Recently Rated Quilceda Creek Wines

Along with its Imperial bottlings, the Cune lineup of reds ranges from a supple, good-value Crianza to the fully modern Real de Asúa, which is matured in 100 percent new French oak. Among the whites is the distinctive Monopole, a pure Viura bottling first marketed in 1915. There’s also a lively rosé, or rosado. (The company also operates two other Rioja wineries: Viña Real, founded in 1920, and Viñedos del Contino, founded in 1973.) Here is a sampling of recent ratings:

Quilceda Creek Cabernet Sauvignon Columbia Valley 2009
Score: 96 points
Release Price: $135
Current Auction Price: $179
Top 100 of 2012, Rank: 60
Pure and impressively expressive, with focused currant, plum, blackberry and black olive aromatics turning on the palate to a more complex profile, weaving in coffee, crème brûlée and chai tea notes, all wrapped in a polished texture. The finish doesn’t want to quit. Best from 2015 through 2024. 3,985 cases made. —Harvey Steiman
Region: Washington
Issue Date: Nov. 15, 2012

Quilceda Creek Cabernet Sauvignon Columbia Valley 2008
Score: 94 points
Release Price: $130
Current Auction Price: $151
Firm in texture, with sandy tannins around a supple core of ripe, plush cherry, tobacco and tar flavors. Finishes with persistence and flashes of sage and bay leaf. Long and inviting, this is built for the cellar. Best from 2014 through 2020. 3,625 cases made. —HS
Region: Washington
Issue Date: Oct. 31, 2011

Quilceda Creek Cabernet Sauvignon Columbia Valley 2007
Score: 94 points
Release Price: $125
Current Auction Price: $201
Firm, with a light grip of tannins around a core of dark berry, currant, smoke and tobacco flavors. This has elegance and depth, with a welcome sense of reticence that doesn’t push the flavors too strong. Finishes very long, with a silky texture. Drink now through 2017. 4,250 cases made. —HS
Region: Washington
Issue Date: Oct. 15, 2010

Quilceda Creek Cabernet Sauvignon Columbia Valley 2006
Score: 94 points
Release Price: $125
Current Auction Price: $147
Very ripe and generous. Not a big wine, but brims with plum, currant, black olive, cedar and roasted meat flavors, all playing against crisp tannins and lingering on the tight finish. Needs time in the cellar in order to open and flourish. Best from 2012 through 2020. 3,200 cases made. —HS
Region: Washington
Issue Date: July 31, 2009

Quilceda Creek Cabernet Sauvignon Columbia Valley 2005
Score: 94 points
Release Price: $115
Current Auction Price: $199
Richly aromatic, this brims with dark berry and currant aromas and flavors, shaded with espresso and dark chocolate overtones set against somewhat gritty tannins. A meaty note adds extra depth as the finish lingers on and on against the tannins. Best from 2010 through 2017. 3,400 cases made. –HS
Region: Washington
Issue Date: July 31, 2008