Quilceda Creek Columbia Valley Red 2016
We discovered this wine label a decade ago and have been admirers of it ever since. With son Alec visiting from NYC for the week with fiance Vivianna, we've been opening some fine wines for dinners as well as casual sipping.
Tonight we opened a Petit Verdot to compare with the same varietal and vintage release as one we tasted the other night. I then opened this Bordeaux Blend from Washington State Columbia Valley for casual elegant sipping with a tray of fine artisan cheeses.
Quilceda Creek CVR stands for Columbia Valley Red - their Bordeaux Blend which is their 'second label', subordinate to the ultra-premium flagship Quilceda Creek Cabernets and Red Blends, at a fraction of their $150 to $250 prices. It is made from 'declassified barrels' of fruit from all the Quilceda Creek estate vineyards, Champoux, Galitzine, Palengat, and Wallula Vineyards, It represents a
great value high QPR relatively speaking but is still pricey at a release price of near $70.
Quilceda Creek is family owned and operated with a long storied legacy and history of winemaking that dates back to the turn of the last century. Founder, Alex Golitzin is a descendent of Prince Lev Sergeevich Galitzine, acclaimed winemaker to Russian Czar Nicholas II's Abrau Dursau estate, and the Massandra and Novy Svet sparkling wine estates. Prince Lev Galitzine was known as "the creator of Russian champagne".
Alex was born in Paris where his family lived after fleeing the Russian Revolution. In 1946, after WWII, Alex and his family emigrated to San Francisco, California. During his youth, Alex regularly visited Napa Valley and his maternal uncle, André Tchelistcheff the legendary Napa Valley winemaker at Beaulieu Vineyard, who was known as the "Dean of American Winemaking".
In 1967, Alex and his wife Jeannette moved to Washington State they established Quilceda Creek in 1978. They produced their first vintage was in 1979, making Quilceda Creek one of the oldest, family-owned and controlled wineries in the State of Washington.
The 2016 Quilceda Creek "CVR" Columbia Valley Red Wine was awarded 93 points by Jeb Dunnuck, JebDunnuck.com and Owen Bargreen and the International Wine Report, 92 Points by Wine Advocate, and 90 points by Stephen Tanzer of Vinous.
It was aged in 60% new French oak; 6,675 cases were made.
This is bright ruby colored, medium full bodied, rich, elegant and balanced, the aromatics burst from the glass on opening, black berry fruits accented by currant and plum are accented by a layer of graphite, licorice,and smokey herbs with notes of tobacco leaf and oak spices turning to full but smooth silky supple tannins on the finish.
RM 91 points.
https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=2996625
https://www.quilcedacreek.com/index.html
We discovered this wine label a decade ago and have been admirers of it ever since. With son Alec visiting from NYC for the week with fiance Vivianna, we've been opening some fine wines for dinners as well as casual sipping.
Tonight we opened a Petit Verdot to compare with the same varietal and vintage release as one we tasted the other night. I then opened this Bordeaux Blend from Washington State Columbia Valley for casual elegant sipping with a tray of fine artisan cheeses.
Quilceda Creek is family owned and operated with a long storied legacy and history of winemaking that dates back to the turn of the last century. Founder, Alex Golitzin is a descendent of Prince Lev Sergeevich Galitzine, acclaimed winemaker to Russian Czar Nicholas II's Abrau Dursau estate, and the Massandra and Novy Svet sparkling wine estates. Prince Lev Galitzine was known as "the creator of Russian champagne".
Alex was born in Paris where his family lived after fleeing the Russian Revolution. In 1946, after WWII, Alex and his family emigrated to San Francisco, California. During his youth, Alex regularly visited Napa Valley and his maternal uncle, André Tchelistcheff the legendary Napa Valley winemaker at Beaulieu Vineyard, who was known as the "Dean of American Winemaking".
In 1967, Alex and his wife Jeannette moved to Washington State they established Quilceda Creek in 1978. They produced their first vintage was in 1979, making Quilceda Creek one of the oldest, family-owned and controlled wineries in the State of Washington.
The 2016 Quilceda Creek "CVR" Columbia Valley Red Wine was awarded 93 points by Jeb Dunnuck, JebDunnuck.com and Owen Bargreen and the International Wine Report, 92 Points by Wine Advocate, and 90 points by Stephen Tanzer of Vinous.
It was aged in 60% new French oak; 6,675 cases were made.
This is bright ruby colored, medium full bodied, rich, elegant and balanced, the aromatics burst from the glass on opening, black berry fruits accented by currant and plum are accented by a layer of graphite, licorice,and smokey herbs with notes of tobacco leaf and oak spices turning to full but smooth silky supple tannins on the finish.
RM 91 points.
https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=2996625
https://www.quilcedacreek.com/index.html
