One of the Most Unique and Beautiful Properties in All of Napa Valley
Quintessa is one of the most unique and beautiful properties in all of Napa Valley. Purchased by Valeria and Agustin Huneeus back in 1990, the property was not planted to vineyards at the time and was a mixture of open grassland for raising cattle and untouched, oak-covered hillsides. From the very conception of Quintessa, being good stewards of the land was at the forefront of the vision. Seeking to protect this incredible place, they committed to not clearing trees from the property, and to this day, more than 100 acres of wild oak forest help preserve the biodiversity of the estate.
The vineyard has been farmed organically for many decades and is certified CCOF Organic and Demeter Biodynamic. The many parcels of vines planted across the estate cover just about every possible aspect and row orientation. The estate has three vastly different soil types and many more subtle variations within those. Renowned geologist Brenna Quigley has studied the property in depth and worked with the team at Quintessa to dial in every aspect of their farming to the nuances of the land.
The eastern portion of the estate, which adjoins the Silverado Trail, is home to distinct white, volcanic ash soils. The mid-portion of the estate, the rolling hills that surround Dragon's Lake in the center, is defined by very rocky, cobblestone soils of volcanic basalt and obsidian rock that has tumbled down from the Vaca Mountains. The far western edge of the estate is skirted by the Napa River. Here, the vines grow on a bench of alluvial gravel with lenses of fine silts and clays.
The estate is planted to the main Bordeaux varieties plus a rare portion of Carménère, perhaps a nod to the Huneeus family's Chilean heritage. Winemaker Rebekah Wineberg takes this incredible broad and diverse chef's pantry of raw material and crafts them into one wine to best represent the complexity and true voice of the special place in a given season. Contrary to most properties in Napa and across the world, no single blocks are separated out to be bottled as individual wines. The guiding philosophy here is that the collective expression of the estate is like that of an orchestra: when expertly conducted, the many individual components come together to create a wine that is greater than the sum of its parts. I think this utter dedication to creating one holistic estate wine is noble and fascinating. It has also led to a wonderful consistency of brilliance from Quintessa, making it a consistent contender for wine of the vintage year in and year out.
After crafting what I thought was the very best 2020 red wine from Napa Valley, I was excited to check out the latest release from 2021, which looked to be a much less challenging vintage of almost universally declared excellence. A couple of weeks ago, I was lucky enough to be invited to visit Quintessa to taste the newly released 2021 in the shade of an oak-covered knoll looking out over the estate. I found the wine to be just as enchanting and captivating as the view. The wine is one of coiled power and intensity—not a huge, boisterous wine of weight and extract, but one that is much more about elegance, refinement, depth, and intrigue. It has a crisp poise to it with very pure, pristine blackcurrant fruit, briary notes, cigar box, pumice stone, dusty loam, new leather, and subtle exotic oak spices. The wine is linear and focused; it possesses wonderful purity, tension, and immaculate balance. Considering the wine comes from such a diverse terroir as discussed above, it's seamlessly integrated, with every element pulling in the same direction, harmonious to the core. A fine, age-worthy expression of Rutherford Cabernet with so much authenticity and genuine appeal for those seeking wines of place over wines of process. I'm a huge fan of what Quintessa is doing in so many ways, and the absolute proof of their dedication and devotion to this place is perfectly encapsulated in the bottle.