Quillia Red Blend 2013 | The Red that stole the show!
At the end of most tasting sessions, our staff is able to amicably sort out who takes which bottle home. But an awkward silence reigned the afternoon we tasted Quillia Red Blend 2013; a rich, supple stunner. So everyone wanted to make off with the $15 bottle that tasted like a $70 Napa red. Unlike many of the well-known wines on the table, this one was shrouded in mystery. While its fruit sources cloaked by confidentiality agreements. Yet, there’s no getting around those. But what remains crystal-clear is what an incredible value this bottle offers, loaded with black cherries, raspberries, kirsch, and cocoa.
More Sensational Cellar Selections
Quillia Red Blend 2013 presents ruby in color, with fantastic depth and elegance. A realm of purple and red flower potpourri, cigar box, and wet forest floor dominate the bouquet. The palate offers a generous, juicy profile with ripe red cherry fruit, spice, dried herbs, and tobacco with a long finish.
NDAs | Negociants | Translation – A great wine!
A négociant-assembled wine. So, NDAs prevent this producer from revealing their grape sources but suffice it say, the grapes that compose Quillia Red Blend 2013, a Bordeaux-meets-Rhône blend hail from some of the best vineyards in the Columbia Valley AVA, an appellation renowned for top producers like Chateau Ste. Michelle and Quilceda Creek. From a vintage that Wine Spectator rated “outstanding,” this bottle boasts the kind of depth, richness, and aromatic elegance you’d expect for triple the price. A staggering $15 per bottle on cases.
Especially since the smash-hit success of Washington’s 2012 vintage. While buyers are beginning to catch on to just how common it is for the region to produce fantastic steals like this one. Yet, the Evergreen State lies on the same latitude as Bordeaux. And the Columbia Valley AVA—headed by likes of Cayuse, Gramercy Cellars, and Quilceda Creek—offers a comparable level of consistency. Plus, this is a remarkably dry area, defined by long, warm summers, and up to 300 days of sunshine a year. As a result, the appellation is a gold mine for under-$25 reds defined by perfectly balanced ripeness, firm tannins, and fantastic structure.
Columbia Valley WA 2013 Vintage
2013 was one of the warmest growing seasons on record. The best growers calmed their nerves, avoided picking early and let Mother Nature run her course. It was the right move. So, in the last few weeks before harvest in mid-September, conditions suddenly cooled off. Therefore, extending the growing season just a bit longer for the nearly-ripened Cabernet, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Syrah, Mourvèdre, and Petit Verdot.
