On the fence. Too much wine in the cellar. Might like Betz about as much, especially given the price differential. Saw a bottle of the '01 Quilceda in the cellar when I was cleaning it out. Probably need to visit that to make a final call. I don’t subscribe to the purple milkshake / skittles references, which I think are…well…let’s just say “to each their own”. I liked the '01 a lot last time I tried it. If the next bottle matches that one, I’m probably in for a buy.
Ok. I’ll take it on…tomorrow I’ll brave the subzero temps to go out to the local gas station and buy some Skittles. Then open the '01 QC. And report back on the comparative tasting…
Paging Mr. Dildine - this is going to set me back a bit on the weight loss thing we discussed in a diferent thread, but I’m willing to take one for the team;)
Skittles Original - full bodied, with a sweetness suggestive of late harvest. A new surprise with each handful, this bag seems to constantly morph depending on which colors flow out of the package. A long finish, largely attributable to the remnants that remain on my teeth. Not rated, but decent QPR.:
As for the Quilceda Creek
2001 Quilceda Creek Cabernet Sauvignon- USA, Washington (1/7/2014)
Opened for 2 hours. On the nose, dark fruits, hints of sweet perfume against a somewhat herbal, almost funky background which gives a sense of age that I like but wasn’t really expecting. On the palate, more open than I was expecting. Medium to medium heavy in comparison to the Napa cabs I’ve been drinking recently. Nice counterbalancing acidity. Very fine tannins are quite faint. Overall, smooth and nicely balanced.
I don’t think I’d go with WA’s 98 points at this point, but I was pleasantly surprised as to how approachable this is now. I was under the impression that these needed quite a bit of age to come around. Looking back, I guess none of this should’ve come as a surprise, as I had a similar experience with this 3 years ago. A good experiment in advance of the upcoming 2011 release. (94 pts.)
To each their own I guess, but I don’t find this particularly sweet, overdone, alcoholic, or whatever other ill attributes that get ascribed to it. Quite a pleasant bottle of wine, which is frankly somewhat more refined, even understated, compared to some of the Napa cabs I’ve been cleaning out recently. Still not sure about my stance regarding the upcoming release. Mr. Hunter brought up a good question about the vintage, and I think I need to do a little more homework before pulling the trigger.
LOL! Fair question. The real question though that I need to ask myself is “why buy anything in 2014?”. Still working through the crafting of a rational response to that one!
I do admire your sales approach though. The Skittles comparative is bound to reel them in:)
Benchmark Wine Group will buy them. They bought all of mine. With the proceeds, I bought a lifetime supply of Robitussin. Tastes about the same, but Robitussin is more effective for treating cough and chest congestion.