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2017 Quilceda Creek Galitzine Cabernet Sauvignon

Not Currently In Auction

Latest Sale Price

November 17, 2024 - $90

Estimate

RATINGS

98The Wine Advocate

Flirting with perfection...fresh, heady aromas of Chambord, cocoa nibs, baked earth and resinous purple flowers, then elements of baking spices cascade across the nose. Full-bodied and riding through a loop, the palate opens to chocolate-covered blueberries and crème de cassis, before exploding through a kaleidoscope of black and blue-fruited goodness...long, winding finish...

98Jeb Dunnuck

...bouquet of white chocolate, candied violets, lead pencil shavings, and graphite, all grounded by loads of dark, meaty black and blue fruits. This beauty is full-bodied, has flawless balance, loads of ripe tannins, and a great, great finish.

94+ Stephen Tanzer

Brooding, slightly inky, pungent scents of blackberry, blueberry, cassis, licorice, menthol and bitter chocolate...utterly fine-grained and sweet, with dark berry, dark chocolate and violet flavors... Finishes with pungent notes of licorice pastille, violet and bitter chocolate and building, palate-saturating tannins.

17.5Jancis Robinson

Smells of black-cherry fruit and mocha with a touch of oak. Bright flavours of cherry and cola have an espresso and chocolate character thanks to well-integrated oak. Excellent acidity keeps the fruit lively while a powdery, gauzy blanket of tannins wraps the core of fruit. Cedary notes that have a hint of leather and earth linger in the finish. Tasty.

PRODUCER

Quilceda Creek

Quilceda Creek is Washington State’s most acclaimed wine producer. Its Cabernet Sauvignons have been earning awards and high ratings from reviewers ever since the 1980s, and Robert M. Parker Jr. has called Quilceda a winery “that remains below the radar of even the most knowledgeable wine enthusiasts. These are prodigious, world class wines.” Based in Snohomish, Washington, not too far north of Seattle, Quilceda Creek’s 32 acres of vineyards are in several Eastern Washington appellations. Alex Golitzin, founder and owner, was born in France at the beginning of WWII but moved to San Francisco during the war with his parents. His uncle was Andre Tchelistcheff, one of Napa Valley’s earliest crafters of fine wines. Paul Golitzin, Alex’s son, is now chief winemaker at Quilceda Creek. The winery’s vineyards are planted in Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Cabernet Franc. Vines are 12 to 23 years old. Some 38,000 bottles of Cabernet Sauvignon are produced annually.

REGION

United States, Washington, Columbia Valley, Yakima Valley, Red Mountain

Yakima Valley AVA was the first AVA created in Washington State. The valley, a 600,000-acre area in south central Washington, was granted AVA status in 1983. In 1984 Columbia Valley was given AVA status, and Yakima Valley was enclosed within the Columbia Valley AVA. Nevertheless, Yakima Valley remains home to the largest concentration of vineyards and wineries in the state. There are more than 60 wineries and some 16,000 vineyard acres, and nearly 40% of Washington wines are made with Yakima Valley grapes. The most frequently planted grape is Chardonnay, followed by Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon. Winemaking here dates to 1869, when a winemaker from Alsace planted grape vines. Vineyard planting and wine production plodded along slowly until the early 1980s when numerous modern pioneers started making well-reviewed Yakima Valley wines. Some of the state’s newest, most closely watched appellations, including Red Mountain AVA and Horse Heaven Hills AVA, are contained within Yakima Valley.

TYPE

Red Wine, Cabernet Sauvignon

One of the most widely grown grape varieties, it can be found in nearly every wine growing region. A cross between Cabernet Franc and Sauvignon Blanc. It’s a hardy vine that produces a full-bodied wine with high tannins and great aging potential.