2014
Quilceda Creek
“Palengat” Red Wine
For the 2014 Palengat, we focused on grapes grown only in the Horse Heaven Hills AVA, from the Champoux, Palengat, Lake Wallula, and Wallula vineyards. We did return to the past by shifting this bottling’s focus from Merlot to Cabernet Sauvignon, with a blend of 73 percent Cabernet Sauvignon, 18 percent Merlot, and 9 percent Cabernet Franc. The results were fantastic. The mouth-feel is lush and the wine has been approachable since release but has continued to impress as it matured.
Cabernet Sauvignon adds a touch of brawn to the mix, but fits beautifully into the finished wine. It shows off violet, infused plum, and crème de cassis fruit and exciting accents of five-spice powder, black truffles, vanilla, and minerals. The 21 months it spent in new French barrels helped the different vineyard components meld together and evolve an extraordinary way.
Paul Golitzin, Director of Winemaking
96 points
"The sensational 2014 Palengat Vineyard is loaded with notions of chocolate covered plums, licorice, roasted herbs, and graphite/lead pencil shavings. Up there with the top vintages of the cuvee, this full-bodied, rounded and hedonistic 2014 shines in the vintage, has no hard edges, gorgeous purity, and plenty of ripe, sweet tannin. It's a serious mouthful of a Cabernet and will drink nicely for 10-15 years."
95 points
"This is a blend of 73% Cabernet Sauvignon, 18% Merlot and 9% Cabernet Franc. This vintage has utilized considerably less Merlot than the previous vintage. The is entirely sourced from the Horse Heaven Hills AVA. The aromatics are dense and somewhat spicy showing spicebox, anise, creme de cassis, coffee grounds and cayenne pepper. The heady aromas bring you back to the glass for more. The mouthfeel is voluptuous and intense. Creme de cassis, anise, coffee grounds, candied red cherry and hints of pipe tobacco flavors persist. The red wine is showing its masculine side as the Cabernet component is stealing the show at the moment. Tannins are moderate at this juncture and you can get a touch of herbaceousness from the Cabernet Franc towards the back end. This excellent red wine will cellar marvelously for a decade or more. Drink 2017-2030"
94 points
"Bright red-ruby; not hugely saturated. Alluring, high-toned aromas of cassis, boysenberry and gingerbread spices. Suave and fine-grained, offering a lovely balance of sweetness of berry fruit and harmonious acidity; uncommonly complex, as the ripeness ranges from lightly herbal to nearly overripe without crossing either line. This plush, broad wine really vibrates on the long, subtle, slowly building finish, which features fine-grained tannins."