark fruits (Blueberry, blackberry, dark cherries), mineral, some licorice and baking spices. Long, long finish. Drink or continue to hold.
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6/17/2020 - dgl7 Likes this wine:
Cork didn’t come out clean. Wine good not great.
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5/30/2020 - TexasBob Likes this wine: 91 Points
Garnet with bright violet at the edges. Mixed berries with cream and vanilla on the nose. Notes of Red berries, some fruit funk, resveratrol, a bit of banana peel. Silky mouthfeel. Delicious, aside from the funk notes.
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5/17/2020 - zinnut wrote: 92 Points
If you like big Napa cabs this is probably not for you. I love it. Deep, dark, with a brooding nose of plums, exotic spices. The oak is not overwhelming but nicely balanced with the fruit. Perfectly ready to drink. Excellent!!
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4/21/2020 - jdbooth Does not like this wine: 79 Points
Hot mess. No balance here whatsoever. Strong alcohol, plenty of fruit, but it's slightly sour. Stored since purchase in a temperature-controlled cellar Consumed over 3 days and never got better, sadly. Not over the hill or with dried-out fruit. Just....not very good.
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4/4/2020 - winestem Likes this wine: 94 Points
Still amazing after all these years. Kept in a colder cellar with temp closet to 50 than to 55, color is still amazing dark purple, fruit still there in abundance, and the finish still there to remind you there’s plenty of life yet! Sadly, my last bottle.
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3/5/2020 - norsktorsk wrote: 95 Points
BEAUTIFUL RIGHT NOW. NEEDS A LITTLE AIR.
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1/24/2020 - overkloud wrote: 92 Points
Black fruit with spice on the nose. On the palate the wine felt quite dry. Low acidity.
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1/9/2020 - Ex-Ray Likes this wine: 88 Points
Still garnet and almost completely opaque. Pronounced aroma, but with my eyes closed I'd think it was a Coke! Exactly the same aroma profile, minus the bubbles! On the palate, medium body, round, soft fruit, but one-dimensional, moderately tannic, also with Coke flavors. Long aftertaste, but hints of Chinese five-spice...strange. I never understood Parker's high ratings of these wines...just haven't felt the magic. Drink up.
Ric
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12/31/2019 - RJ&JJ Likes this wine:
SUPERB. Our favorite from the QC vertical we shared at NYE dinner.
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12/22/2019 - ipp wrote:
Still young and muscular. I opened it four hours ahead of time, but still needed to breath. Dark color, firm tannins. As is sat in the glass an hour, the aromatics evolved. It drank well but, for my palate, needs a bit more time. Very good, will be great!
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12/14/2019 - wineismylife wrote: 95 Points
WIML95
Tasted non blind. Opened and decanted two hours before serving. Followed over about four hours.
Dark garnet color in the glass, clear looking throughout. Nose of melted black licorice, white pepper, cassis, plum and violets. Flavors of black berries, black cherries and plums. Medium to bright acidity, firm tannin, full bodied. Drink now with air or continue to hold.
It had a huge fruit filled nose when first opened. Decanted at two hours it took on nice aged Bordeaux like aromas. Even at three hours tannin was still firm. So a delicate balance here. Whether to continue holding or drink now with a decant. I'm leaning towards extending out my remaining four bottles one to two years year longer than they are currently scheduled.
Note there was some sediment upon decanting.
McClure Christmas Party.
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12/8/2019 - llindahl Likes this wine: 94 Points
Deep beautiful red fruit and soft tannins. Cedar and oak on the nose. A luscious wine that still has a number of years ahead of it
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12/3/2019 - Neecies Likes this wine:
Mint, chocolate, earth, tobacco. Great weight and mouthfeel. Lots of splendor and not showing it's age at all.
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11/17/2019 - dsimmons Likes this wine: 98 Points
Shared this wine with a group of hunters. Universally loved. This wine is really hitting on all cylinders. Absolutely delicious with pot roast. Love this producer.
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11/2/2019 - Vinnut Likes this wine: 93 Points
Deep, dark, reddish-purple garnet in color with ever-so-slight clearing at the edges. Full, forward & attractive nose of ripe fruit aromas of cherries, blackberries & cassis with overtones of lovely floral & earthy/dusty notes, spices, herbs, minerals, pepper, truffles, dark cocoa/coffee & a hint of oak/vanilla in the background with a hint of VA which dissipates with airing. 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 oak/vanilla. Long lingering finish. Drinks quite well at present with decanting & extended airing but 18 years of age, it could continue with its current plateau of development if cellared properly but any further development may be minimal.
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10/16/2019 - curtr Likes this wine: 92 Points
Ready now.
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7/4/2019 - RISM Likes this wine: 95 Points
Opened bottle an hour before, decanted just before pouring. What a glorious wine this is! Deep garnet colour, hardly showing its 18-year age. Beautiful nose - floral notes, blackberries, cassis, a little pepper and spice. And such power and intensity in the mouth, yet smooth and silky on the long, lingering finish. Great stuff - glad I have another 3 bottles.
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2/8/2019 - tcarter wrote: 90 Points
Maybe this was an off bottle (have one more to compare it to) but this was incredibly flat to me. Perhaps I shouldn't have decanted for an hour before tasting. Some of the flavors were there -- tobacco, leather, cacao, earth -- but this was very simple, lacking the complexity and structure I was expecting.
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12/25/2018 - Gscwinecellar Likes this wine: 92 Points
Dark in color with no signs of bricking. I get black and blue fruit on the nose with a fair amount of cedar coming through. Heavy thick legs on side of glass. Upon first taste it seems closed and tight. Will decant and revisit in in a little while. Coming back to the wine an hour later it has opened up and now I am getting cassis some slight herbal notes and a bit of graphite with a bit of heat on the finish. The wine is balanced and the finish goes on for a good 30 seconds. Overall it has mellowed and is really drinking nicely right now. It paired very well with a herb crusted prime rib.
Poured my last glass the next day. The heat has seemed to be gone, still lots of dark fruit, nice acidity that coats the mouth with yummy fruit and and long finish. The wine is better now than yesterday. I have two more 2001's in my cellar and I will certainly decant them significantly before drinking half the bottle. Quilceda is so good!
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12/21/2018 - GSW wrote: 95 Points
Delicious!
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11/22/2018 - ricknat1 Does not like this wine: 85 Points
dry and tannic, not fruit forward, nothing of the 100 point wine i read about
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11/18/2018 - aerosol Likes this wine: 94 Points
The only thing wrong with QC is the time you have to wait for these wines to peak. Opened my last 2001 at the Symphony WOW dinner and it showed well against a Bevan, Barolo, a 2000 Bordeaux, etc. It had an amazing concentration of dark fruits, some coffee, and an amazing silky finish from a 17 YO Cab. It still showed as a fresh wine with not a hint of decay or that this wine was getting too old. Everyone I shared a pour with was completely impressed. It could have cellared longer, but why wait as this wine is in its window of drinkability.
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9/14/2018 - bdeblank wrote: 96 Points
Drinking very well with quick decant. Dark, almost opaque. Good concentration and balance. Will keep for a number of years but why wait?
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8/18/2018 - TexasBob Likes this wine: 94 Points
Deep dark ruby red. Intensely sweet mountain berries on the nose with a hint of Porcini mushroom. Intense black and blue fruit notes including plumskin, blueberries, blackberry, and a bit of coffee.
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8/17/2018 - wine4ever Likes this wine: 93 Points
Similar notes to last time. Still in it's peak window. Drink now or continue to hold.
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6/8/2018 - curtr wrote:
Decant at least one hour.
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6/2/2018 - Burgundy Al wrote:
Heritage 2018 Blind Wine Tasting Challenge - Chicago "Regional" (Heritage Gallery - Chicago IL): Double blind. Heavily reductive, ultra ripe and freakishly concentrated. I thought this an ultra modern Cali Grenache. Another bottle from a few years back was more evolved and integrated vs this unenjoyable creature today.
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6/2/2018 - acyso wrote: 60 Points
2018 Heritage Blind Wine Challenge (Chicago, IL): Served double blind. Oak/blueberry milkshake. Modernist crap, with only the high extract and oak clearly discernible. Coconut is not a good taste in red wine. I guessed 2006 SQN Raven (syrah), but who really cares? I nailed the style and it doesn't matter what's on the label after that. Garbage-tier. As a postscript, I really regret labelling this as SQN. SQN is generally better than this shit.
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3/24/2018 - thebonnydooner wrote: 89 Points
If you had given this to me blind, I would have said that this was a nice entry level bordeaux from a ripe vintage - something like 2010. Maybe grand cru classe - but 4er or 5er. Has a tinge of earth and green notes on the nose, but mainly nicely ripe fruit - cherry and blackberry maybe a tinge of currant. On a palate more of the same, medium bodied, ripe but with an acidic edge, does not taste green, but almost bordeaux in profile. Lovely smooth long finish.
Would have to say that this seems to be at end of life. Will revisit with the other half of the bottle tomorrow, but no expectations.
Had this wine, four times, seems to be better earlier, as the promised evolution does not happen.
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1/23/2018 - ipp Likes this wine: 95 Points
This Quilceda is fantastic. It has great balance, sweet tannins and complex notes of herbs, smoke and cassis.
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1/14/2018 - TexasBob Likes this wine: 93 Points
Medium-dark purple violet. Not much of a nose, but I was cold, which may explain it. Deep gripping tannins, intense purple fruit. Sweet, delicious. Fresh and drinking young.
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1/1/2018 - curtr Likes this wine: 92 Points
Very nice pairing with Prime Rib on Christmas. I agree that this wine needs another 2 years to develop.
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12/17/2017 - rexmerlot wrote: 92 Points
Another great vintage. Lots of dark fruit. Still some tannin. Could benefit from a few more years in the bottle. These wines get better with age.
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11/17/2017 - laetulos wrote: 94 Points
A beautiful wine, long finish, smooth as silk. Still feels youthful to me, flavors of bourbon, minerals. Better with a short decant.
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9/5/2017 - rmalloy Likes this wine:
Excellent-quality fruit in a modern ultra-ripe style. Thick preserved black and fruit fruit with low acidity. Aromas of smoked meat and spices. Some resemblance to zinfandel, some resemblance to Chateauneuf du Pape. No resemblance to Bordeaux. I think it's a shame that this wine was made in this way, but to each his own.
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5/30/2017 - overkloud Likes this wine: 94 Points
very concentrated with raspberry and black berry notes, milk chocolate, smooth tannin, long finish. a sumptuous wine. It is definitely at its peak right now. I would drink my bottles in the next 4-5 years.
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5/21/2017 - 49RockVino wrote: 91 Points
In a word, surprising. Maybe confusing would have fit too. Fruit is very forward, a mix of black fruits with very ripe red fruits. Raspberry liqueur and red cherry pie, with some blueberry and blackberry. Tannins have softened tremendously, this is quite soft. Alcohol is high but not in your face. To be honest, I expected more out of well-aged QC.
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5/14/2017 - mactheknife Likes this wine: 94 Points
Decanted for 4 hours; had with pasta and sausage dish; beautiful balance; tannins are in check now and while there is fruit, more secondary notes of cassis and tar. Great food wine now enjoy my remaining bottles. Thinking this is peaking now. A great wine.
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4/29/2017 - napasoutherner Likes this wine: 94 Points
Beautiful QC. Had against a Cote Rotie and a TR Brown Wine. Personally I thought the QC was the winner. Long silk finish, black fruit, nice age to the wine. Wasn't a monster but had great elegance to it.
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3/31/2017 - Vinomnivore Likes this wine: 91 Points
PNP. It improved with air. I agree with the previous review- the soft, velvet texture is a major feature. Flavors of cassis, blackberry jam with a somewhat earthy/iron finish. An elegant wine. I will revisit it tomorrow to see if it improves overtime.
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3/26/2017 - BartLayton Likes this wine: 93 Points
Phenomenally smooth - lacier than velvety, and very integrated, but likely on the tail end of its life. The acidity was a bit lacking, but the tannins have softened tremendously. The alcohol registers on the palate and nose well below what the bottle states - a 2003 Leonetti (at .4% lower alcohol) came off much hotter. The highlight was the elegance, and not the power or complexity (this sings with one voice in one chord, but not a chorus or orchestra), but this is one elegant wine.
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2/19/2017 - Quiet Lion Likes this wine: 93 Points
A little funk on the nose that blew off after a brief decant. Plenty of fruit, not much in the way of tannin or acid so I'm not sure this is a good aging wine. A bit thin on the palate although it picked up a little weight toward the end of dinner. Good $50 wine that costs $150.
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2/16/2017 - grafighter Likes this wine: 94 Points
Great with lots of air. Opulent fruit shows up after 3-4 hours of air. Still really young.
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2/3/2017 - RISM Likes this wine: 95 Points
Deep garnet colour (still). Pop and pour, and nose a bit shy at first, but a few swirls later and glass-filling floral notes emerge, followed by black fruit, cassis, crushed peppercorns, jammy, fruity, provencal herbs. Mouth-filling fruit on the palate, with plenty of grip and backbone, but not at all tannic, silky smooth and full-bodied into the so long finish. Drinking beautifully....now I see what all the fuss is about. Stellar Cab !
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12/21/2016 - jlgnml wrote: 90 Points
Decanted for an hour, deep color, blackberry, jammy, good finish. Happy to drink now.
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11/8/2016 - DoubleD1969 Likes this wine: 93 Points
Opened on election night and quickly soured as the night went on. J/K.
The wine is in a great spot. The color is vibrant. It was pop and poured on the first night, and the nose wasn't giving much. It was much better the day after and even 2 days after. It looks like it just needed some air. I got lots of cassis and raspberry liquer on the nose and on the palate with no heat or harshness. Adequate acidity to keep the wine fresh. Tannins are integrated resulting in a smooth finish. There are some sediment. I would just filter the last tenth of the bottle if the bottle has been standing for a few days.
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8/14/2016 - dsimmons wrote: 98 Points
Had this bottle with Filet Mignon at Kincaid Grill. Pop and pour. Heavenly wine. fruit, balance, complexity, depth. Just superb on very level. Certainly in prime time now.
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8/10/2016 - ephorn Likes this wine: 93 Points
Interesting nose. The fruit is ripe, the finish is only medium but the alcohol is spiking in the nose and palate. This could not hold its own against the Shafer hillside select 2001.
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7/5/2016 - CRUSHER wrote: 93 Points
good wine but a little disappointing based on dollar value and wine advocate score
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4/16/2016 - randyjc wrote: 96 Points
My son-in-law said it best. "Before I started drinking red wine, this is what I imagined red wine tasted like."
I have had dozens of Quilceda Cabernet over the years. This is the best I ever had. It is lush, deep, layered, balanced, intriguing, rewarding. What a wonderful wine. I left it open, but not decanted, for about seven hours. When I tasted it on cork removal it smelled a bit hot and a bit port-like (which I despise) and it even tasted a little port-like. But when we drank it with New York steaks it was calm, plush, dark blackberry and blueberry compote. The acids are background and structure. The wine caresses your mouth. The only flaw was just a hint of thin flavor, momentarily, on the mid-palate. Otherwise, this is a dream.
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3/25/2016 - sinebubble wrote:
Incredible that this 2001 is still so fresh. I could see this only half way through its life span. Sweet and velvety with a hint of tannin. Delicious!
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3/20/2016 - KenK Likes this wine: 93 Points
Really good, dark dry Stoney black fruits, lots of muscle and depth with nice dark chocolate flavors. Drinks much younger than vintage. Served in mag and much better on day 2 & 3. I'm impressed.
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2/27/2016 - ckinv368 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Young, earthy, plum, and blackberry. Very young. Very purple. Some leather.
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2/18/2016 - indiscriminate palate wrote: 72 Points
TTTG Blind (North by Northwest) (ER): Wow do I really dislike this. Black, Overly rich, hot, port-like but without the depth or complexity. Strange finish that reminded me of tropical Skittles and Pina Colada. A mess. I wasn't a fan of the other two Quilceda Creek Cabs served tonight, but they were at least drinkable.
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2/7/2016 - Burgundy Al wrote: 92 Points
From magnum. Plum, dark chocolate and liqueur. Great concentration and fruit, just still extremely firm and tannic in a manner that doesn't exhibit perfect harmony yet. Everything is there, but....
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2/6/2016 - Jozefs wrote: 89 Points
Tasted blind with the 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000 and 2003. All very similar and I stand by my remarks from 2014. Just not my kind of wine, but it is well made and if you like this style good for you.
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12/25/2015 - hdchappy Likes this wine:
Tasted with the 1999 and 2000. Liked the 1999 best.
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12/19/2015 - rhalbert wrote: 92 Points
Drank with O'Quins and Mom. Beautiful. Fully evolved in my opinion. No reason to wait to drink up. Solid Cabernet in a somewhat sleeper vintage. Had with gorgeous. SRF Eye of the Ribeye steaks. Yummmmm.
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12/18/2015 - wineismylife wrote: 94 Points
WIML94
Tasted non blind.
Dark garnet to purple color in the glass, clear looking throughout. Nose of violets, cassis, black berries and plums. Flavors of plums, berries and cherries. Medium acidity, medium tannin, full bodied. Drink or hold. Could use a little air still to open just a little before serving.
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12/16/2015 - davidandrose Likes this wine: 93 Points
Wine #1 on Mrs Davidandrose's 50th. While fruit-dominated this has a soft approach with cherry, thyme/rosemary on the nose. Semi-sweet chocoloate, musty earth and a dry (brief) front-palate finish. Drinking well, this is probably better paired with food than on its own, and is on the downside but well-within its drinking window. Not decanted, with the remaining (previously coravin'd) bottle followed over an hour.
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12/12/2015 - wine4ever Likes this wine: 93 Points
Has definitely improved over the last 4 years. The biggest improvement is in the complexity. There is a lot going on in this wine and the flavor profile is constantly changing (in a good way). It's in t's prime window, but I believe it will still improve at least a couple points. The only negative would be the alcohol level is still a bit noticeable, other than that, it's a very fine wine.
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11/22/2015 - WineArchitect Likes this wine: 93 Points
Earthy with dark fruit notes with very faint aromatics. Did I miss the boat on this one?
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9/28/2015 - FLI Likes this wine: 90 Points
This was disappointing on open, but after about 30 minutes in the decanter, it got good. The wine is all about the fruit on the palate. The nose was less heady than other bottlings of Quilceda I've had. Not much in the way of earthy tannic structure - seems to have integrated in. Also, it handles 14.9 alcohol pretty well. Still a bit hot, but not distractingly so. Probably not going to get better with time, but drinking well after 30 minutes of air.
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8/28/2015 - Topper wrote: 93 Points
This is very, very good wine and likely smack dab in the middle of its prime drinking window. Has a sweet blueberry, cherry nose with the same fruit flavors on the palate but held in restraint against the now manageable tannins. There is some extra dimension to this wine of cinnamon, vanilla and some gravel that take the wine to a higher level. I'd held off drinking these til just recently and am glad that I waited.
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8/17/2015 - spendergast Likes this wine: 96 Points
A dense red with loads of dark fruit and well integrated tannins - a blockbuster.
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7/13/2015 - Stirling Likes this wine: 96 Points
A stunning wine with impeccable balance. All of the things you would expect from Quilceda: blueberry, blackberry, cassis, with secondary nuances of cedar, menthol and a touch of vanilla. Full body, but the balance is so precise that it does not come across as at all heavy. Leaning slightly more to CA than BDX, it possesses elements of both. Smooth body, very complex and a long finish. This wine exudes class. Probably at or near peak, but certainly seems able to go much longer. Extraordinary. www.advinetures.ca
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6/14/2015 - xena Likes this wine: 94 Points
Open for 2 hours -- after tasting, we decided to decant for one additional hour. Served with pork ribs. Wonderful wine -- full bodied cab with smooth tannins. The terrific flavor of the wine really began to show after the extra hour of decanting. Wish I had more of this vintage. Should still be a great wine for many more years.
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4/24/2015 - Geaux Tigers Likes this wine: 92 Points
Much better than bottle 1, a progressising trichotomy. Off the open a great nose of dark fruit with a smooth non tannic finish, somewhat closed fruit on the palate but very good with a somewhat short finish, after 45 min, got a little acidic and tannic with a sharp,pepper finish with no fruit, after 75. min, smoothed out again with blueberry blackberry longer finish
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4/12/2015 - tonysmith72 wrote: 94 Points
Softened from previous tastings. An amazing big full wine.
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4/6/2015 - Geaux Tigers wrote: 91 Points
Decanted for an hour and drank over 90 min. Tannins still in full force. This a V8 powerhouse wine with lots of alcohol. Licorice, smoke and charcoal on the nose, good mix of fruit on the palate. Med to long finish. Will decant last bottle 2 hr and see if it softens at all.
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4/5/2015 - CMCLR wrote: 88 Points
Disjointed
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2/5/2015 - capacious Likes this wine: 92 Points
Given a day to breathe, showed well, albeit still in the younger half of its life, and to me, very clearly new world. Ripe with fruit, some oak, tannins well integrated, makes me wish I had the time to get to know Washington state better.
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12/5/2014 - Ronfeldman wrote: 97 Points
Decanted 2 hours. Lots of fruit left and soft tannins. Paired with roasted veal chops and was spectacular!
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11/29/2014 - Marc wrote: 90 Points
Day after BBQ (Ponsonby, Auckland, New Zealand): Rather Napa cult wine in style. High alcohol, ripe and opulent fruit - very high toned with noticeable VA. In the mouth, quite developed and very tannic. Distinct green bell pepper notes intermingle with the high toned and ripe fruit quality. It is in no way drying out but it seems clear to me that the fruit will not outlast the tannins. Powerful and concentrated, this is outstanding but is not at all in the class of the Harlan 1997, drunk the night before. The Harlan was by far the more refined, plush, complicated and less evolved wine. Excellent and very new world but not a world beater, by any stretch of the imagination.
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11/21/2014 - Night Train Likes this wine: 96 Points
Had alongside a 2007 Venge Family reserve and a 2007 Giraud "Grenache de Pierre" CdP. This was WOTN by a big margin. Still fresh and vibrant, showing no signs of age. Great nose, full body, and a killer finish. Wow!
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11/1/2014 - tooch wrote: 72 Points
HDH Auction (Tru - Chicago, IL): Not very good, at all. Dense, sappy blue fruits. This was served blind and was easily distinguished as a Washington Cabernet. I called Leonetti, but, whatever. Dense, pretty simplistic and out of balance. It's all sweetness and alcohol.
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11/1/2014 - acyso wrote: 60 Points
HDH Bordeaux Auction; 10/31/2014-11/1/2014 (Chicago, IL): "Oh my god, this is gross." Served blind, but I knew it was a cabernet. I couldn't place this as a cabernet as all (it was more grape juice than wine), though I estimated based on the age of the decaying and rotting blueberries and black cherries that this was probably around 10-15 years old. No acidity, but there's plenty of oak and residual sugar to make up for it. My initial reaction was generous, and calling this "wine" is a charitable endeavour. Certainly not fair to blind someone on a "wine" that has no sense of terroir, place, or even grape!
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10/27/2014 - grafighter Likes this wine: 94 Points
Coravin'ed small pours to 2 glasses:
1st glass - swirled and tasted. Lots of alcohol and a little funk, a little meat. Bitter, some red fruits, not much on the palate, very tannic, acidic. 89 pts.
2nd glass - swirled and left in glass for 3-4 hours. Wine opened up with wonderful cedar, blue and red fruits, charcoal, much less heat, tannins softened up, acid balanced with fruits, silky, very high quality wine. 94 pts.
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10/20/2014 - SteveHyde Likes this wine: 92 Points
Worked really well with harissa-marinated, grilled flank steak served over arugula with shallots and a dash of olive oil. Dense purple, loads of graphite and vanilla on the nose. Lots of grip in the mouth, but well balanced overall. If you like big, brawny Cabs, this one will fit your style. For me, these are an every now and then wine, not a style I go to regularly.
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10/15/2014 - chablis28 wrote: 90 Points
Decanted just prior to drinking. I could almost go this wine if only the ALC didn't induce some headiness to this wine. I think if this was sub13% it would be a lot more appealing. ALC 14.9% and it drank like it. Lots of people will love this though as it does have a lot depth if you can get past the alc.
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10/12/2014 - Night Train Likes this wine: 96 Points
Opened and decanted, but only about 30 minutes before tasting. Assertive nose - charcoal, licorice and blackberries. Blackberries on the palate, with hints of sweetness and heat. Tongue-coating viscosity, producing a 30+ second finish. Terrific wine, but I didn't quite see God, so it "only" gets a 96 rating. Amazingly, it still needs some time in the bottle before peaking.
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8/22/2014 - Mike V wrote: 96 Points
Unbelievable but still improving. Terrific dark fruit. Mineral palate. Worth the accolades bottle 7 of 14. Good to go 5-10 years no problem
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5/10/2014 - Jozefs wrote: 88 Points
Nothing wrong with this bottle, but this is just not serious wine... not if you have an European pallet. Sweet, port-like, no sense of place, fruit juice like, somewhat harsh, not profound. Tasted blind with 3 other experienced tasters, who all agreed. This is not it. The Vieux Telegraph CDP 2001 served blind in the same flight was way better. So it is not that we don't like "sweet" or "alcohol", but there should be other elements there, like terroir, complexitiy, which the Quilceda just lacks. It is an emperor without clothes. Retasted the next day with similar conclusions.
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4/27/2014 - tomlee wrote: 94 Points
Garnet in color. 14.9% ABV. Blue fruits, violets and menthol aromas explode from the glass. Rich, powerful and immensely concentrated. Blueberries, currants, cocoa, leather and cassis on the palate. Super silky tannins on the long finish. 13 years young. I'll drink my last few bottles over the next 2-4 years.
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2/23/2014 - W2WineGuy Likes this wine: 91 Points
Good wine, needed air time to really integrate as was a bit acidic at first. Decent fruit and mouth feel, medium finish. Have had better Quiceda's. Good, not great
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1/21/2014 - W2WineGuy Likes this wine: 91 Points
very well integrated, soft, smooth, solid medium finish, just not overwhelming. Drink up is my thoughts
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1/18/2014 - Mike Dildine wrote: 83 Points
Alcoholic and thin - my final of three bottles, each a disappointment.
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1/15/2014 - TexasBob Likes this wine: 92 Points
Dark purple with violet at the edges. Ripe plums and blackberries on the nose. Unctuous, silken texture. Coffee and a bit of tar with blackberries on the nose, all three of which linger into a very long finish. There is also a hint of blueberry juice at the very end of the finish. Good stuff, but nowhere near as good as the last bottle of Quilceda that I had, which I think was a 2004.
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1/7/2014 - vanpe003 wrote: 94 Points
Opened for 2 hours. On the nose, dark fruits, hints of sweet perfume against a somewhat herbal, almost funky background which gives a sense of age that I like but wasn't really expecting. On the palate, more open than I was expecting. Medium to medium heavy in comparison to the Napa cabs I've been drinking recently. Nice counterbalancing acidity. Very fine tannins are quite faint. Overall, smooth and nicely balanced.
I don't think I'd go with WA's 98 points at this point, but I was pleasantly surprised as to how approachable this is now. I was under the impression that these needed quite a bit of age to come around. Looking back, I guess none of this should've come as a surprise, as I had a similar experience with this 3 years ago. A good experiment in advance of the upcoming 2011 release.
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12/31/2013 - Amerique wrote: 94 Points
Fully mature, terrific wine, preferred wine a little more when young and fresh
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12/21/2013 - Night Train Likes this wine: 91 Points
Opened, but not decanted, about two hours before drinking. Initial impression was underwhelming. Nice nose, fairly rich, and a good finish, but it lacked fruit and/or the "Wow" factor I had expected. However, after another hour, it finally started to open up, revealing more fruit, some chocolate, and some coffee. Maybe I'll learn someday - this wine needs to be decanted!
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11/30/2013 - rdfech01 Likes this wine: 90 Points
A bit restrained, the nose had raspberry, cedar and cinnamon. The fruit followed in this style with fine tannins well integrated. Smooth but short finish. Don't believe this is going to develop any further.
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10/28/2013 - phantphant wrote: 96 Points
This was PURE silk. The nose was delightful...the wine just resonated on the palate like molten bliss. Amazing finish too.
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10/18/2013 - Mike Dildine wrote: 85 Points
More drinkable than one I tasted last week, but not great.
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10/12/2013 - Mike Dildine Does not like this wine: 85 Points
14.9% alcohol. Dark ruby red. Expressive red fruit and cocktail aromas. Some decent Cab typicity, with a nice streak of raspberry fruit, but the wine lacks the fruit concentration and/or depth to mask the alcohol. Hot on the finish.
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6/22/2013 - perlasteve wrote: 93 Points
Needs serious air/decant. Complexity and fruit comes in esp 2 day, little acid initially, tannins mild but persist. Not a long finish. Needs more time.
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5/13/2013 - rhalbert wrote: 93 Points
In a perfect place right now
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5/10/2013 - eyesnwine wrote: 91 Points
A bit too over-the-top for me but well balanced; would be interesting to retaste in 3-5 years. But no rush if you want to hold for another 10
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5/4/2013 - Liberty wrote:
It takes time to open up - 5+ hour min - but worth the wait
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4/20/2013 - cubswinws Likes this wine: 93 Points
In a nice place at present. Softer and more approachable still great mocha and cab under tones. Quite lovely at present.
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2/21/2013 - Jmanz2000 wrote: 95 Points
Fantastic wine. Very full flavor and strong lasting finish. Worth the wait.
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2/9/2013 - cubswinws wrote: 90 Points
Really one dimensional. Nice fruit but not a lot of depth or complexity. Not sure where this is headed or if it will get any better. Overall disappointing.
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1/26/2013 - wineismylife Likes this wine: 93 Points
WIML93
Tasted non blind. Opened and decanted 2 hours, double decanted for another 2 hours before serving.
Dark garnet color in the glass, clear looking throughout. Nose of talc, berries, currants, plums and flowers. Flavors of berries, cherries, raspberries and plums. Medium acidity, medium to firm tannin, full body. Drink now with plenty of air or continue to hold.
Starting to come around. The nose is attractive now and the palate is just hair short of being there. Patience should be rewarded with this wine.
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1/10/2013 - plitton wrote:
This bottle was bizarre. Upon opening, a huge mouthful of raspberries, blueberries and other young fruit. So, concentrated and rich it tasted like a late harvest bottling or even a fortified wine. So I decanted and let it sit. Five hours didn't improve it much. Over a couple of days it started to improve but it's still nowhere drinkable. The 2002 consumed a year ago was great. And I've enjoyed several other earlier QC Cab vintages. So this is unique. Hold til 2020.
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11/4/2012 - BRR wrote: 91 Points
I think this suffered from either being too young or because we foolishly drank straight away after opening. Such a dense wine, and there was that Q-Creek blueberry and crushed blackberry on the nose initially. It just never really opened - it stayed dark and brooding, and palate saturating. While very good, I think there is potential for much more.
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10/30/2012 - Christoffer78 wrote: 97 Points
A lovely massive, yet strikingly elegant effort from Quilceda Creek. The nose offers deep profound red fruits, cherries and menthol. There is a also a rather vegetative tone adjoined by led pencil to be found. Palate is integrated with silky and smooth tannins. The length on the finish is superb. The overall impression is one of classy elegance and that this effort will continue to develop for many years to come. (Compared to last time I tasted this effort there is no sign of raisins which certainly raises the score. This is true also for the other vintages tasted in the same flight.)
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10/11/2012 - dsimmons Likes this wine: 96 Points
Hard to beat
QC for consistently delivering delicious wine. Another great bottle shared with friends. Rich, complex, big fruit. Double decanted about 4 hours before.
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9/20/2012 - cabber wrote: 94 Points
Bordeaux Blends Around the World (Manhattan Beach, CA): Decanted and served. Nice fruit and balance. Big nose. Getting better and better in the glass as it opened up.
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8/24/2012 - TKendrickIV wrote: 94 Points
Classic Quilcede Creek - very well balanced with a lot of fruit. This has years left to it.
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7/19/2012 - Chris Herron wrote:
Extraordinary. Wow! The Quilceda Creek nose jumps out of the glass. Elegant but powerful aromas of perfumed spice, red fruits, hints of cedar (?), cigar box. Jazzy mouth of fruits, acid, lithe tannins, smooth. Finish lingers like a fond memory.
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7/3/2012 - cubswinws wrote: 93 Points
Drank from magnum. Nice woodsy dark fruit and soft twnnins. Appered ready to go.. Nice but expected more of a WOW wine.
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6/19/2012 - winestem wrote: 95 Points
Absolutely pure, wonderful wine. My first experience with a QC that wasn't infanticide. The finish lasted for 30 seconds and combined dark berries, black currants and a hint of smoke. Terrific, terrific wine.
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5/6/2012 - tooch wrote: 87 Points
Judgement Day - 2001 Bordeaux vs. 2001 USA Cabernet Blends (Holiday Inn Chicago North Shore - Skokie, IL): Tasted blind. This had a lot of dark fruit and woodsy tones on the nose. Much like other QC's I've had the alcohol was noticeable on the nose which was distracting. The alcohol was more integrated on the palate, but the dark fruit mixed well with some red florals and mocha. QC has never really been my style - too big, too broad shouldered and this completely fit that bill. I actually guessed this wine blind as the 2001 QC, so it ranks up there with my calling of a double-blind 2001 d'Yquem! I ranked this 9th out of 12 wines.
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4/21/2012 - mmurry Likes this wine: 94 Points
Wine, the antidote to jackasses (The Bridge of death): Spice and cigar leaf on the nose, with black fruit and chocolate, and some floral notes at the end. Rich and juicy on the pala, with tobacco and spice, black fruit on the mid-palate, and nice bittersweet chocolate finish.
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4/7/2012 - Javachip wrote: 92 Points
San Diego WineSpectator.com Offline, 4/7/2012 (Casa Red Guy, San Diego): Tasted blind. Clear deep dark garnet-purple. Fresh bouquet of minerals, charcoal, blackberries, licorice, bitter earth. A tough night for this pricey darling of the pro critics. It got no votes for 1st, 2nd, or 3rd place. It didn't seem flawed in any way, and does seem to have plenty of power lurking behind those closed doors. Let's hope it's just going through an awkward adolescent phase.
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3/18/2012 - TexasBob wrote: 95 Points
Dark, dark purple. Dark fruits, very tight, on the nose. 95. No detailed notes due to dinner party. I did remember thinking that we had killed a baby. Long, long life ahead of this one.
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3/4/2012 - TKendrickIV wrote: 94 Points
A great QC drinking at it prime - decant for half an hour plus. I would not forget to drink this in the next couple of years.
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2/28/2012 - Burgundy Al wrote: 92 Points
Dujac Dinner with Jeremy Seysses (Charlie Trotter's - Chicago IL): Plum and cassis on nose with hints of dark chocolate. Same big black fruit on palate, very dense and concentrated, still with lots of baby fat. Showing much more balance than I remember from when last tasted 4 or 5 years ago, this is drinking well now but should continue to improve for at least another 5 years.
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1/28/2012 - Share 67 wrote: 95 Points
Decanted 4 bottles for 6 hours and believe the time opened was well worth it. The nose had a lovely floral bouquet with hints of dark fruit(blueberry and balck cherry I would say). The taste was medium to full bodied and was beautifully balanced as it rolled to the back of the mouth. The grilled pork chops compimented this excellant vintage very well. Enjoy!!
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12/29/2011 - rhalbert wrote: 93 Points
Drinking beautifully right now.
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11/29/2011 - Winetex wrote: 91 Points
About the same as the last bottle but with more sediment - this bottle had more Cab Franc flavors with a balsamic note. Good but not top tier Cab Sauv (blend).
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10/9/2011 - jonphillips wrote: 91 Points
Not really my style ... but this is still young. A bit hot and still needs to calm down a bit.
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9/2/2011 - welchcellars Likes this wine: 90 Points
A very complex wine that made for some thoughtful drinking. Probably one of the most unique wines I've had the pleasure of partaking in. However, as a small contractor with a modest wine budget, I can't seem to wrap my head around the price of this wine. This wine is obviously aimed at a different cliental than the average wine drinker which is unfortunate given that I live in Snohomish Washington- about a mile from the winery. ah well..
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8/10/2011 - Wayne Richmon wrote: 94 Points
This wine needed 30 minutes of air and after that pure enjoyment. Seems mature at this point but no doubt it will be very good for years to come.
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8/5/2011 - wineismylife wrote:
Tex's 40th Birthday Party (Urbano Cafe, Dallas, Texas): WIMLNR
Tasted non blind at a wine dinner. Opened and served immediately.
Dark garnet to purple color in the glass, clear looking throughout. Tight nose giving way to some aromas of spice, berries and maybe cherries. Tight palate showing some flavors of black berries, black cherries and plums. Medium acidity, firm tannins, full bodied. Drink now with lots of air or continue to hold. No rating because not enough air or bottle age.
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8/1/2011 - cadamson wrote: 89 Points
Not showing a lot right now. A big wine, though very subdued. Right now that combination is not great as it emphasizes the 'big' aspects. Dark fruit, nice finish, almost modern California cab finish, with oaky, caramel hints. Tastes more alcoholic than it is. Yet, better than this note sounds... Will improve. Needs many years.
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7/30/2011 - Padraig wrote: 96 Points
Dinner at El Gaucho consisted of a nice filet mignon (Oscar style), with nicely prepared mushrooms. The wine was a 2001 Quilceda Creek from my cellar. Cork was perfect and after decanting, we noted a beautiful fragrance of blueberries in the immediate area. 30 minutes later, I tasted the wine expecting an excellent drink and was not disappointed. The midpallet was complex and balanced, the mouthfeel of the wine was soft and balanced. The finish was a bit short for this wine -- about 20 seconds and I wonder if the problem was me on this occasion. Quilceda pairs will with traditional cabernet driven foods and this was no exception. It still has several years of life in it and may become a bit more complex, however I believe that it is pretty well mature at this point but not on the decline. Drink and enjoy if you've got some. I suspect that it will serve us well for the next 10 years or so.
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7/8/2011 - budman wrote: 93 Points
A very well made wine, but I wouldn't call it 'classic'.
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7/6/2011 - LoireFan wrote:
A bit jammy for me.
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7/1/2011 - wine4ever wrote: 90 Points
This wine is just starting to emerge. Needs to be decanted and given some time to breath. Initially very closed, but a solid cabernet with plenty of weight, lots of blueberry and dark cherry...oak & alcohol still being integrated. Secondary characteristics are trying to surface (spices, chocolate, tobacco). Plenty of tannin and acidity. Just needs more time. Revisit in 3-4 years.
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6/19/2011 - GSW wrote: 94 Points
Our first of the 2001 vintage purchased on release. A serious, Parker-style cab. Very enjoyable.
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6/12/2011 - tooch wrote:
1990 Californian Wines & Quilceda Creek (Ruths Chris - Washington, DC): Put this into a carafe to let it breath. The nose didn't really offer up much even after 90 minutes in the decanter. The palate took some time to open up too eventually showing black fruit, warm spices, and lilacs. Hard wine for me to judge as it didn't show all that much at dinner. Should be noted that this bottle traveled from Los Angeles to Washington, D.C. a couple days before the dinner so I'm wondering if this was experiencing some sort of travel shock...
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5/28/2011 - tpspoon wrote: 88 Points
Bottle in excellent condition, just a big disappointment. If this is typical for this wine, I'm not sure what the big deal is.
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4/30/2011 - Teejay3726 wrote: 92 Points
It's not the 03, bu it was very good. An initial must on the nose, followed by a nice floral bouquet. Still has some fruit left, but it is definitely ready to drink.
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4/29/2011 - Wine_lvr wrote: 94 Points
1990 - 2007 Quilceda Creek Vertical Tasting (Work in Progress) (Switzerland): 29.04.2011
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4/29/2011 - mwanasheria wrote: 94 Points
Quilceda Creek Vertical (Zum Hirschen, Aarau, Switzerland): This was too alcoholic for me to permit a higher score, this vintage does not seem to absorb the 15% very well. But everything else was there: good fruit, notes of chocolate, spices, leather, tobacco.
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4/18/2011 - jlgnml wrote:
Flickinger Wines Ten Years After Tasting: 2001 USA Cabernets and Blends (Their store in Wilmette, IL): initial must on the nose, high alcolhol, less fruit, very scented, awesome changes in the glass, cinnammon. Ranked 8, group 10
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4/9/2011 - dsimmons Likes this wine: 94 Points
Had this for Barb's 62nd BD celebration. Double decanted 4 hours prior. Very delicious cab. Perhaps lacking some of the complexity evident in earlier bottles.
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3/28/2011 - Eric wrote: 92 Points
I keep getting less exuberant about this wine over time. It's certainly a high quality Cabernet, but there is an increasingly obvious "Late Harvest" aspect to the wine. Balsamic, chocolate, and a touch of raisin are all notes that tinge a powerful, concentrated, silky and plush Cabernet. There is no heat, but the intense ripeness is increasingly obvious. Tonight it drank quite well on its own but was rather awkward with roast chicken.
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3/12/2011 - wineismylife Likes this wine: 92 Points
WIML92+?
Tasted non blind. Opened and served immediately.
Dark garnet color in the glass, clear looking throughout. Nose of herbs du Provence, berries, plums and cherries. Flavors of black berries, black cherries and black raspberries. Medium acidity, medium to firm tannins, full bodied. Drink now with a good two to four hour decant or continue to hold. It looks like it might pick up some points as it continues to age in bottle.
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2/22/2011 - vanpe003 wrote: 95 Points
Elegant on the nose, with a distinct feminine perfume. Very alluring. Less so when mistakenly poured into the nose (the risks of sniffing wine semi-reclined!). On the palate, remarkably open when compared to my only other Quilceda ('94) which still seemed tight a year ago. While approachable, this still has a wound-up tightness. While everything is in balance, one gets the sense that it will explode on the tongue with another 5 years. My best Quilceda yet, and if this marks the "new style", I'm a fan. I'd rate 92-94 for current drinking, but I think this wine will be a classic when it comes of age. And at that point, my 95 point score could likely be viewed as conservative. Update: after 3 hours, this shuts down a bit. Still has all the right materials, but they go a bit into hiding. I'd either pop/pour and guzzle, or hold for 5 + years.
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2/20/2011 - beezer6 wrote: 93 Points
Washington Red Retrospective (Dennis' Place on Erie): Darker rustic coloring. Some sediment in the glass. Asian spice, gray pepper corns, licorice, raspberries, cinnamon, clove with some traces of earth and smoke.
Some nice red vegetation coming through with a touch of rubbing alcohol on the back end. The sun roasted tomato accents on the nose and palate were unique - very nice.
Great pure mouth feel. Good finish. Red all the way through with some savory red spice on that finish. Almost a Big Red gum quality. Old World hints here and there. Solid complete wine.
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2/20/2011 - Amerique wrote: 91 Points
This bottle seemed distinctly different from the previous one tasted. Fruit was much softer and lacked richness and complexity. Wine may have been corked. At best wine tasted much older, say at least 15 years. But there were no off putting characteristics.
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2/13/2011 - GA wrote: 95 Points
2/1 - Black fruit with dark chocolate finish - well balanced - full concentrated notes - approachable now - will likely maintain its balance for years - double decanted with aerator. 95 pts.
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1/31/2011 - Vinsant wrote: 95 Points
Fortunate to have tried the 99, 02, and 07 this year and this wine was clearly in a league of its own. Nicely balanced but firm tannins still present giving me a feeling this will age forever. Blue and black fruits, plum, currant, and light vanilla/oak. Had some leftovers the next night and the wine slightly faded but was still a pleasure to drink. My fav QC to date.
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1/15/2011 - tbullion wrote:
As good as any cab I have ever had.
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1/8/2011 - wineismylife Likes this wine: 93 Points
sprnplr visits Dallas (Urbano Cafe, Dallas, Texas): WIML93+
Tasted non blind. Opened and allowed to slow-O over several hours.
Dark garnet to purple color in the glass, clear looking throughout. Nose of camphor, currants, plums and black cherries. Flavors of black cherries, black berries and plums. Medium acidity, medium to firm tannins, medium to full bodied. Can be drank now with some air but I think I'd recommend holding another year or two before trying again.
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12/31/2010 - dsimmons Likes this wine: 95 Points
another beautiful bottle of this wine. Layers and layers of complexity. Wonderfully balanced wine with even more to offer in the future. Bravo!
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12/26/2010 - jsully75 wrote: 97 Points
Prob one of the best wines thiyear. Took a few hours decantio really open up.
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12/12/2010 - Amerique wrote: 96 Points
Delicious, rich black cherry/blackberry/blueberry fruit with vanillin, moca, cassis, and earthy flavors, superb depth and structure, took wine about one hour to open up and then it exploded out of the class, extraordinary wine
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10/10/2010 - dsimmons Likes this wine: 98 Points
This wine is amazing. Opened and decanted for 4 hours. Tasted on opening and the aromatics and flavors were amazing. I think in the future I will shorten the decant on this wine to 1 hour. The color on this wine is inky garnet, maybe a slight cloudiness. The nose on this wine is immense. The nose is almost succulent with cherry, blueberry, and a potpourri of spice. The aroma alone is addictive and distinguishes this wine, drawing you into the flavors. Intense, rich and flavorful; beautiful balance. Soft and delicate tannin with loads of concentrated dark fruit and spice with a lingering finish. Absolutely delicious. Quilceda Creek continues to amaze me with every bottle I drink. Bravo!!
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9/27/2010 - DougLee wrote: 93 Points
Decanted for 90 minutes. Still a dark purple. Beautiful majestic nose of raspberry, red currants, leather, licorice, cedar. Sets up a real presence on the palate with layers of black raspberry fruit, plum, black currant, sage, and cinnamon. Authoritative structure counterpointed by equally delineated fruit, wtih tannins filed off and low to moderate acidity present. Very long, nuanced finish echoing dark berry fruit and sage notes. Although young, already developing complexity and showing very well with a short decant.
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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 is a little tight right now giving way to aromas of berries, plums, rose petals and white pepper. Flavors of black cherries, black berries, plums, a little boysenberry and a bit of bitters on the medium to long finish. Medium acidity, medium to firm tannins, full bodied. Drink now with some air time or continue to hold. 92-93.
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9/8/2010 - Margauxguy wrote: 93 Points
Initially cool and menthol in the nose and mouth, seemed tight, but reasonably good fruit. As it warmed, it opened up and had balckberry and plum to go with deep dark coloring. While it seemed young, I am usnure of it's aging potential, as it was a touch short and lacking complexity. Did not seem to be developing the secondary characteristics and complexity that I love in bordeaux, and was expecting given Parkers hype
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9/5/2010 - Harry Cantrell wrote: 93 Points
Deep garnet. Nose was black licorice and blackberry jam. initially weird. But with time in the glass is mellowed out a bit with menthol, licorice and blackberries. Taste was exactly as the nose promised. Very good, but perhaps a little on the young side.
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8/9/2010 - Winetex wrote: 91 Points
Dark purple, slightly cloudy from considerable sediment; Lots has been said on this wine so in short the overt fruit is probably on the way out with this wine but the integration is improving. In all a good wine with noticeable alcohol on the finish. This year is probably the last of the "older" less over-the-top Quilceda style. It was a stunner on release with great fruit and structure but its future is a question for me - it will change but improve?? I recommend standing this up and decanting before serving which was not done with this bottle.
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7/19/2010 - phenricsson wrote: 93 Points
Very good wine but a bit tough and clunky.
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7/5/2010 - Wiltse Likes this wine: 92 Points
This wine seems a bit understated compared to other vintages of QC, especially 2002 and 2003. Rich dark berry flavors nicely balanced with remaining tannin.
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6/12/2010 - Mike Bates Likes this wine: 96 Points
Dark purple color. Incredibly rich nose with dark chocolate, black cherry and cassis coming through beautifully. Well balanced with some nice minerality on the palate which adds complexity. Long finish A great example of Washington cabernet!
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5/20/2010 - phantphant wrote: 91 Points
Very supple and delicious. Not as much earth intensity as I've experienced with other QC cabs. Perhaps it's too early?
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4/28/2010 - Alex G. wrote:
Pleasantly surprised by the reasonable balance of this wine -- many of the QC's I've tasted over the past several years have been alcoholic, jammy messes. There is still a touch too much oak, but it's not overwhelming and I suspect it's going to integrate as the palate is quite rich with notes of chocolate and blueberry. Decanted this for 90 minutes, next time I'll decant longer and would expect an even better showing. There's hope yet for Quilceda Creek.
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4/5/2010 - Tel007 wrote:
Coffee, vanilla, smoke. This is smooth, no noticable tannin. Drinking beautifully. Unreal nose. Not as oaky as most napa cabs.
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3/22/2010 - MarkC wrote: 91 Points
I sooooo want to like these more than I do, but I don't. Lots of pencil lead, creosote, some blue/black berry hidden behind the other aromas and flavors. This showed a lot of alcohol (tasted way higher than 14.9%). Tannins are integrating, but this has a lot of life left, although not sure it will ever provide me all that much pleasure. (PE: 89)
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3/14/2010 - eeeeeradicator wrote: 97 Points
Uhhh... I am somewhat dumbstruck by this astonishing wine. The first whiff is all cigar, but two or three seconds of contemplation brings black cherry, raspberry, charred meat, and a little vanilla. Really all-around delicious after a couple hours' decant.
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2/15/2010 - johnecase wrote: 91 Points
Decanted for about 30 mins before eating with dinner. Definitely a young wine, but harsher and rougher than i would expect. I have had multiple 1999 and 2000 Quilcedas that seemed more balanced. Tannic, certainly, but hopefully that will resolve over the next 3-5 years. Still, a delicious wine. Drunk side by side with 1997 Leonetti that was much more balanced and refined.
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2/12/2010 - winefool wrote: 95 Points
Wineflock - Quilceda Creek Intro/Retro (Home): Group #5, My #2 - Full deep red with slight lightening. Full dusty clean black fruit with spice hints on the nose - nice. Mmmn, nice electric spicy black fruit on the palate. Still young but balanced and complex. Good omen for the younger wines.
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2/11/2010 - patwjr wrote: 94 Points
Pop'd & pour'd over 3 hours. Still young & slow to open. Rough initial nose, though kept changing throughout the night. For some it was the WOTN, others ranked it lower. Needs time, greater potential if you wait.
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12/31/2009 - Redwonk wrote: 92 Points
Very tight on opening... double decanted and back into the cellar for 6 hours...
decanted again about an hour before dinner... a touch of heat on the nose, touch of plums and and black berries to the taste but balanced delivery. From other notes I had been expecting a more fruit forward bottle. I wonder if this has early oxidation in the bottle?
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12/29/2009 - Dr. Pato wrote: 95 Points
Little aeration needed. Heavy sediment. Very pleasurable.
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12/26/2009 - thebonnydooner wrote: 93 Points
Day 2 for this wine and I'm starting to get a little of the "burnt" note that other tasters have spotted. On Day 1 this was very primary - loads of well balanced and concentrated fruit, but lacking a little extra to merit a high 90 point score. Day 2 still showing the really polished and well balanced structure of this wine - crunchy ripe blackcurrant and blackcherrry fruit with juicy acidity. Softr and dry tannins. Maybe some dark chocolate hints but mainly ripe fruit. Really nice.
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12/24/2009 - tbabes wrote: 95 Points
We drank this beauty on Christmas Eve; a perfect pairing with the Flannery rib cap. A youthful purple color, with a relatively primary -- but impressive -- bouquet of blackberry, cassis, plum and a hint of smoke. Medium to full bodied, with great concentration of flavor( but no heaviness), firm structure, impressive depth and a long and powerful finish. Still has some tannin to shed, and I think this wine should continue to improve over the next five to ten years. Significantly better than a previous bottle drank this summer.
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12/19/2009 - A&C wrote: 94 Points
Wow!! Was this ever good. Patience has been rewarded. Great fruit -- soft, silky, and plum-like. I really enjoyed this wine, as did our guests.
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12/18/2009 - ChillyWino wrote: 91 Points
Popped, poured and drank over the course of 2-3 hours. Deep purple in color. Cherry, blueberry, spice, and flowers on the nose with hints of cocoa and anise. All follows through with a rich velvety feel and seamless finish. However it did seem a bit hollow at points and I wonder if that just means it needs more time to show it's stuff? An outstanding wine though with what seems like a lot of life left.
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10/14/2009 - Tad GW wrote: 95 Points
Drank this after a couple of bottles of the 1996. This one was clearly better and quite young. However it showed well after being quickly decanted and served shortly after the bottle had been opened. Great structure and full body. The bouquet had incense mingling with plums and cocoa scents. Nice acidity and a flavour profile that is reminiscent of ripe and sour plums, blackberries and licorice. Sexy in a hedonistic sort of way.
50+5+13+18+9=95
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10/13/2009 - qhdeputy wrote: 95 Points
Very velvety. Notes of blueberry and velvet. Better than the last bottle I had about a year ago.
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10/6/2009 - Mike V wrote: 95 Points
Wow I love this wine. Dark purple. clean nose unbelievable fruit thick and dark.
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10/3/2009 - Frank Murray III wrote:
The OC Bagged Crew--October 2009 (Sun Dried Tomato Cafe, San Juan Capistrano, CA): Graphite, dark fruit, chocolate, mocha, plum, currant and herb. Tight and young, I kept thinking Switchback Ridge cab but was very surprised to see the bottle revealed with a 2001 vintage. This wine still seems young, somewhat primary and loaded. There is a life ahead for this wine to live, to allow the youth to settle in.
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10/3/2009 - WetRock wrote:
The Blind Crew at Sundried Tomatoe Cafe (Sundried Tomatoe Cafe, San Juan Capistrano): Very tight overall. Touch of heat and rubber with strong grip but really nothing to talk about as it pretty much seemed wrapped up. There was a bit of spicey Cab coming alive on the nose after about a half hour straight of swirling. Decant or leave alone for a few more years.
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9/9/2009 - Employee500 wrote: 89 Points
This was relatively undrinkable upon opening....disjointed, bitter, and primarily burnt oak showing. I "re-canted" my glass (so only about 2 oz was missing from the bottle) and retried on night 2 (also only 2 oz pour), when I found significant improvement, but still not something I wanted to drink. Night 3 is signifcantly improved again, and now it's actually a quite nice Cab, with defined fruit showing through the oak, some of the burnt/toasty element gone, and though still not what I would consider a highly "drinkable" wine. Blueberry and bing cherries, and sort of an exotic sandalwood-cinnamon component. Again, a dramatic improvement from the 80-ish points I would have given on night one.....Interesting for me to see this kind of dramatic improvement over a timeframe that would ravage the fruit of most wines (but which this wine really needed).
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8/21/2009 - ews3 wrote: 91 Points
Cabernet Tasting at Chez Bonner (Annapolis): bright plummy fruit
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7/10/2009 - tbabes wrote: 89 Points
F me; when I saw this wine on the table, I couldn't believe our good fortune -- what generosity -- but in reality, this was a disappointment, and a far cry from the '98 I had a few months ago. An opaque purple color, with primary aromas of blueberry syrup and licorice. Full bodied on the palate, with a thick texture -- nothing feminine about this brute. Very concentrated, with noticeable alcohol,firm tannins, and a slightly closed finish. I don't know where this wine is going -- my first experience with the '01 and I have a bottle in the cellar -- but I don't see how it will ever reach the heights of the '97 or '98, which seemed to come from a different winery alltogether.
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6/21/2009 - gondrik wrote: 95 Points
There are hints of what may be greatness to come, but I had a hard time understanding this wine or finding the qualities that have been touted by RP and company. Does this need ten more years? Good fruit, full body yet light, very present alcohol taste. Drank after 2.5 hour decant.
In 2009 I gave this an 89. By 2017 this wine has significantly transformed from a light weight to an intense Left Bank Bordeaux.
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6/6/2009 - DrSpalding wrote: 92 Points
I was a little disappointed in this; perhaps it is in a down phase. I actually enjoyed the 1999 we had as well a bit more.
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5/9/2009 - A&C wrote: 91 Points
Here is the puzzle: this is either incredibly shut down and in a dumb downed and closed up stage, or it is over-rated. This had a slightly nice nose, and a slight complexity, but all-in-all, it was simply ok. I kept apologizing and telling people, yes, it is in fact rather ordinary.
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4/14/2009 - ikkaariainen wrote: 95 Points
Another wow wine - greatly enjoyed this 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. Huge bouquet of balanced oak, red cherry, smoke and herbs. Inky black, very well balanced, very full bodied and complex with enough tannins and structure in place for many years of cellaring. Primary flavors included well balanced oak, dark fruit, some underlying mint, licorice, black currants with development of smoke and black pepper on a long aftertaste. Simply great, highly recommend this.
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3/11/2009 - mwhitmoe wrote: 98 Points
Wow. I was looking for a special bottle to open with dinner before my wife took a trip to Japan (the first time we were going to be apart since getting married). Decanted this for about 2 hours. When first opened I took a small sip and the wine was surprisingly approachable, if a bit hot. But after the full two hours the wine was sublime. Rich ruby color with purple hues. Glorious nose - blueberry, blackberry and spice. Silky and medium to heavy body. Raspberry, black fruits and cocoa explodes on the palate. Huge and impressive fruit. But balanced by solid acidity. Great structure and complexity. Pleasantly, all of the heat had gone away after decanting. Bottles like this make clear why Quilceda Creek is THE cult wine in Washington (no offense to Cayuse). Extraordinary!
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2/13/2009 - phantphant wrote: 97 Points
THis was nectar. The fruit popped from the first taste and the finish was extraordinary...with chocolate overtones permeating the senses.
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2/7/2009 - Siggy wrote:
Tasting Group Dinner - West Coast Cabernet (Dave McMahon's House, Minneapolis): This bottle was in a bit of a strange state, and may have been a bit shut down or affected by low-level TCA. Signature Quilceda blueberry nose. The palate is soft and ripe, showing simple blackberry fruit and earthy flavors. Creamy, almost lactic texture. Flat midpalate and finish. Judgment reserved.
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2/7/2009 - Mattshank wrote: 91 Points
Domestic Cab Tasting at the Dave M Condo: Nose: Dark, earthy nose with white pepper and leather hints. Palate: Very spicy with the dark fruit coming through. Good acid levels. This wine is still very primary and over time I could easily see it score 93+. All the components are there. My first Quilceda Creek. Thanks Dave.
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1/9/2009 - 9 and 3/4 wrote: 95 Points
Great tasting, velvety, fruit, smooth tannin, vigorous, long finish, leaves you wanting more! Still will smooth out with age.
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1/2/2009 - wineismylife wrote: 94 Points
WIML94,PURPLE93
Tasted January 2, 2009.
Opened and decanted about 90 minutes before serving. Followed over a total of 5 hours. Purple color in the glass, opaque looking. Nose of sandlewood, currants, plums, black berries and potpourri. Flavors of plums, currants and berries. Medium acidity, medium to firm tannins, full bodied. Slightly elevated alcohol on the palate. Probably should be held but I'll revisited again later this year. Nose and palate never varied over the entire 5 hour period. If I was rating this wine on the nose alone it would be a WIML95+ but based on the palate at the current moment at best it would be in the lower 90s so I'll stick with my previous rating of WIML94 and presume it'll hold true with more time in bottle, perhaps even improve.
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12/27/2008 - WST wrote: 90 Points
Tasted in London. Very young, presently exhibiting distracting oak and alcohol. Dense blackberry and blueberry more prominent on the palate than the nose. A bit too massive for most food matches.
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11/29/2008 - NW Winehawk wrote: 94 Points
Tasted blind against four other wines
Wine #1 - Nose of cherry and spice with a touch of true cinnamon. Cherry with smooth well integrated tannins and bright acidity. This wine has a 30 second plus finish with a touch of raisin and hint of metal on the finish.
My rating = 4th place / 94 pts
Group rating = 2nd place (tie) / 13pts (2+1+4+4+2)
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11/15/2008 - Harry Cantrell wrote: 94 Points
deep garnet. Nose was a sweet mix of blackberries, blueberries and spice, clove. Taste was a barrel sample of a rich full Cab with noticable tannins. Very Good but only hints at a great future. Don't try again for 5 years+.
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10/11/2008 - gotapex wrote: 90 Points
A bit one dimensional; didn't stand out. Dark fruit, a bit of wood, and noticable sweetness. Drank over 4 days, did not improve. Be sure to drink under 65 degrees F, because as it warms pass this point, the alcohol becomes very very noticable, even for someone that likes many high alcohol wines.
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8/26/2008 - zgray wrote: 97 Points
This bottle was opened at Charlie Trotter's 21st Anniversary dinner. It was opened and decanted for more than an hour before drinking. It was a hit and had to follow a lot of outstanding wines. I will continue to stock up on this outstanding wine and winery.
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8/10/2008 - medpres wrote: 80 Points
a dissapointment, medicine, herbal taste , could be a bad bottle.
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6/28/2008 - zimmy07 wrote: 92 Points
Blind at Zimmer's (Lewis Center Ohio): picked this one out immediately. Massive ripe, rich, overly sweet fruit. Too overly sweet was the problem. Almost borderline cotton candy. Has a silk like texture and the oak was perfectly integrated. Really a seamless wine that would have scored big points if the fruit was toned down a bit, just overly sweet unfortunately. Finished 4th, but had a number one vote
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6/15/2008 - TomH wrote: 95 Points
Massive improvement from two years ago - alcohol integrated, much better balance. Still, one can see the direction this is going in. Wait at least a year more.
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5/3/2008 - Rob A wrote: 95 Points
Opened wine with trepidation based on so many comments about sitting on QC for 10+ years and the raging debates of QC lovers and haters. Would a highly rated QC live up to the hype with only mid-level maturity? Far exceeded expectations. Stunning wine. Everyone at table (mostly non-snobs) commented on the elegance and balance of the wine. Surprising considering the alcohol level (which showed up on opening, but integrated nicely w/ 2+ hours decanting.) and reputation of QC. Furthermore, this wine paired beautifully with dinner and did not come across as heavy bruiser of an 'event wine' better consumed on its own.
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4/6/2008 - E wrote:
A bit hot until it opened up a bit in the decanter...no issues with oak or tannin...seems lighter and more supple (less of a fruit monster) than prior tastes
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2/24/2008 - ChefAK47 wrote: 93 Points
OPEN UP AHEAD OF TIME
I let it open a little more than the last time and was worth it
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2/8/2008 - etherscreen wrote: flawed
corked
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1/27/2008 - dsimmons wrote: 98 Points
Vertical tasting of Quilceda Creek (1999-2004): Again right behind the front runners and only by a half step. Just wonderful balance and the stuff to go for some time to come
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1/20/2008 - petitblanc wrote: 89 Points
Cherry cough syrup, eucalyptus, a touch of wood. Quite hot and alcoholic, one-dimensional jammy fruit. Some secondary development could improve this over time, but the alcohol is likely to dominate.
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1/18/2008 - simba-mk@cox.net wrote: 92 Points
Decant at least 2 hrs ahead next time
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1/9/2008 - mattiasjansson wrote: 86 Points
Backstreet - Oregon and Washington (Backstreet Wine Salon, Phoenix, AZ): Anise. Syrupy. Big/concentrated and tannic.
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1/9/2008 - kstoddard wrote:
eRobert Parker Offline - Washington and Oregon (Backstreet Wine Salon, Phoenix): Decanted for three hours prior to serving. Cherry cough syrup. Very alcoholic.
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1/7/2008 - jivey wrote: 87 Points
Anise, Dark fruit, soft dusty tannins.
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1/1/2008 - astrauss wrote: 95 Points
Bottle was delicious. Decanted in the cellar for an hour or two before consuming. Pure fruit. Long smooth finish. Red and dark red fruits dominate with some slight secondary elements begining to show.
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12/24/2007 - snaff wrote: 93 Points
Wonderful balance. Complex blackberry, blueberry and chocolaty notes. A fabulous cabernet, although perhaps not a great QPR.
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11/23/2007 - mactheknife wrote: 94 Points
94 Pts; Big wine and needs more time to smooth out, but what potential. I think it will add a few points in about 3-5 years
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11/16/2007 - Tad GW wrote:
Not nearly as approachable as the 2000 that I had a few weeks ago. The tannic structure promises the wine will last for years but also that it will need to mature to be more enjoyable. Drunk in a restaurant with only a half hour to an hour in a decanter it never really opened up to give up its bouquet and tastes as I had hoped it would. Clearly an excellent wine is lurking beneath the tannic structure and giving it a rating based on the less than ideal treatment of this wine would do it an injustice.
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8/24/2007 - ChefAK47 wrote: 90 Points
Completely different from the first bottle that i drank. This one had no major flavors of fennel or anise, instead had much more dark fruit attributes. Also high tannin and finished strong. Ate with a meatball pizza and chevre cheese!!!
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8/11/2007 - ChefAK47 wrote: 89 Points
Very strong for a washington cab, huge scents of fennel and anise, chocolate, tobacco. finishes very smooth and robust
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7/15/2007 - MarkC wrote: 88 Points
Well, this continues to be a very consistent wine. Not bad by any stretch, but it just doesn't wow me. Coffee and some berry on the nose, a somewhat muted palate showing red and black berries, decent backbone, a very soft mouthfeel, and surprisingly restrained tannins given the age. This is good wine, but I feel like I must be drinking something totally different than the folks giving it a score in the high 90s.
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7/12/2007 - Bunski wrote: 93 Points
Did not decant. Closed and tannic at first with subdued fruit. Opened up to display blackberries and currant. Smooth and very rich later during dinner. Very nice!
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4/25/2007 - thebonnydooner wrote: 95 Points
Dinner at Pomegranete: This was singing - no decanting just popped and poured. Really good straight out of the bottle, lots of interesting cabernet fruit, some sweet cassis, some berry, lovely refined, smooth palate, soft tannins, juicy acidity, great length of flavour. I would have no hesitation in opening one of my now.
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4/21/2007 - J @ y H @ c k wrote: 92 Points
Not yet ready to drink but still an outstanding wine. Intense with a lot of fruit and terroir but hard to distinguish what's there because of the tannic component and astringency from opening it too early. This could easily get a few more points as it gets older.
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4/20/2007 - Diane (LI) wrote:
Milk chocolaty with huge tannins. Acidity at first opening dissipated after a couple of hours. Great structure for future enjoyment.
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4/15/2007 - WST wrote: 90 Points
We drank this bottle over 4 days, running the course of micro-oxygenation to macro-oxygenation. Beautiful aromas with dark berries and blueberries, moderate oaky vanilla, lots of heat. Intense alcohol on the nose didn't blow off until the 4th day. Everyone else rated it 95+. A bit too massive, oaky, and alcoholic for my tastes.
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4/14/2007 - winefool wrote: 93 Points
Cali Cabs w/Bryans Steaks (The Shaffers): Opaque black purple. Bright black fruit nose with huge tannin black fruit on the palate. Opening up, though slowly...
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4/14/2007 - Nanda wrote: 94 Points
High-end Cali Cabs with Bryan's Steaks (The Shaffer's): Effusive nose. Big, dense palate has rich, sweet fruits and firm tannic structure. Broad and long.
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4/1/2007 - jeff nowak wrote:
i never seem to be drinking QC at the right moment. closed, shut down, off bottle, heat damaged, not decanted enough...whatever, you think i would get lucky once and drink this wine in supposed tune. but, matter of factly, i think it is just time for me to give up on QC. this was...not very good. and like it or not, and agree or not, a good wine should at least have SOMETHING going for it at age six. this has nothing.
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3/31/2007 - kstoddard wrote:
G7 (Alex): Charred oak. Reductive. Bitter and alcoholic. Devoid of any fruit. Absolutely awful. 14.9% alcohol.
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2/20/2007 - Burgundy Al wrote:
So much great stuff here, but this is on the monstrous side for me. Easily 90+ point potential if/as this harmonizes and softens, but not enjoyable for me at all right now.
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1/3/2007 - TomH wrote:
Started out as pure alcohol with zero fruit. After four hours in a decanter it started to flesh out considerably. Hold for three more years, minimum. Judgement deferred.
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12/24/2006 - jim dixon wrote: 92 Points
A bit of mint and forest floor on the nose; on the palate chocolate/mocha and (first and foremost) gobs of fruit that prevent the oak from seeming like overkill. Long finish. Low acidity. Excellent wine, though it would be better if the alcohol didn't manifest as heat.
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12/9/2006 - Employee500 wrote: 85 Points
What the hell? To me this is indistinguishable from an overly roasted/toasty bottle of Columbia Crest Reserve Red or even a Walter Clore Reserve Merlot. I don't understand how anyone would find this an exceptional wine...Is it just closed? I don't know, but with so many great wines in the world, who has the time to mess with this stuff?
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12/1/2006 - 3daywinereview.com wrote: 95 Points
Quilceda Creek Vertical (Michael's House, St. Louis Park): Outstanding wine and singing tonight with dark cherries, plum, stone, spices and floral notes. Long and concentrated finish. Should age for 20 years.
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12/1/2006 - burcusabrews wrote: 96 Points
Quilceda Creek Vertical 1990-2003 (My house): My WOTN! Plush with a super balance. The wine just exploded with italian meats, brine and perfectly ripe cherries. Just absolutely plush and velvety in the mouth with mocha and a roundness that was not seen in any of the other wines with the possible exception of the Pedestal.
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11/25/2006 - lorenzo wrote: flawed
Blind Cabs with Friends and Family: Decanted 6-8 hours and Tasted Blind. Oh NO! Clearly Corked. Although some waded through the mess to say there was underlying quality. Upon reveal... lots of moaning.
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10/9/2006 - cct wrote: 94 Points
Opened earlier in the day.
Large and full bodied in all aspects. Wonderfully held together. Graphite and cassis, dark blackberries, and great texture. A long lovely finish. 94pts
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9/26/2006 - last chance wrote: 93 Points
Did not decant this wine. After pouring, the initial flavors were pineapple and anise. After a couple minutes, the flavors turned to mocha, coffee, and dark fruits. After 1 1/2 hours, this wine really mellowed and opened up. Enjoyed it very much.
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9/21/2006 - SacredCow wrote: 94 Points
Decanted 11 hours before tasting blind. On the nose, blueberries in spades, blackberries and maybe a hint of chocolate and tobacco. On the palate, silky and smooth with slightly elevated acidity, with more black fruits than blue, and a very long, spicy, tannic finish.
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9/21/2006 - KellyW wrote: 95 Points
Gorgeous nose, very floral. Packed with chocolate and black fruits. A massive wine.
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8/27/2006 - davidandrose wrote: 92 Points
Decanted and allowed to sit for 5 hours. Nice nose and mouthfeel, but as one of many bottles, no detailed notes taken. When put side-by-side with an Ehlers Cab Franc and tasted blind, 3 of 4 incorrectly guessed the CF as the QC; indicator of a solid CF on the part of Ehlers, and the strong fruit-forward nature of the young QC.
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7/20/2006 - MNP wrote: 93 Points
notes of bluberries,blackberries,dark chocolate. Bottle needs time to develop the huge componants.
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7/20/2006 - Nanda wrote: 94 Points
Thinkin' About a 10 Vintage Quilceda Creek Vertical ('89 to '03) (Think Cafe - Chicago, IL): Very giving nose of black fruits, tobacco leaf and anise. The palate is silky and smooth. Black fruits with a nice green streak. Surprisingly integrated and together.
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5/11/2006 - thebonnydooner wrote: 90 Points
First QC. Had at USG. Seemed somewhat "hot" on opening, not very well integrated. Had a lot of nice blueberry and blackberry fruit on the nose and palate, but stil seemed a little disjointed. There was a little heat on the finish as well. This was not decanted and was a little too warm, so I didn't think it had a chance to show its best, but owning the 2001, 2002 and 2003, I was a little dissapointed.
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5/8/2006 - phenricsson wrote: 94 Points
Big, powerful with lots of black currants and violets. Quite tannic. Long good aftertaste. 94p.
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3/21/2006 - E wrote: 97 Points
Infanticide? Maybe. But when faced with my first opportunity to try a q creek at a reasonable 135 tariff at a restaurant, I had to bite. I had been talked out of this wine and into a dalle valle 3 months ago at another florida restaurant with very disappointing results. This was young but none of that tobacco and hefty tannins I associate with such a young cab. Yes, its one of the reasons I like the syrahs and pinots, as they tend to be much more approachable early on. I guess I'm impatient.
This did not disappoint. Floral, dark ripe fruit. Took half a bottle home from Criolla's to try tomorrow, so looking forward to posting additional notes. Ironically, this restaurant had the dalle valle that dissappointed earlier....at half the price. What a solid list, certainly deservind of their WIne Spectator recognition.
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3/13/2006 - EBoyer wrote: 94 Points
Surprisingly open and drinking well -though it will be better in a few years.
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1/26/2006 - MarkC wrote: 89 Points
Drank this alongside an '03 Foley Claret, which ended up being a terrible match due to the Foley being so big and muscular that the QC tasted like plonk Merlot by comparison. That said, this isn't bad, but not what I was expecting. I wonder if it might be closing down, or in a semi-closed stage. The nose didn't give up much at all. After 3.5 hours, there was a faint aroma of dark fruits and a bit of spice, but the nose never really came around. On the palate it was fairly well-balanced, but just not enough of what I normally expect from QC. Velvety texture, with fine tannins, it was a big more elegant - a word I've never associated with QC before. The roasted strawberry fruits and hints of coffee and chocolate were very good, but the finish was a bit short. Score is based on this bottle (maybe a touch off?) on this night.
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1/20/2006 - Blair Curtis wrote: 96 Points
Qulceda Creek Vertical w/ Alex Golitzin (Vancouver Museum): Oh boy, are we ever back on track with this one. Great, classic, soaring, huge nose with violets galore! A very similar flavour profile to the 2000, but this has all the components that wine lacks - especially a structural backbone to create a sensational texture and mouthfeel. This wine is coming together really well and is infinaitely better than the last sample I had of this vintage. This was my wine of the night. A 96+++.
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1/14/2006 - winefool wrote: 93 Points
CFTG Quilceda Creek Vertical (Glen's): Deep opaque black purple. Nice clean round black fruit bright nose. Rich chocolate black cherry fruit on the palate. Nice but tight.
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1/14/2006 - GlenD wrote: 94 Points
Quilceda Creek 1996-2002 vertical (Chicago suburbs): Now we're talking. Violets and concentrated dark red cherry. Started soft but gained depth. Really started to kick in by the end of the night. Our host was kind enough to let me take home the bottle with maybe 6 ounces in it. It was holding strong and better in some ways the next day. Great length with layers of dark red fruits.
On the day of our dinner, I poured into the decanter about 1:30 pm and gave it an hour. I poured it back into the bottle and left it uncorked for another 2 hours. Recorked the bottle and left for dinner. Took the cork out around 6:30. We started pouring these around 8:30 or so? Could have used more air time. Great upside potential.
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9/10/2005 - jmd60611 wrote: 95 Points
Very different cab than what I've been drinking lately...Very smokey, fresh fruit on the nose, with a woodsy to butter delivery on the tongue...This wine was lush and delicious and worth chasing bottles for later consumption, maybe 5 years to 10
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6/11/2005 - keithgg wrote: 99 Points
Fabulous! Best red wine I have drunk this year. Matched the bottle I opened about a year ago.
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5/21/2005 - Eric wrote: 94 Points
The Mother of All Cult-Cab Tastings 2001 (TMOACCT) (Seattle, WA): A very Pride-like nose with lots of notes of sweet wood and brown sugar then followed by big notes of blueberry and blackberry. Mmm, this has a big, sweeping attack with surprising freshness. The finish is spicy and surprisingly well integrated. In hindsight, once the bag was removed it seemed obvious that the wood-notes are dominating this wine right now.
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2/13/2005 - Dteng wrote: 92 Points
Tasted over a one week period. This monstrous wine is dark and brooding. Mostly oak and tannin on the first 2 days. Day 3-5 showed promise with dashes of dark fruits and mint, teasing with just enough materials to make you beg for more. Incredible structure. Days 6-7 showed little more, but overall not the most enjoyable at this time. Shame to open any more - will wait minimum 5 years to try again.
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2/12/2005 - Blair Curtis wrote: 82 Points
The STG and Me take on 2001 Bordeaux (Susan's House, Seattle, WA): As a ringer in this 2001 Bordeaux tasting, this wine failed. It stood out quite badly and was not flattered by the company. At first, the nose was holding back. (Later the nose opened some and Roy called "butterscotch", which was right.) Surmature, raisiny palate with both cola and root beer. Brown sugar too. Just too sweet. Hot on the finish. Not good. Called this ringer as not Bordeaux in a second.
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2/12/2005 - Jason wrote: 90 Points
STG Does 2001 Bordeaux (Susan's house): This was obviously not Bordeaux. The nose had some touchs of VA and a bit of heat. I also found bacon and mocha. The palate also had some heat on the finish. I also got baking spices and sweet dark fruit. Each time I have had this wine since launch I have liked it less. I hope it is completely closed down. I would not open another one of these for a decade.
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11/26/2004 - La Cave d'Argent wrote: 91 Points
Tasted in double-blind fashion at Vintage Wines, Ltd. Bottle provided by Rob Norberg. Bright disc. Opaque black robe with purple rim. Clean, moderately intense nose, showing smoke, cassis, cedar, vanilla and oak aromas. Full-bodied on the palate, with low-to-medium acidity, big dry tannins and similar flavors as for the nose. Long, somewhat tannic finish. Needs time to fully strut its stuff.
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11/4/2004 - Jason Konvicka wrote: 95 Points
Tried this wine with a char-grilled steak. I decanted, but only for 45 minutes to 1 hour. The wine was very elegant and clearly has huge potential, thus the 95 score. However, it was very, very closed. I recommend at least 2 hours of decanting at this point. This is going to be a wonderful wine with additional age.
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8/2/2004 - Winetex wrote: 94 Points
1 glass on 7/1/04. Decanted over two hours. Lots has been said so I will say this is gorgeous wine. Close to my "Wine of the Month" for July 2004. Had another quick taste from a different, undecanted bottle and the wine was very tight.
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6/28/2004 - Eric wrote: 94 Points
Served with grilled ribeye marinated in maple and red pepper flakes. The aromatics were initially very restrained, but with a couple of hours the blueberry, violet, and char emerged. The palate is very powerful and extremely tannic with a nuclear blast of raspberry and a hint of bitter espresso. This wine is very tight right now and really does need a decade to unwind.
DAY 2: Much more classic Quilceda with floral and raspberry aromatics. The palate is still extremely structured and compact with laser focus. Some mild notes of caramel show a hint of wood, but the palate is silky and delicious. There is a clear element of bittersweet chocolate on the palate that I love. It really gives an element of contrast to the wine.
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6/8/2004 - JasonD wrote: 94 Points
Drank this bottle at Chelan. Decanted for 5 hours, this is a wonderful wine that has amazing potential. Over and hour in the glass this wine was still evolving, Chocolate, Chocolate and more Chocolate on the nose. Dark brooding fruit with a long finish. Still needs years, but will be more balanced than any quilceda. Jill rates a 90. PS No yeast or chedar as Jason G notes in this bottle
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6/8/2004 - Jason wrote: 95 Points
This is my third tasting of this wine, and I have now had 3 different experiences. The first time was extremely tight but expressive, the 2nd was nearly completely closed. This time the nose has a distinct yeasty, cheddar cheese element to it. I was convinced that we were tasting the barrel sample of the 2002. I was shocked that this was the 01. Despite the strange nose, I loved the palate. It showed sweet, pure, lush blackberries and char. It seems to lack the perfect balance of the 02, but with some time (assuming the nose improves) this will be a winning. I plan on opening another bottle of my 01 to see if I just missed the cheddar cheese or if this was a nonrepresentative bottle.
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6/4/2004 - secession wrote: 93 Points
It's possible that this bottle (my first) was a bit cooked, as the cork was protruding a bit (my fault -- a brief storage lapse). Still, the wine was very expressive aromatically, with plenty of Chambord, smoke, earth, and a distinct overlay of....fresh-picked corn! I kept smelling and smelling, and kept coming up with corn-on-the-cob! Weird, but there it is. Almost over-the-top dense, with loads of concentrated black fruit, smoked meat, and underlying dusty tannins. I wonder if this might be a bit too much for most food, but I'll have to see how it does with a bit more air. It's teetering on the edge of Aussie-fruit-bomb, but if it pulls back a bit, I'd probably give it a higher rating.
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6/1/2004 - winefool wrote: 92 Points
Vinexpo OL - My first experience with this wine. Black/purple color. Rich aroma of sweet black fruit. Really rich blueberry fruit on the palate. A little over the top for my taste, but I can certainly see what people see in this wine. 6/04
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5/30/2004 - Jason wrote: 96 Points
This wine is much different than the 2000 in that it is already closed. The 2000 was drinking quite well (as long as it got 12 hours of air) for 6+ months from release. The 2001 is already much tighter and nearly shutdown. Even after 12 hours of air, the nose is heavily dominated by char. I also find some blackberries, violets, and vanilla. The palate remains massive with tastes of charcoal, chocolate, and every dark fruit I can imagine. Despite the incredible power, the balance is perfect. With the exception of the 98 Grange, I have not encountered such a huge wine in perfect balance. This wine might change the world's impression of Washington wines in 15 years. Unfortunately, it will need that long to be anywhere near its peak.
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5/16/2004 - ErikK wrote:
Tasted at release weekend. Very closed on the nose. Nice mouthfeel but still closed. Dark chocolate covered cherries followed by oak showing through. Too young and closed to get much of an impression on the midpallet. Finish was elegant and stayed with me minutes after a taste.
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5/15/2004 - Jason wrote: 95 Points
Quilceda opened their new facility today. It is truly terrific. The last facility was crammed with barrels, boxes, and people. This new facility not only looks beautiful but provides lots more space and light. Last year I posted that the wines were a touch too cold and that glasses were not up to the wine. John Ware (VP Sales) sent me an email saying that they would have all that fixed at the new place. They "fixed" those issues and then some. I did not check the brand on the glasses, but they were perfect for the wine. Now on to the wine. Imagine a blend of the 1995 and the 1999. This vintage shows the elegance of the 95 and the power (perhaps a touch more restrained) of the 1999. I was prepared for a big wine, but I was pleasantly surprised by the tremendously silky tannins. The nose was fairly closed but did show chocolate, char, and violets. The palate was simply awesome with the aforementioned silk qualities and loads of dark fruit and spicy oak. This is certainly the most elegant of the power vintages (94, 98-01). I still am a bit partial to the raw, unrestrained power of the 1994, but this wine is certainly in the same league. Pierre gives a drinking window of 2008-2020. I have to think the well-stored this wine will last a least a decade longer. If you want to try one, I would open it in the next few months before it fully shuts down.
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5/15/2004 - Eric wrote: 97 Points
Tasted at the Quilceda Release Party. 97% Cabernet Sauvignon, 3% Cabernet Franc. Wow! This is very young and pretty closed up aromatically, but right after they popped and poured it was at its most expressive with very typical Quilceda aromatics of violet and raspberry along with a distinct note of cocoa. On the palate this was stunningly silky, elegant and balanced in a way that was almost deceptive, as quite frankly it is a huge and tight wine. Flavors of cassis, raspberry and subtly bitter dark chocolate wash all over your palate and finish in a long and harmonious way. Where lots of Washington wines have a lot of sweetness and acidity, this wine was cool and dark, much less forward, much less sweet and just utterly balanced and gorgeous. I absolutely need to try a couple of these over the next month or two while they are still relatively approachable.
Later the same evening I opened a bottle to have with roast chicken and to get a deeper impression of the wine. Oh my! I don't have a lot to add to my notes from earlier in the day. The aromatics are still fairly restrained right now, and this is a tightly wound wine. At the same time, the power, depth and balance on this beauty are amazing. The flavor profile is far more complex than the 2000 Quilceda with a wash of flavors, some dark with subtly bitter chocolate and espresso notes, some approaching sweetness with cassis and floral elements. The length is stunning. This is an easy 97 pointer and the best Quilceda I have ever tasted.
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5/1/2004 - caldwell wrote:
Golly; don't understand this. Raspberries that made it almost taste like the Pegau from the night before. This needs way more time than what we were able to give it. A shame to have wasted this bottle so young.
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5/1/2004 - JP wrote: 96 Points
Held a mini-vertical tasing over the last two nights. Opened and put half the bottle in the decanter for 6 hours before tasting blind along side the 2000. Deep crimson in color with a little purple at the edges. This was VERY tight and closed at first, but with enough swirlng you could begin to coax out some lovely dark fruits. With time the wine continued to open and show a very primal flavors, including black currants, red raspberries, crushed cherries, game, and saddle leather. On the palate this is huge, chewy, and sweet. For me, tea and cola notes preceed the fruit which comes on in spades before the massive but fine tannins clamp down midpalate. The finish is quite long with noes of bright cherries and raspberries, as well as some raspberry liquoer. On the second night this became more expressive with a bit more depth and complexity. Compared to the 00, this is bigger, richer, brighter, and clearly a better wine that will surely overmatch the 00 in complexity and depth in the very near future. This obviously has plenty of potential to improve.
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4/25/2004 - wineismylife wrote: 94 Points
WIML94
Tasted at an offline with the DAWGS. Brief comments only. Can't believe somebody hasn't already started a tasting note on this wine. Yes, I know, I’m a baby killer. Ordered two cases of this wine, one for me, one to split with the DAWGS. Unforturnately there was one orphan bottle so it had to meet its’ early demise. Decanted four hours before being returned to the bottle for transport to the restaurant. Reopened at the restaurant and tasted 6 hours after it was first decanted. Just about the perfect amout of time if you must open one right now. Obviously this wine was very tight and just a little disjointed at this early stage of the game. Pleasant notes of black cherry, tobacco and blueberry. Great feel in the mouth. Drinking as a solid 93-94 wine right now. I’m betting big this wine will get better with age. IMHO, this is a long-term wine without a doubt.
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4/24/2004 - Fairorth wrote:
Wonderful, classy, elegant cabernet. Opened up very quickly, menthol and licorice nose, silky smooth very refined taste. Dark fruits, a somewhat brooding and reserved attack, but wonderfully rich. Nice balance, has all the elements to age nicely but should definitely be experienced now as well. I'd be very surprised if this one enters into any "closed" state along the way. A fabulous effort by QC.
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