The Golitzin family made headlines this summer by adding to its majority ownership in Champoux Vineyard, and the historic Horse Heaven Hills site established by the Mercer family and nurtured by Paul Champoux makes up 90% of this flagship Cabernet Sauvignon from Quilceda Creek. The remainder was pulled from another Horse Heaven Hills site — the Golitzins’s young Mach One Vineyard, a stone’s throw from the Columbia River downstream from Wallula Gap. There’s seemingly no expense spared in the lead up to this release, which includes 10 months of bottle aging after 20 months in 100% new French oak from the Darnajou and Taransaud cooperages. And yet, dark red fruit and telltale Horse Heaven Hills minerality run throughout the aromas of cassis, Bing cherry and plum as light toast and nutmeg sift in behind. Across the suave and bright structure is a stream of crushed cherries and Marionberries as the cellar-worthy tannins allow for Bing cherry return at the close. This release signals the 40th commercial vintage for Quilceda Creek, so each bottle includes a commemorative foil to mark the anniversary. It received 100 points from London-based Decanter magazine, and while it is sold out at the family’s Snohomish winery, it is available via a few select merchants, including Wine.com.
Rating: Outstanding!
Production: 5,300 cases
Alcohol 14.8%
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