2017
Quilceda Creek
Columbia Valley Cabernet Sauvignon
This release truly showcases the singular and elusive perfume of our Champoux Vineyard. Aromas and flavors of violets, lavender, blackberry, cassis, and plum fruit provide the ethereal through line, with hints of cocoa nib, spice, and minerals acting as counterpoints. The wine has an otherworldly, silky texture that enables the rich fruit to coat the palate horizontally, rather than front-to-back, allowing the taster to experience the wine’s purity and seamless integration with each harmonious sip.
After a fairly cool spring and a warmer-than-usual July and August, almost all of our Cabernet Sauvignon achieved its final ripening after copious amounts of hang time in October. The fruit was physiologically mature, intense, and perfect, the best harvested from the Champoux, Lake Wallula, Palengat and Wallula vineyards — all of which are present in this 100 percent Cabernet Sauvignon release, though the Champoux grapes set the tone. The wine continues to come together with bottle age, but its soft texture is already beguiling and it will be thrilling to enjoy anytime between now and 2040. Paul Golitzin, Director of Winemaking
99 points
"It has now been six months since I first visited the scintillating 2017 Quilceda Creek ‘Columbia Valley’ Cabernet Sauvignon, a wine that exudes both elegance and decadence. The wine spent 20 months in 100% new French oak and was sourced from the Champoux, Mach One, Palengat, and Wallula Vineyards. One remarkable thing that I continue to notice about this wine is despite its use of 100% new French oak, the oak influence in the wine is quite minor and is very well-integrated to the fruit and non-fruit flavors. Following a three hour decant, the wine shows high-toned violets with shades of sagebrush, milk chocolate covered Bing cherry, creme de cassis and anise tones that all sing in harmony in the glass. The palate is rich and layered, yet extremely polished, with a pillowy texture. Deep layers of espresso bean, Black Forest Cake, blueberry compote, graphite and sandalwood in this highly complex range of flavors. The length of this wine is truly outstanding, as is the silky texture which makes the wine effortlessly glide across the mid-palate. Generous and approachable at this juncture with a long decant, the 2017 Quilceda Creek ‘Columbia Valley’ Cabernet Sauvignon will enjoy an exceedingly long life ahead of it. Try to resist this beautiful wine for at least two more years. Drink 2022-2040"
97 points
"The 2017 Columbia Valley Cabernet Sauvignon from Quilceda Creek is absolutely sensational. This 100% Cabernet Sauvignon was sourced from Champoux, Lake Wallula, Palengat, and Wallula Vineyards and spent 20 months in 100% new French oak. As this slowly begins to unwind in the glass it releases deep seductive aromatics of black cherries, cassis and black plums that are joined by fresh violets, graphite and minerals along with hints of sweet spices and mocha that all come together and lift from the glass. On the palate this continues to impress with its stunning full-bodied texture, that is seamless and beautifully polished with a wonderful sense of freshness. It goes on to display an absolutely gorgeous soft, enveloping texture, along with excellent depth and concentration all the way through the long, graceful finish that slowly comes to an end. The 2017 is a marvelous wine that is already simply stunning in its youth, however it should also go on to have a brilliant future offering decades of enjoyment ahead."
97 points
"The flagship 2017 Cabernet Sauvignon Columbia Valley is all Cabernet Sauvignon brought up in new barrels (mostly Taransaud and Darnajou). Beautiful crème de cassis, graphite, spice box, and lead pencil notes all flow to a full-bodied, soft, elegant wine that has beautiful tannins, no hard edges, and a seamless texture. It shows the more upfront, charming style of the vintage and is already hard to resist. Nevertheless, it should easily evolve for 20+ years."