Paul J

9.6

1hr+ decant. Got better over the course of three hours. See previous notes. Had a little Spanish influence to it. This rocks! — a month ago

with Brooke

Ray Vanderhoff

9.3

Bordeaux-style blend of Cabernet Sauvignon (73%), Merlot (14%) Cabernet Franc (6%), Petite Verdot (4%) and Malbec (3%). Deep ruby color with a slight garnet meniscus. Plush aromas of black and red fruit, graphite, smoke, dried herbs and toasted oak. Flavors of red and black currants, black raspberries, black licorice and baking spices. Beautiful mineral note on the long and lingering finish. Perfectly balanced and full bodied. Generous and round. Thanking so much for sharing, John P. — 5 months ago

Chris Zitzman

10

Wine of the year. I spent a chunk of change on this puppy made by Matt Dees out of Ballard Canyon in the Santa Ynez Valley out of faith. Well, faith and trust because I’m a huge fan of Mr. Dees so… I had cause. The 2018 vintage (a great one all around) was ripe for the picking for this astounding blend of 75% Cabernet Sauvignon, 14% Cabernet Franc, & 11% Perit Verdot. Even off the pop it was inviting, even as powerful as it be. After a quick decant, rich and silky aromas waft from the glass that lead to one of the most elegant palates I’ve come across this side of Paillaic. I’ve had some top-notch California Cults in my time- but this is something different. The nose itself is silken, with gentle notes of classic nuance and silken power that hints at what’s to come. And as this incredible blend finds its way onto the palate it simply overwhelms the senses in such a simple, beautiful way…it just hits all the buttons in a graceful and luxurious way that will only grow and bloom as you realize what you’ve been lucky enough to try.. while you may keep in mind that I’ve yet to try each and every North American wine, I’ve had examples of the Opus One, Quilceda. Creek, Hundred Acre, various Shraeders , the Modus Operandi “Antithesis” (which is entirely overlooked in its own right)- this is the one that makes me want to throw it against the very best of the “First Growths”. it’s just phenomenal. Get it while you can. — 8 months ago

Norman

9.0

Cab was better — 2 years ago

Joe DAscoli

9.5

Face off of the 2010 Cabernets with FirstLight Steak tenderloin. Dancing Bear comes out the winner with a touch more fruit and depth to it over the Quilceda Creek. Both wines decanted 90 mins. Smooth yet complex. — 2 years ago

Michael Patrone

9.5

As said before, not your typical Sauvignon blanc. More rounded and less acidic than expected, more typical of a Chardonnay. Makes you wonder why they don’t make more! — 4 years ago

with Carolyn and Meghana

Paul J

9.4

PnP. Deep, dark fruit. Dark cherries and blackberries. Exceeded expectations. Massive depth. Really enjoyed! — 2 months ago

with Brooke

Paul J

9.6

1hr+ decant. Dark red color with rustic tones. Bramble, chocolate, cedar, and some alcohol on the nose. Same on the palate with nice depth. Still young but drinking nicely. — 5 months ago

with Brooke and

Neil Valenzuela

9.4

Deep ruby color. Aromas of huckleberry, plum and fig. Licorice, coffee and blackberry on the palate. Very tasty!

64% Merlot, 22% Cab, 7% Cab Franc and 7% Petit Verdot.

🏅97 Points - Jeb Dunnuck — a year ago

with Dr.

Joe DAscoli

9.4

Delicious and compared to the 2013 quilceda creek from last night. Dark berry with charcoal and rustic flavors. Could’ve used more airtime. Overall very good. — 2 years ago

Byron Hewett

9.3

Made by the new winemaking team that came over from Quilceda Creek. A Beauty! — 3 years ago

Joe DAscoli

9.3

Solid wine and gave quilceda creek a run for its money — 4 years ago

Wulf Losee

9.6

2018 opened Oct 2021. Red raspberries and thyme on the nose. Dried currents on the front that are almost immediately balanced by some flinty notes that tingle on the front of the tongue. On the mid palate it continues with mild red-fruit flavors that are offset by some delicate high notes—that remind me of the smell of the loess that that gets blown off the Horse Heaven Hills on dry summers days. It has a slightly tart finish that lingers—but the satiny tannins offset this zing, and they hold this wine together from beginning to end. I’d want to call the tannic structure “heavy” except that they never come to dominate the tasting experience. This wine is lush and zaftig from start to finish, but its tremendous sophistication offsets any heaviness.

BTW, the fruit (which is subtle to begin with) fades after an hour of decanting. The tannic body opens up (i.e. it gets even smoother and fuller) but some harsh high notes begin to dominate on the finish. Frankly, I like this wine best a half an hour out of the bottle. If an increase in intensity is OK for you, go for a longer decanting. I like it better with less oxygenation. The fact that it gets a bit more intense with decanting makes me wonder if this vintage won’t lose some of its subtlety with aging. I’m not going to be able to resist drinking up my limited allocation, so, l’ll never be able to perform the aging experiment. — 5 years ago

Norman

9.4

Washington reds are so different from the CA wines. — 2 months ago

Norman

9.4

Needs air. — 2 months ago

Jeroen Koenen

9.6

Sipping Quilceda while watching Nosferatu 🧛🏻.
Splendid. — 7 months ago

Norman

9.3

Bramble on the nose. Betting this is whole cluster since you definitely taste some greenness. Long full mouth finish but it’s a little on the sharper side for me versus the CA plush. — a year ago

Scott Kahn

8.9

A first time wine for me. Nice oak treatment with vanilla and smoke. Overall good tannic structure and balance. Too herbaceous for my tastes… — 2 years ago

Byron Hewett

9.4

Made by the new winemaking team that came over from Quilceda Creek. Absolutely gorgeous!! Best wines I have had from Washington. They are quickly moving up! — 3 years ago

Bob McDonald

9.5

Dark Ruby in colour - impenetrable. Blackberry, black fruits generally, raspberry, dusty, touches of tar and menthol. Very rich and ripe on the palate. Very USA in my experience but also very delicious. It never ceases to amaze how Washington state can produce rich ripe wines like this- just like Quilceda Creek. Luscious and seamless. The Walla Walla valley is obviously a great terroir for Cabernet. — 4 years ago