Quilceda Creek Vintners was founded in 1978 by Alex and Jeanette Golitzin. Alex Golitzin is a nephew of André Tchelistcheff, the legendary winemaker who put Beaulieu Vineyard at the forefront of Napa Valley Cabernet in the 1960s and 70s. He credits summer trips to visit his uncle in St. Helena, California with developing his early interest in wine. Alex’s son, Paul Golitzin is now chief winemaker at the winery.
Quilceda Creek Vintners Cabernet Sauvignon has earned some of the highest scores of any wine produced in the United States. In addition to the flagship Cabernet Sauvingon, Quilceda Creek also produces several single vineyard wines and a Columbia Valley Red Wine.
Dark crimson in color. 14.9% ABV. Sensational nose of black and blue fruits, violets and chocolate smores. Full bodied with abundant fruits. Power and concentration in spades. Black currants, cassis liqueur, blueberry and tobacco leaves on the palate. Tremendous length on the finish. Twenty years in the bottle and still showing well. Tremendous QC from an era that redefined the label. Best over the next 5-7 years.
My rating: 96 points.
Quilceda Creek is best obtained via the mailing list and you may be able to find some at retail in late March or early April. The 2024 will be released next Spring. I recently dropped off the mailing list as I have well over 20 vintages of Quilceda Creek in the wine cellar and I do find my tastes shifting from this style of wine.