2010
Quilceda Creek
“Palengat” Red Wine
The Horse Heaven Hills AVA is among the hottest in Washington, and this helps us in a cooler vintage such as 2010. We got the grapes to full phenolic ripeness before harvest and despite lower yields, the fruit was in great shape. We decided to shift the focus of the Palengat to Merlot this year: The blend is of 64 percent Merlot, 22 percent Cabernet Sauvignon, 7 percent Cabernet Franc, and 7 percent Petit Verdot, and it was aged in new French oak for 22 months prior to bottling.
With the increased Merlot, the character of the wine has shifted, but it’s still in the Quilceda Creek style: A full-throttle, a near-perfect trifecta of power, flavor, and finesse. This seamless wine displays rich boysenberry, plum and fig fruit notes with savory nuances of soy, licorice, espresso, roasted meats and pipe tobacco. It is a wine that brings its drinkers great joy, and while the 2010 may note be the most long-lived vintage of this wine we’ve produced, it still has a lot of pleasure to bestow upon those lucky enough to still have some in their cellar.
Paul Golitzin, Director of Winemaking
97 points
"Refined, elegant and supple, yet also rich and concentrated, the Merlot-dominated 2010 Palengat has 22% Cabernet Sauvignon, 7% Cabernet Franc and 7% Petit Verdot in the blend and spent 20 months in 100% new French oak. Gorgeous on the nose, with notions of creme de cassis, violets, graphite and mint, it flows onto the palate with full-bodied richness and depth that's paired with a seamless, incredibly elegant and polished texture. Firming up on the finish with masses of tannin, mineral and juicy acidity, this incredible 2010 needs 3-5 years of bottle age and will have upwards of 15-20 years of ultimate longevity." Drink now-2030.