2011
Quilceda Creek
“CVR” Red Wine
In 2011, a freeze hit the Champoux Vineyard early in the season. The vines recovered thanks to the fine weather we enjoyed for the rest of the year, but the quantity of grapes at harvest was much lower. The CVR still benefitted from the stringent selection process for our ultra-premium Columbia Valley Cabernet Sauvignon. But this year, we expanded our grape sources to also include fruit from the Discovery, DuBrul, Galitzine, Klipsun, Palengat, Shaw, Tapteil, and Wallula vineyards.
The 2011 CVR is 91 percent Cabernet Sauvignon, 7 percent Merlot, and 2 percent Cabernet Franc, and was aged for 22 months in 100 percent French oak. The wine has generous depth and breadth on the palate, with complex notes of red fruit, herbs, smoke, and a little anise. Quite fine to drink on release, it should go a decade or more if properly cellared.
Paul Golitzin, Director of Winemaking
91 points
"The 2011 Columbia Valley Red Wine offers the classic crème de cassis, graphite, toasted spice and hints of licorice that seems to be present in all of the estate's Cabernets. Medium to full-bodied, supple and already approachable, it nevertheless has the back-end stuffing to evolve gracefully for upwards of a decade. Always producing some of the finest Bordeaux blends in any vintage, owners/winemakers Alex and Paul Golitzin continue to keep Quilceda Creek at the pinnacle of Cabernet Sauvignon in Washington State with these 2011s and 2012s. Looking at their 2011s, yields were down close to 40%, and this shows with the wines possessing gorgeous depth, richness and concentration. While Paul feels his 2011s are just as concentrated as his 2010s, the overall impression between these two cool vintages is distinctly different and the 2011s show much more up-front, perfumed and supple profiles. As always, the tannin management here is second to none and while the 2011s have plenty of tannin, you have to hunt for it as they're incredibly polished and silky. These 2011s will be approachable at an earlier stage than normal, yet evolve gracefully on their overall balance."