A Horrible Year for Quilceda Creek

WINE TALK
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Associated Press - Walla Walla, Washington
Quilceda Creek marketing directors are currently scrambling to issue a press release to customers apologizing for their 2008 Quilceda Creek Cabernet Sauvignon. In a horribly unexpected turn of events, much maligned wine critic Jay Miller decided NOT to bestow the 2008 vintage with a perfect 100 point score despite early indications. The chief wine maker was emotionally crippled by the news shortly after reading Mr. Miller’s review this afternoon.

Fans disappointed by the wine’s 99 point score can take solace in the fact that next year’s wine will almost certainly achieve a perfect score, and has already received a positive comparison to the vile 2008 vintage, and a (99-100) barrel sample score.

Jay Miller published this note about Quilceda Creek’s dispicable effort:

A slightly brooding bouquet displays aromas of sandalwood, exotic spices, incense, violets, and wild berry notes. On the palate it has extra layers of fruit, exceptional complexity, impeccable balance, and a 60-second finish.

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Well, that explains everything! Let’s get that finish up to 65 seconds and then it’ll get a respectable score.

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If I had to pick one wine that represents everything that I don’t like about wine it would be Quilceda Creek. It does not taste like wine to me.

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I will take a 2x4, smear in in cocoa and blueberry jam then smack you in the teeth with it

much cheaper than a bottle of QC

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I’d rather drink QC than be smacked in the teeth with a 2x4. Appreciate the offer though.

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I wish I could find a QC with cocoa and blueberry jam. The last three I had were woody alcohol with no noticeable wine characteristics. I’m sure they all needed more time and were closed, but on day three as the flavors started to develop, the wine was flat.

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No Doubt. I bought a few vintages and am hoping that they’ll turn the corner with age.

That said, imho the Red Wine has always been an outstanding red for the price.

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Hey, it’s not just a 2x4, it’s a French Oak 2x4!

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Sigh. Berry beat me to it. Plenty of happy Washington State resident enthusiasts (and a few others), though. DR. Jay Miller, the greatest thing to ever happen to Washington State. Including Microsoft. And maybe medical marijuana.

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After finally making the mailing list some years ago I realized that it stylistically offended me so I stopped buying…so after probably 4 years of not buying and still receiving emails from QC to buy I finally had to beg them to take me off their list and give me allotment to someone else. Well guess what…they’re still hounding me. I guess NOBODY wants it.

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99 points is not enough to interest me, nor is a naked 100 point score. Call me when QC merits 100 with an asterisk.

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I love QC. I used to be impressed by 100 point scores and QC broke me of that notion…

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Is this thread some kind of AFWE initiation rite? [cheers.gif]

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Last year, my wife and I poured wine at a charity event. The person who donated the wine is a big QC fan. Before my wife could see the wines, I poured her a taste of the QC. Her response upon taking a sip was “What’s this? It has to be a cocktail!” And she was dead serious. She could not believe that it was (supposed to be) wine. Indeed, if your tastes run toward traditional red Burgundy, Beaujolais and the like, QC does not taste like wine.

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The wines are extreme, but the old ones especially are really beautiful examples of Cabernet. I am worried about post 1998, but I treat them like Pride Reserves and use them for newbies looking for something big and impressive.

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So this is #3 of the State’s top 100?

A cocktail look-a-like, dental assaulting, overheated oak stave dipped in jam and cocoa? I’m hoping it’s a theme most of the top rated WA wines don’t have in common.

RT

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Is that WA as in the state or the periodical? If the latter then the ‘theme’ is most common. Sadly.

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Awesome. Another QC bashing thread. I don’t think we have had one since the fall release. I’ll stand on an island here. I think the wines are damn good. The pre 98 wines Eric referred to are simply stunning. The 94 for instance. Post 98…I like the wines and think they are aging just fine. An 01 recently was smoking and had years and years ahead of it. YMMV.

Cheers, Tom

Twitter: @NWTomLee

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Damn. Remind to never bring a QC to a Berserker offline. [truce.gif]

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I don’t care for current QC (for me it’s fine up to 2001), but plenty of folks do, and not many of them are actually crazy. I don’t understand the point of repeatedly taking shots at a wine where you don’t care for its style to begin with. It’s nothing more than intellectual snobbery. If the people who like QC and similar wines were to suddenly all shift to Beaujolais and Burgundy the cry would be about “newbies” taking Clos St. Jacques allotments.