rmkam
Grape Fermenter
Posts:524
 | | 03/01/2004 3:24 PM |
| OK finally broke down and tried one of these. Decanted at 10:00 AM in a wide base decanter until 2:00 PM. Splash decant back into bottle.
First pour at 7:00 PM.
The wine is very dense, purple and opaque. It reminds me of an Oz Shiraz in the color department. The nose is initially blueberry with a good dose of spicy vanilla. The second glass offered up more blackberry with streaks of currant and the vanilla has moved down a notch in intensity.
The palate entry is pure primary black fruits. This is a true fruit bomb. So very ripe that the fruit completely obscures the acid and tannin that is certainly there. The mouth feel is lush and silky...pure fruit bomb decadence. The finish pumps flavor for well over a minute.
The flavors are all very primary but oh so ripe as to give an impression of sweetness. The ripe fruit is not over done as to be cloying like a coke syrup (Like the MP Shiraz...sorry to you MP lovers). The alcohol is there but was not hot on the finish. So much fruit!
Day 2
The wine was resting in the cellar with the cork in it to keep it cool. This time the wine is not so charming. The structure is now prominent with acidity and alcohol showing and obscuring the fruit. The tannins are much the same as yesterday but more
prominent with aeration of the wine in the mouth. The plush mouth feel is gone (now very acidic). The nose and fruit are muted, but black currant seems to be the primary flavor. The finish is now "hot". I liked this wine better the first day.
Any comments? I find it strange that the wine show so poorly the second day. I recently decanted a 95 Lynch Bages and it was only drinkable the next day. This wine seemed to lose the fruit the second day. I have not experienced this before. What does this
portend for the wine's future. | | | |
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Eric White
San Ramon, CA
Advanced Sommelier
Posts:9257
| | 03/01/2004 3:30 PM |
| rmkam, I am personally not of the mind that extended aeration of a wine is a reliable predictor of how a wine will age. I believe that structure and balance are far more indicative, and that this wine has a long future. I just shared a bottle with friends yesterday, and won't touch another bottle for a minimum of three years. (Well, that's the plan anyway ) | | | |
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ChangeMe
Grape Fermenter
Posts:567
| | 03/01/2004 4:01 PM |
| Quote:
rmkam, I am personally not of the mind that extended aeration of a wine is a reliable predictor of how a wine will age. I believe that structure and balance are far more indicative, and that this wine has a long future. I just shared a bottle with friends yesterday, and won't touch another bottle for a minimum of three years. (Well, that's the plan anyway)
Eric,
Thank you so much for sharing the QC. I had never had it before. Fantastic juice!
Soo, same time, same place, three years?  | | | |
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rmkam
Grape Fermenter
Posts:524
| | 03/01/2004 4:14 PM |
| Eric,
I agree. Just had never had a wine go hide the second day that's all. I recently had the 98 QC and it was great. It smelled much like an 85 Margaux that we were drinking also. The palate was totally different though with the QC having more mass and fruit. | | | |
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ChangeMe
Master of Wine
Posts:12891
| | 03/01/2004 5:10 PM |
| bob,
i've had the 00 qc twice now with a totally different experience. i felt both times the wine was better the next day and never very tannic and/or hot the next day  | | | |
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Eric White
San Ramon, CA
Advanced Sommelier
Posts:9257
| | 03/01/2004 5:40 PM |
| Quote:
Eric,
Thank you so much for sharing the QC. I had never had it before. Fantastic juice!
Soo, same time, same place, three years?
It was my pleasure Mayak, thanks for sharing that terrific 2000 Pride Reserve Claret! That was mighty tasty! Same time same place in three years? you betcha! but surely it won't be that long until we meet again  | | | |
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ChangeMe
Grape Fermenter
Posts:567
| | 03/01/2004 5:55 PM |
| Quote:
Soo, same time, same place, three years?
It was my pleasure Mayak, thanks for sharing that terrific 2000 Pride Reserve Claret! That was mighty tasty! Same time same place in three years? you betcha! but surely it won't be that long until we meet again
You're very welcome. We need to revisit that one in a few years too.
It won't be that long, too much wine to taste, and that is just in Lafon's cellar! | | | |
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ChangeMe
Barrel Filler
Posts:1074
| | 03/01/2004 9:41 PM |
| The QC was awesome yesterday. Thank Eric and Teri for sharing it with us. Lots of power and fruit. Now that I've read that it was aged in American oak, I now know why I got some pencil shavings off of it. This one needs to sleep for awhile before we visit it again.
As to my cellar, I am hopefully getting it down so I can walk through it again without bumping into boxes! Mayak and Elephants, it's all your fault. You have created a monster! | | | |
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ChangeMe
Grape Fermenter
Posts:567
| | 03/02/2004 3:42 AM |
| Quote:
As to my cellar, I am hopefully getting it down so I can walk through it again without bumping into boxes!
Don't worry! All I need is space for my sleeping bag.
Oh, did I forget to mention? I'm moving in. | | | |
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EricLundblad
Grape Fermenter
Posts:557
| |
jaimetown
DC area
Wine Labeler
Posts:3504
| | 03/02/2004 3:45 PM |
| | It's amazing how this thread accounts for over 20% of all posts in the WA Tasting Notes section. | | | |
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David Niederauer
Los Gatos, CA
Master Sommelier
Posts:15756
| | 03/02/2004 5:20 PM |
| I was just thinking the same thing Jamietown.
A Washington State Cabernet. Who'd a thunk it? A tribute to some pretty good juice!
Was there a single post degrading the stuff? I think not. | | | |
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ChangeMe
Master of Wine
Posts:12891
| | 03/02/2004 11:32 PM |
| | i've only ever heard one person talk bad about quilceda creek. everyone else seems to think it is a winner year in and year out. | | | |
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ChangeMe
Grape Truck Driver
Posts:32
| | 03/16/2004 3:42 AM |
| Spock..I mean Joe!!!!..
GREAT post on this wine. For some reason I never stumbled across it; kind of feel stupid. I have signed up on their mailing list and am going to start looking for it around town since I live here in WA. I have spent wayyy to much time on CA cabs and French bordeaux's and their second wines..time to look in my backyard!!!
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ChangeMe
Master of Wine
Posts:12891
| | 03/16/2004 3:45 AM |
| anthony,
imo and many others, you can't go wrong with quilceda creek. | | | |
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ChangeMe
Grape Truck Driver
Posts:32
| | 03/16/2004 4:03 AM |
| Anthony Sr...I went to their web site and was blown away by the reviews of this wine. Like I said, I have spent too much time and $$$ on CA cabs thinking that WA cabs did not compete and boy was I wrong!!! I am definitely ordering their wine if I can get on the 2001 release!!
Anthony Jr. | | | |
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ChangeMe
Master of Wine
Posts:12891
| | 03/16/2004 4:11 AM |
| | another wa wine that i fell to be a solid producer for the money is l'ecole #41. i loved the whole 99 cab line up and the 00 walla walla cab is outstanding. | | | |
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ChangeMe
Grape Truck Driver
Posts:32
| | 03/16/2004 4:29 AM |
| I have had the '99 l'ecole #41 as well and thought it was an excellent wine. Have not had the walla walla cab yet. I'll need my "wine allowance' from you...dad!!! I'll try that as well and let you know what I think. So many wines..so little time!!!
Anthony Jr | | | |
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Budman
Master of Wine
Posts:11879
| | 03/16/2004 9:58 AM |
| | AI... How about the Columbia Crest Walter Clore - isn't that one of your 'regulars'? | | | |
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ChangeMe
Master of Wine
Posts:12891
| | 03/16/2004 12:42 PM |
| oh yeah baby.
anthony,
if you are going to try a l'ecole walla walla, make sure you decant the crap out of it. | | | |
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