2001
Quilceda Creek
Columbia Valley Cabernet Sauvignon
The 2001 vintage produced the finest raw material we had ever seen at Quilceda Creek. It was warmer than usual, giving us riper fruit, and due to the heat, we were able to harvest earlier yet still achieve physiological ripeness in the fruit. It was exciting to go through the various vineyard sections and select only the very best lots to go into our Cabernet Sauvignon. We used 97 percent Cabernet Sauvignon and 3 percent Merlot, sourced from the Champoux, Ciel du Cheval, Klipsun and Tapteil vineyards, to make 3,150 cases. We knew we had a very special wine from the start and it has more than fulfilled our hopes.
Paul Golitzin, Director of Winemaking
98 points
"The dark ruby-colored 2001 Cabernet Sauvignon (3,150 cases) contains 3% Cabernet Franc. This spectacular wine explodes from the glass with loads of flowers (mostly violets), cassis, black cherries, blackberries, and underlying fresh herbs. Feeling like liquid satin on the palate, it is broad, densely-packed, and has stupendous depth. A refined effort, its medium to full-bodied personality is crammed with highly-detailed black fruits and loads of exquisitely ripe tannin. In addition, the taster has the distinct feeling that this wine is holding much of its fruit in reserve... This blockbuster has it all." Projected maturity: 2007-2018."
97 points
"A smidge more evolved than the 2002, the 2001 Cabernet Sauvignon is made from 97% Cabernet Sauvignon and 3% Cabernet Franc, mostly from the famed Champoux Vineyard in the Horse Heaven Hills AVA. It offers a rock star bouquet of blackberry liqueur, cassis, dried licorice, spice and roasted meats to go with a full-bodied, concentrated, yet incredibly polished and elegantly textured mouthfeel. Blockbuster stuff that has everything, it is still youthful and vibrant and has another decade or more of longevity, although I see no reason to delay gratification." Drink now-2023.