2009 Quilceda Creek Cabernet Sauvignon Columbia Valley

(99-100 points) The 2009 Cabernet Sauvignon Columbia Valley might, in the long run, prove to be at an even higher level. This beautifully proportioned, fragrant Cabernet deftly combines elegance and power. Give it a minimum of 4-5 years of additional cellaring and drink it through 2034. At Quilceda Creek it’s the same old story, great wines made by unpretentious people. The Golitzins decline to raise prices because they feel loyalty to the people who supported them from the beginning and who might not be able to afford connoisseur/collector pricing. As for the latest wines, they regard 2008 as â€a regular vintage with no issues; you could pick at your leisureâ€. They are considerably more excited by the 2009 vintage which they describe as “wines with tons of aroma?really good†which, given their understated manner, I interpret to mean really terrific. For this tasting, the 2009s were all tasted from barrel samples. Wine Advocate #196 Aug 2011