2003 Cabernet Sauvignon Washington
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Tasting notes
The 2003 Cabernet Sauvignon shares similarities in the glass with the 2005 and 2007 bottlings, as all three vintages have the same robust nose with dried cherries and cranberry essence and a soft prune character, which all showed better when the wines were young. The generosity of this wine seems to have caught up to it. Full-bodied, the palate is lively with firm, juicy tannins that should last five more years. Flavors of ripe, black and dark red fruits remain in the mouth, and there's an alcoholic lift on the finish, concluding with firm tannins.
Critic scores
Stephen Tanzer, Vinous
Stephen Tanzer, Vinous
More reviews and scores
(includes 2% merlot and 1% cabernet franc; mostly from Champoux Vineyard) Deep medium ruby. Very deep aromas of currant, minerals, meat and smoke, with complicating notes of chocolate, tar and pastry dough. Tightly wound, penetrating and powerful, with terrific precision to the flavors of dark fruits, graphite and minerals. A very firmly structured wine that finishes with superb length, verve and grip. A stunning Washington cabernet. Paul Golitzin says to start drinking this in 2010.
Full ruby-red. Knockout nose combines blackcurrant, blueberry, smoke, tobacco, road tar, coffee and milk chocolate. Wonderfully ripe and lush but uncompromisingly dry, with an exhilarating underlying minerality and superb lift to its fruit and torrefaction flavors. Full and complete, finishing with outstanding breadth and lingering sweetness. Paul Golitzin notes that tannin management at Quilceda Creek is far more sophisticated today than it was in the mid-'90s.
About the producer
Founded in 1978, Quilceda Creek helped put Washington Cabernet on the world stage. Mentored by André Tchelistcheff, the family-owned winery became renowned for its powerful, age-worthy Cabernets and was the first U.S. winery outside California to earn 100 points from Wine Advocate.