Lucky you!  This month we present an iconic Washington red wine - a wine produced in miniscule quantities, that pundits and wine fans alike marvel at its depth, length and purity - 2006  Quilceda Creek Cabernet Sauvignon. 

I had to struggle to get enough wine for the club - there's a one bottle per person allocation.  But I realize that the wine's expense might be a bit much for some - it's $175 per bottle before club discount - so we offer a wonderful, lower priced alternative: 2006 Côte Bonneville Carriage House du Brul Vineyard Red Wine

About Quicelda Creek:  Quilceda Creek Vintners is a boutique winery in Snohomish, Washington specializing in premium Cabernet Sauvignon wine. The winery is named for a nearby creek in Snohomish County. Although the winery facility is located west of the Cascade Range, the winery sources all of its grapes from six vineyards in eastern Washington. Quilceda Creek Vintners has earned some of the highest reviews and awards of any winery in the United States. Quilceda Creek Vintners Cabernet Sauvignon is the only American wine from outside of California to earn perfect 100-point score reviews from wine critic Robert Parker in his publication The Wine Advocate.

Quilceda Creek Vintners was founded in 1978 by Alex and Jeanette Golitzin. Alex Golitzin is a nephew of André Tchelistcheff, one of the most influential winemakers of Napa Valley, and credits summer trips to visit his uncle in St. Helena, California with developing his early interest in wine. Tchelistcheff began consulting with Washington's largest winery, Chateau Ste. Michelle, in the 1960s, when the Golitzin family also moved to western Washington. With encouragement and advice from his uncle, Alex Golitzin began making one barrel of Cabernet Sauvignon a year as an amateur winemaker from 1974 through 1977. Encouraged by Tchelistcheff's assessment of the results, the family opened the commercial winery in Snohomish in 1978 and produced their first vintage of Cabernet Sauvignon in 1979. The first vintage produced 150 cases (14 hL). In 1993, Alex Golitzin's son, Paul, took over responsibilities as chief winemaker. By 2000, the winery was producing 4,700 cases (420 hL) annually.[2]

Quilceda Creek Cabernet Sauvignon has earned some of the highest reviews and awards of any wine produced in the United States. The 1999 vintage was named "Best Cabernet Sauvignon over $20" in a tasting of American wines by Food & Wine in its October 2003 issue. The 2002, 2003, 2005, and 2007 vintages all scored 100-point ratings from Robert Parker's The Wine Advocate.  Only 15 other wines in the United States have received a 100 point score from Parker, all made from California grapes, and only five wines worldwide had ever before earned consecutive 100-point scores. The 2003 vintage of Quilceda Creek's Cabernet Sauvignon was also named the No. 2 Wine of the Year by Wine Spectator.


The wines produced by Quilceda Creek Vintners are sourced from vineyards in eastern Washington. As of 2007, the winery used grapes from the Champoux and Palengat Vineyards near Alderdale in the Horse Heaven Hills AVA, and from the Taptiel, Klipsun, Ciel du Cheval, and Galitzine Vineyards near Benton City in the Red Mountain AVA. The grapes are harvested by hand, and transported 200 miles overnight by truck to the winery.

Quilceda Creek regularly produces four wines: their signature Cabernet Sauvignon, a single-vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon made with grapes from the Galitzine Vineyard, a varietal Merlot, and a wine called simply "Red Wine" made from grapes that do not meet the quality standards sought for the signature Cabernet Sauvignon. The Cabernet Sauvignon is a blend of grapes from both the Red Mountain AVA and the Horse Heaven Hills AVA, and as such carries the broader Columbia Valley AVA designation. The winery blends small amounts of Merlot and Cabernet Franc into their signature Cabernet Sauvignon, in amounts that vary from vintage to vintage. In 2004, the Cabernet Sauvignon contained 3% Merlot and 1% Cabernet Franc, whereas in 2005 the wine contained 3% Merlot, but no Cabernet Franc.

Quilceda Creek remains Washington’s benchmark for world-class Cabernet Sauvignon. The Golitzins were ecstatic about the fruit quality in 2007, a near-perfect vintage from their perspective. The only change is that a varietal Merlot is no longer being bottled.

Robert Parker:  "In 1990, I wrote that the winery was producing Washington’s (and possibly America’s) finest Cabernet Sauvignon. Little has changed in the intervening years. The winery has been upgraded and the portfolio has been expanded, while quality remains at the summit."

99 points Parker:  "The flagship 2006 Cabernet Sauvignon comes predominantly from the famous Champoux Vineyard in which the winery is a partner. It was aged in 100% new oak. It sports a deep purple-color with a captivating nose of spice box, sandalwood, truffle, Asian spices, incense, black cherry, and black currant. Opulent on the palate (but elegant as well), it already reveals serious complexity, density, and succulence of fruit. Enjoyable now but with at least 8-10 years of cellaring potential, this marvelous effort should have a 30 year lifespan."

About Côte Bonneville:  Côte Bonneville was founded in 2001 by Hugh and Kathy Shiels to create wines that best express their spectacular site in the Yakima Valley. By combining traditional winemaking techniques with cutting-edge science, Côte Bonneville crafts estate-grown DuBrul Vineyard grapes into world-class wines.

Winemaker Kerry Shiels earned her Master’s in Viticulture and Enology from U.C. Davis. Her work with Côte Bonneville has been complemented by her experiences working vintages at Joseph Phelps Vineyards, Tahbilk in Australia, Folio Winemakers’ Studio, Robert Mondavi Winery and most recently at Tapiz in Argentina.

Carriage House 93 pts Wine Spectator:   "Polished, focused and open-textured, letting its pure plum, currant and rose petal flavors emerge easily from the deftly balanced frame, persisting against velvety tannins. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Cabernet Franc. Drink now through 2014. 1,000 cases made."

Dr. Hugh and Kathy Shiels started planting their estate DuBrul Vineyard in 1992. It is now recognized as one of the finest sites in Yakima Valley, producing intensely flavored wine that is powerful yet approachable.  The Shiels’ six varietals – Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Syrah, Chardonnay and Riesling – are sought after by top wineries such as Owen Roe, Woodward Canyon and Wineglass Cellars.  Every winemaker has a preference, and the Shiels show great patience as winemakers make the trek to the vineyards to scope out their vines.  If you have tasted the Owen Roe Cabernet Sauvignon from DuBrul, you know the stunning fruit that goes into the bottle.

Recipe:  Seared Duck Breasts With Cherry Sauce  Serves Four

Thsi recipe, adapted from Gordon Ramsay, features the classic pairing of Duck with Cherries, a perfect companion to these Washington wines.  Gamey red meat such as duck goes wonderfully with a cherry sauce as the slight acidity of the fruit cuts through the richness of the meat. Always render the excess fat from the duck breasts first by placing them on a hot, dry pan.

4 half pound duck breasts, skin on
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 cup good-quality chicken stock
1 cup Ruby port
Few sprigs of thyme
1/3 cup fresh cherries, pitted and halved
1T cold butter, cut into cubes

1 Using a sharp knife, lightly score the skin of the duck breasts, then rub over with salt and pepper. Heat a heavy-based pan over low heat. Add the duck breasts, skin-side down, and leave for about 10 minutes until the fat is nearly all extracted and the skin is golden brown and crisp.
2 Meanwhile, put the chicken stock, port and thyme into a heavy-based saucepan and bring to the boil. Let it bubble away until the mixture is reduced to a third, which will take 10-15 minutes. Fish out the thyme sprigs, then add the halved cherries and simmer for another 5-10 minutes until the sauce has thickened.
3 Turn up the heat, turn over the duck breasts and cook the flesh side for 3-4 minutes. The meat should feel slightly springy when pressed if you want it cooked to medium. When ready, remove to a plate and set aside to rest for 5 minutes.
4 Gently reheat the cherry sauce and add the butter, one piece at a time, whisking until it has melted before adding the next piece. The sauce will turn rich and glossy. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
5 Slice the duck breasts thickly lengthways and fan out on to warmed plates. Spoon over the cherry sauce to serve.

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