2006
Quilceda Creek
“Palengat” Cabernet Sauvignon
Our debut release of our Palengat Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon displays the wonderful aromatic perfume specific to the Horse Heaven Hills AVA. This vineyard was planted in stages from 1997 to 2002 on an ideal, south-facing slope adjacent to Champoux Vineyard, our longtime source of most of the grapes grown for our flagship wine, the Quilceda Creek Columbia Valley Cabernet Sauvignon. Palengat is 8.5 acres in size with 59 percent of the vines planted to high density spacing (2,270 vines per acre). Having this many plants per acre forces the roots deeper into the ground, resulting in grape flavors that fill in the mid-palate lushness we seek, but that is often missing in varieties such as Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot.
Farming in this manner allows us to make wines that are dense, rich, full-bodied and complex — and early in the grapevines’ maturity. The 2006 Palengat Cabernet is an example of this: Even at their fourth to sixth leaf, there’s complexity and structure in the juice, not to mention a lot of flavor. The wine showcases floral black and red fruits, with smoked meat, anise, minerals and spicy cedar characteristics. Aged in 100 percent new French oak for 22 months, it is a blend of 80 percent Cabernet Sauvignon, 15 percent Cabernet Franc, and 5 percent Petit Verdot. A score of 95 points out of the gate for this wine from The Wine Advocate gave us a pretty good indication of the potential of the Palengat vineyard as it matures.
Paul Golitzin, Director of Winemaking
95 points
"This is the first vintage of the 2006 Cabernet Sauvignon Palengat Vineyard, located in the Horse Heaven Hills AVA. The wine also contains 15% Cabernet Franc and 5% Petit Verdot. Purple-colored, it offers up a splendid perfume of wood smoke, spice box, pencil lead, espresso, violets, black currant, and blackberry. Full-bodied, plush, and concentrated, it is already revealing considerable complexity despite the youth of the vines. In spite of its size, the wine manages to retain a sense of elegance, a trademark of all of Quilceda Creek's wines. Give it 5-7 years of additional bottle age and drink it from 2015 to 2026."
92 points
"$83; 15.2% alcohol; from vines planted at high density in 2001 and 2002; the Golitzins purchased this vineyard across from Champoux in 2006) Deep red. Sexy, expressive aromas of dark fruits, lead pencil, licorice and smoky oak. Silky-sweet, broad and mouthfilling, with highly concentrated dark fruit and graphite flavors. Finishes with chewy, ripe, broad tannins and palate-coating sweetness."