![Quilceda Creek Cabernet Sauvignon 2022 (Columbia Valley, Washington) - [OB 100] [IWR 99] [JS 98] [VM 97]](http://artisan.wine/cdn/shop/files/quilceda-creek-cabernet-sauvignon-2016_1_{width}x.webp?v=1744323419)
Quilceda Creek Cabernet Sauvignon 2022
(Columbia Valley, Washington) - [OB 100] [IWR 99] [JS 98] [VM 97]
Regular price $280.00 Sale price $249.97 Save $30.03
About the Wine:
Quilceda Creek Columbia Valley Cabernet Sauvignon is crafted primarily from the esteemed Champoux Vineyard, which contributes 90% of the grapes, with the remaining 10% sourced from Mach One Vineyard. This wine is made from 100% Cabernet Sauvignon, utilizing clones 4, 8, 337, 191, and 685, and is aged for 22 months in 100% new French oak barrels. The result is a wine with intense concentration and a seamless texture, showcasing aromas and flavors of assorted black fruits, black truffle, sandalwood, cocoa, walnut, and river stone. This Cabernet Sauvignon is celebrated for its purity and sense of place, making it a coveted choice for collectors and enthusiasts alike.
Champoux Vineyard is one of the oldest and most prestigious vineyards in the Horse Heaven Hills AVA of the Columbia Valley. Originally planted in the early 1970s and 1980s, this much-revered vineyard has been the source of some of the world’s most sought-after Cabernet Sauvignons, powerful wines known for their gorgeous fruit, balanced acidity and elegant tannins. Quilceda Creek has sourced fruit from Champoux since 1986 and owns and farms 134 of its 169 acres.
The soils at Champoux are classified in the Sagehill series, fine, sandy loam, well-drained soils that promote deep root development and, because of their uniformity, even vigor across the vineyard. Vine density varies due to the different age of the vineyard blocks, but our newer plantings are high density, averaging 2074 vines per acre. Because of competition below the surface, the root zones of the vines are smaller. Coupled with our irrigation regime, we are able to precisely control cluster size, weight and the number of clusters per vine, resulting in optimum concentration and flavor.
The Horse Heaven Hills AVA is one of the warmer appellations in the Columbia Valley, but our Champoux Vineyard, which sits in the foothills at an elevation of 600-800 feet, benefits from cool nighttime air draining down from higher elevations and accumulating across the south-facing site. This diurnal shift moderates the daytime warmth of the vineyard, contributing to balanced, long-lived wines with lovely natural acidity.
Ratings & Reviews
100 Points - Owen Bargreen:
The head-turning 2022 Quilceda Creek ‘Columbia Valley’ Cabernet Sauvignon has 10% Mach One Vineyard fruit blended in, with the remainder coming from the famed Champoux Vineyard in the Horse Heaven Hills AVA. The nose is beyond alluring with toasted walnut and gorgeous purple rose petals that combine with boysenberry cordial, Turkish coffee and shades of dark licorice. The crazy complex aromatics bring you back to the glass for more enjoyment. Pillowy and opulent on the mouth, the seamless texture leads alongside outstanding weight and finesse. This is a perfect wine in a vintage that shows what can be accomplished in a slightly cooler year. Savor this remarkable achievement over the next twenty plus years to come. Drink 2026-2050
99 Points - International Wine Review:
The 2022 Columbia Valley Cabernet Sauvignon from Quilceda Creek is another release for this exceptional Cabernet, which was sourced from Champoux and Mach One. It begins with captivating aromas of ripe blackberries and red/dark currants, intertwined with nuances of crushed florals, graphite, tobacco, and a touch of licorice all unfolding as it opens. On the palate, the wine showcases a rich, full-bodied character, perfectly structured with finely polished tannins that create an incredibly smooth and seamless texture. The balance between power and finesse is remarkable, with concentrated flavors harmonized by a subtle, refreshing acidity that brings a lift to the experience and extends through the luxurious finish. While already impressive in its youth, this Cabernet promises to age gracefully for decades. Quilceda Creek continues to define excellence in Washington Cabernet, and this release is a testament to their well-earned reputation.
"This delivers a broad spectrum of aromas, from very pure, perfectly ripened dark fruit, including back cherries, currants and wild blackberries, to stoney, mineral nuances, spice box, fine cedar and a touch of graphite. Beautiful texture. It shows tense and compact but very fine, almost silky tannins on a full and broad palate. Classy and very precise. Very long. 90% Champoux vineyard and 10% Mach One vineyard. Better from 2029." (Mar 2025)
97 Points - Vinous Media:
"A minty flourish gives way to dusty blackberries, lavender, violets and hints of crushed stone as the delicate and refined 2022 Cabernet Sauvignon Columbia Valley blossoms in the glass. Elegant and silken in form, this impresses most for its graceful persona, more red fruit than black, as a crunch of minerality adds traction throughout. The 2022 comes across as totally classic, leaving fine-grained tannins to flex upon the palate as blue and purple inner florals resonate over tinges of sweet spice and dried blueberries. This is a gorgeous interpretation of the vintage, yet patience is required. " - Eric Guido (Sep 2024)