Quintessa Rutherford Napa Valley Red Wine 2018
Each vintage of Quintessa is an opportunity to listen to the unique voice of this property that is shaped by the soils, vines, climate, and human element.
Every year has a distinct personality, and with each vintage Quintessa is working to make a deeper connection between the soils, their terroir, and their practices so that they can interpret the property holistically. In order to bring about the purest expression of this special place, they farm using organic and biodynamic farming techniques, and each year, they learn more about the land’s personality and how it reacts to the different conditions of each season. After thirty years, they have come to realize that the more they know about this estate the humbler they feel as they understand and accept the power of nature.
The 2018 Quintessa is a wine of perfect harmony, with deep flavors and elegant layers that are apparent even from a young age. Intense aromas of cassis, black cherry, and raspberry intermingle with savory notes of sage and thyme; the 2018 Quintessa continues to unfold as notes of dark chocolate, graphite and fresh tobacco mingle with the fresh fruit.Precise and dense, the wine shows supple tannin that play with flavors of black cherry, dark chocolate, and crushed rocks. The 2018 Quintessa has a perfect balance of fresh acidity followed by bright fruit and minerality at the finish that portends unparalleled aging potential.
Coming on the heels of five warm years, the 2018 growing season was even and balanced, beginning with bud break occurring two weeks later than the previous year. The moderate weather set the pace to create healthy canopies and a vineyard graced with mild conditions, a lack of extremes, and an abundance of high-quality fruit. The harmony of the 2018 season allowed for a deeper understanding of how we can continue to evolve our biodynamic farming practices to support the vines growing on Quintessa’s diverse soils. Mild weather conditions persisted through harvest, producing clusters of perfect ripeness and acidity, with time for phenolics and flavors
to develop without the pressure of increasing Brix. A long and almost leisurely harvest ensued, with time for precise decisions that are evident in the purity and refinement of the 2018 Quintessa.
| Vintage | 2018 |
| Varietal Composition | 92% Cabernet Sauvignon, 2% Merlot,
3% Cabernet Franc, 2% Carménère, 1% Petit Verdot |
| Appellation | Napa Valley |
| Aging | 20 months in 62% New French Oak |
| Alcohol | 14.50% |
| Volume | 750 ml |
| Country of Origin | UNITED STATES |
| State of Origin | California |
| Artificially Carbonated | No |
| Sparkling Wine | No |
This is beautifully polished with firm, dusty tannins to the blue fruit, as well as chocolate and cedar character. Some much earthier character, too, from mushrooms to bark. Forest flowers. Perfumed. It’s full-bodied with round tannins and a soft, creamy finish. So attractive at the finish. From biodynamically grown grapes. - James Suckling, 99 points
