2001
Quilceda Creek
“CVR” Red Wine
This is the best Columbia Valley Red Wine we’ve made to date. The weather was warmer than usual so we received riper fruit. Harvest came earlier and there was a good-sized crop, so even the fruit that didn’t make the cut for our ultra-premium wines was remarkable. The blend for 2001 was 62 percent Cabernet Sauvignon, 27 percent Merlot, and 11 percent Cabernet Franc, sourced from the Champoux, Ciel du Cheval, Klipsun, and Tapteil vineyards.
You’ll notice an atypically high-percentage of Merlot compared with previous vintages. We also added some new French oak barrels to the program, instead of our previous approach for this release using neutral French oak barrels. This all served to enhance the wine’s aromas and flavors of black cherries, spice, marzipan, and smoke. This hedonistic wine will offer great value and more than a little pleasure for years. We made 975 cases.
Paul Golitzin, Director of Winemaking
92 points
"Quilceda's second label is a gorgeous wine, supple and sweet with lovely cabernet cassis and smooth hints of licorice and chocolate. Though not as concentrated as the cabernet, it is immediately delicious, and would put to shame most wines in its price category."