2019 Quintessa Napa Valley Proprietary Red Blend

"This is a winemaker's master class in blending and understanding a long-standing site. Dried herb, cedar and pencil shavings accent lifted red fruit and brilliant acidity on the palate, with a supple yet still youthfully grippy texture that is framed by structured, graceful tannins." ~100 Points, Wine Enthusiast. 

Founded in 1989, Quintessa has been on an unrelenting quest for excellence. With an emphasis on sustainability in the vineyard, the owners, Agustin and Valeria Huneeus farm this estate fully organically and biodynamically, and even maintain a 100-acre nature preserve. The wine is meant to be dynamic from vintage to vintage with an ever-changing blend of grapes that emphasizes Cabernet Sauvignon as the centerpiece. This wine is guaranteed to impress you today, and will only improve over the next decade or more. 

Quintessa is sandwiched between the Napa River and the Vacas Mountain range, this unique terroir gives the estate its own set of microclimates across the property. Because of this wide range of temperature differentials and an even more diverse soil array, each vineyard block is farmed individually. These small plots allow for a lot of control over the growth of the grapes and ultimately the final blend of the wine.  

“The 2019 Quintessa offers nuance, depth, and great persistence. A complex of flower, forest, fruit, and earth notes harmonize with fine-grained tannin and vibrant acidity. It is a wine of precision as well as transparency. The 2019 Quintessa will drink well now for those who prefer a youthful expression but will also last in the cellar for at least another twenty years for those who enjoy the complexities of age.” – Rebekah Wineburg, Winemaker.  

2019 was an amazing year for Napa Valley. Vinous Media blessed this year with a 94-97 Point review, stating that "The 2019s are fabulous. The wines feel like they have a little more energy, power, and depth than the 2018s. It is a highly promising vintage."

Aging: 22 months in 60% French new oak barrels. 

Tasting Notes: 91% Cabernet Sauvignon, 41% Cabernet Franc, 2% Merlot, 2% Carmenere, 1% Petit Verdot. Deep, shiny ruby with touches of magenta. The nose showcases touches of flowers such as lilac, and violet and fruit such as blueberry reduction, cotton candy, rose candy, cassis jelly, apricot jam, and watermelon gum. The palate has a fruity entrance, evolving on an aromatic mid-palate lingering on fresh fruit and granular tannins with touches of boysenberries.