2006 Quilceda Creek CVR
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Tasting notes
(a Bordeaux blend based on 77% cabernet sauvignon) Good deep ruby-red. Nose dominated by cassis, mocha and nutty oak. Broad, lush and sweet; more red than black in its fruit character than this producer's other 2006s, with the nutty oak component carrying through. Pliant in mouth feel and nicely sweet on the palate-coating finish, which features rather soft tannins. I'd enjoy this wine in the near term.
Critic scores
Stephen Tanzer, Vinous
Jay S Miller, Wine Advocate
More reviews and scores
There are 2200 cases of the 2006 Red Wine, a blend of 77% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Cabernet Franc, 10% Merlot, and the balance Petit Verdot and Malbec. While not at the quality level of the top wines, it is a fine introduction to the house style at a very fair price. Dark ruby-colored, it displays a bouquet of cigar box, pencil lead, violets, black currant, and a hint of licorice. Medium to full-bodied, intensely fruited, and with enough structure to evolve for 2-3 years, this lengthy effort will drink well from 2011 to 2018. In 1990, in Issue 69, after tasting a complete vertical of Quilceda Creek Cabernet Sauvignon, I wrote that the winery was producing Washington’s (and possibly America’s) finest Cabernet Sauvignon. Little has changed in the intervening years. The winery has been upgraded and the portfolio has been expanded, while quality remains at the summit. As a postscript, I was able to taste barrel samples of the 2007 collection. The Golitzins describe it as an “exceptional vintage” a conclusion that I cannot dispute. The latest releases are from the 2006 vintage, a bit more challenging than 2005 or 2007, but a solid year by any standard. Tel. (360) 568-2389; www.quilcedacreek.com
About the producer
Founded in 1978, Quilceda Creek helped put Washington Cabernet on the world stage. Mentored by André Tchelistcheff, the family-owned winery became renowned for its powerful, age-worthy Cabernets and was the first U.S. winery outside California to earn 100 points from Wine Advocate.