We are in Rutherford, a small town in the Napa Valley between St. Helena and Oakville; in the 1970s the Chilean couple Augustin and Valeria Huneeus decided to move to New York, at that period she was involved in medical traininig and he was about to experience in the wine sector. In 1990, they chose the Napa Valley to realise their dream: making the best wine in Napa Valley.
A region knowed for its patchwork of nuances and mesoclimates that enhance the production of multifaceted and charismatic wines. The Quintessa estate, in the foothills of the Vaca Mountains, boasts a very large area of vines planted near Dragon Lake. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Carmenère and Petit Verdot are cultivated here. Organic and biodynamic farming methods are used. The vinification protocols are precise and non-interventionist in order to obtain the best possible expression of the soil and of the vintage. Wines with unique and expressive personalities, but we leave it to the producers themselves to reveal other curiosities.
VdV: What are the selling points of your wines?
Quintessa is an organic and biodynamic estate set amidst natural vegetation and ancient oaks in Rutherford, Napa Valley, the most highly regarded growing region in the United States. Its 280 acres reflect a diversity of geology, exposures and micro-climates. These are the distinct qualities that inspired founders Agustin and Valeria Huneeus in their vision for a timeless wine estate when, in 1989, they planted 160 of the property’s acres to the vine. For more than three decades, each bottling of Quintessa has been inspired by the estate model: we craft a singular wine – the Quintessa red blend. Each vintage offers a transparent, energetic expression of the property, evoking a place and time.
VdV: What are the peculiarities which allow you to recognize your wines from others?
Quintessa is a wine that represents very transparently a property with singular characteristics in the Napa Valley. The estate is a beautiful compilation of hillsides surrounding a lake in the center of them. The origin of the soils is mostly volcanic, like most of the region, but also there is the western natural border of the Napa river. This obviously generates an alluvial component on the property. The expression of the wine is consistent with this pattern and depending on the climatic conditions it may show aromatically a combination of fruit, together with earthiness and herbs, but in my opinion the most interesting attribute is in its mouth feel. There is a very distinct graphite component that you can taste, and together with its structure and length, it elongates the mouthfeel. Fresh, bright and mineral, that is a rare combination in the region and it happens naturally in this property.
VdV: I guess you are deeply involved in the production of wines… How was born your passion of it?
I am attached to my profession as I feel very lucky for the path that I chose. Quintessa is a property of immense beauty, but also strongly connected to its origin. When you get the chance to understand how it was formed together with the sense of privacy and calmness that you get when you walk through it, you know you are in a special place. But there is no place like this that will be as beautiful with a seamless presence of us as humans. I deeply enjoy working with the team, winemaking led by Rebekah Wineburg and Martin Galvan in the estate vineyard, as we share this deep appreciation for the place: for the efforts we make to read nature at its best and for the long term vision that we all share. The beauty of what we do is that it allows us to create an emotional bond which is rare to find in many work environments. That makes it special too.
Jonathan Choukroun Chicheportiche
Quintessa Illumination 2022 North Coast, California
The nose is fruity, juicy and offers elegance, a certain balanced richness as well as a bright citrus/ tanginess. […] On the palate this wine expresses notes of crushed peach/nectarine, kumquat and small notes of lime associated with touches of quénette, pink grapefruit as well as discreet hints of elderflower, wild verbena and a hint of honeysuckle. Good length. […] Good work on the good bitterness on the finish/persistence.
(Read full review on www.vertdevin.com)
Score : 16.25+/20 (93/100)
Quintessa 2020 Rutherford, Napa Valley
The nose is fruity, powerful, intense and offers deepness. Beautiful powerful and fine grain. […] On the palate this wine expresses notes of blackberry/cassis and small roasted fruits associated with touches of crushed raspberry, chocolate, Bourbon vanilla and caramelization. Tannins are powerful, elegant and polished. A very discreet hint of balsamic in the background. Beautiful persistence.
(Read full review on www.vertdevin.com)
Score : 17.5/20 (95/100)
Quintessa
1601 Silverado Trail S
St Helena, CA 94574, USA
www.quintessa.com
