Alex and Paul Golitzin (Quilceda Creek Winery, Snohomish, WA) - Over the past decade or more, this father and son team have produced Cabernets as fine as any on earth. The Golitzins are obsessed with quality, concentrating on harvesting only the ripest fruit, fashioning the softest tannins, to produce powerful, elegant, and balanced wines. Of the 17 Quilceda Creek Cabernets reviewed over the years, a startling 16 have received outstanding ratings (the lone dissenter, the 1989, earned a score of 88). Some cynics might say that Washington's wines lag behind those of Bordeaux and California, so Quilceda Creek's wines have been scored high in relation to their state's peers. Well, in blind tastings I participated in that included the first growth Bordeaux from the same vintages, the 1996 and 1998 Quilceda Creek Cabernets shined brightly, earning many first places. The results occured when Quilceda Creeks were paired with California's finest. The Golitzins should be praised for their dedication and their committment to excellence.

Pierre-Antoine Rovani, Robert M. Parker, Jr.'s, The Wine Advocate