2021 Quintessa Offering - one of the Frist Growths of Napa Valley

“He looked as if he had been beaten to death with a wine bottle, but by doing it with the contents of the bottle.”
― Richard Brautigan, The Abortion: An Historical Romance, 1966
If I am beaten to death I hope it is with the contents of a wine bottle, especially one like Quintessa!

We have been following the handy work of Agustan Huneeus since his early days in his homeland Chile with the mammoth Concha y Toro and have been impressed by every one of his stops along the way turning around landmark Napa wineries like Franciscan Estates and Mount Veeder.  His return to Chile has produced some of the greatest wines that this country has to offer with his Veramonte label.  I visited the Quintessa winery in Napa Valley for the first time in June of 2009 and even though I had always been impressed with the wines, the winery and entire property are meticulously run, which again is not a surprise given that they are owned by Agustan Hunneus. 

The press initially was not very kind to Quntessa at first as it was not until the 2013 vintage that it first scored over 95 Points in a major wine publication, but I always thought this was among the top wines produced in Napa Valley from it’s very first vintage 1993.  The wine really speaks for itself as the property is not only incredibly beautiful but the wines are always among the best coming from Napa every year and we have hosted several events over the years with this wine featuring vertical tastings and component tastings showcasing the various vineyard plots and single varietals that make up the blend.

We are happy to see them score their second 100 Points review with the release of the 2021 vintage wine.  This relentless pursuit of perfection is why I would call this property one of Napa Valley's first growths.  We are proud to offer this wine in 4 different formats and we have a few older vintages in the store as well as all the wines from the Huneeus group in the store on SALE!!

Quintessa - One of the First Growths of Napa Valley

2021 Quintessa Proprietary Red Napa 3 Liter
Price: $1316.25               Sale $1158.30
2021 Quintessa Proprietary Red Napa Magnum
Price: $607.50                 Sale $536.40
2021 Quintessa Proprietary Red Napa
Price: $287.00                 Sale $252.56
2021 Quintessa Proprietary Red Napa (375ml)
Price: $ 146.25                Sale $128.70
(100 Points)  An exquisite wine, relying primarily on Cabernet Sauvignon from a single estate. Aromas of lavender, dried herbs and grapefruit pith combine with flavors of firm fruits and cocoa on a structure of abundant, powder-fine tannin and a mouthwatering finish. This wine is refined, detailed and delicious, with as much elegance as energy. Best 2026–2040. — Elaine Chukan Brown  Wine Enthusiast

Older vintages of Quintessa on SALE!!

2013 Quintessa Proprietary Red Napa Magnum
Price: $742.50                 Your Price: $653.40
(96 Points) Still showing terrifically youthful purple color, the 2013 Proprietary Red Wine delivers waves of cedar, vanilla and black cherries. It's richer and more concentrated than typical for the estate yet still silky in feel, with a medium to full-bodied palate and ample length on the mocha-tinged finish. Best After 2016  Robert Parker's Wine Advocate

2016 Quintessa Proprietary Red Napa Magnum
Price: $578.00                 Your Price: $508.64              Quantity in Stock: 1
2016 Quintessa Proprietary Red Napa
Price: $292.75                 Your Price: $257.62              Quantity in Stock: 3
(97+ points) The 2016 Proprietary Red Wine is blended of 89% Cabernet Sauvignon, 6% Merlot, 3% Cabernet Franc, 1% Petit Verdot and 1% Carménère, with all fruit coming from the Quintessa estate, and it aged for 20 months in 73% new French oak. Very deep purple-black in color, it comes bounding out of the glass like a pedigree pup with exuberant notions of crème de cassis, warm blueberries and black cherries with hints of redcurrants, kirsch, candied violets, crushed rocks, cigar box and fallen leaves plus a waft of truffles. Full, rich and beautifully laced with layers of floral notes and fragrant earth, the profound black and blue fruits build slowly in the mouth, achieving great energy and depth with a beautiful velvety frame, finishing long and perfumed. Lisa Perrotti-Brown, Wine Advocate (Issue # Interim - Dec 2018)

The Quintessential Wine Estate

Agustin and Valeria Huneeus developed Quintessa in 1990 to establish the property as one  of the great red wine estates of the world. Valeria guided the 280-acre Rutherford vineyard  with strict care for the soil and environment with a commitment to biodynamic and organic  farming. The vineyard’s many microclimates, soil types, elevations, and exposures have  been planted to a wide selection of rootstocks and clones, with Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and small plots of Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot and Carmenère. The winery’s eco-sensitive design integrates nature and winemaking, with a gravity flow process, naturally cooled winery and caves. Grapes are crushed on the winery roof and flow by gravity into the fermentation room below. After fermentation with native yeasts and extended maceration in stainless steel, French oak and concrete tanks, the wine ages in French oak barrels in the caves. Winemaker Charles Thomas brings over 20 years of winemaking experience in California to Quintessa’s next decade. He leads a winemaking team that includes international blending consultant Michel Rolland.

It is hard to believe that just a few decades ago this pristine property in  the heart of Napa Valley had never seen a grapevine.  Originally part of the Caymus land grant, the property was purchased in the 1940s by George Mardikian, a high profile San Francisco restaurateur, owner of the renowned Omar Khayyam restaurant. Mardikian had grand plans for the property and believed it's destiny was to be a premium wine estate. George Mardikian died in the early 1980s never having fulfilled his dream.

The combination of the property's size, beauty and location in the heart of one of the world's greatest appellations, Rutherford, created a speculative frenzy among potential buyers. From the time of his death until the final sale in 1990, many prestigious vintners in the Napa Valley attempted to buy the property, several getting as far as escrow, without success.

Agustin And Valeria Huneeus remember the first time that they discovered the property: "In 1989, Valeria and I found the property that would become Quintessa, a remarkable estate in the heart of the renowned Rutherford appellation of Napa Valley. With 280 acres, it was the last great undeveloped property in Napa Valley and had all the characteristics of a great wine estate: rolling hills, many different microclimates and a vast diversity of soil types.  Maybe the other buyers could not close due to money, but most speculate that the former owner was a bit difficult to deal with but Augustan will tell you today, “Now with nearly fifteen years of growth, the vines have lost their youthful exuberance and have developed into a balanced vineyard that needs little manipulation to produce low yields and concentrated flavors." - Agustin Huneeus

"The fact that the property at Quintessa had never been planted to grapes before spoke to the vivacity of the soil and the absence of grape pests. But it was amazing the diversity of the land that convinced us of Quintessa's potential to be one of the truly great wine estates of the world. The estate includes a valley, a lake, a river, five hills, four microclimates and numerous different soil types. Few vineyards anywhere encompass such diversity." - Valeria Huneeus

Agustin and Valeria Huneeus developed Quintessa in 1990 to establish the property as one of the great red wine estates of the world.  Valeria guided the 280- acre vineyard with strict criteria of care for the soil and environment through a commitment to biodynamic and organic farming.  The vineyard matches rootstocks and clones to the estates diverse terroir and is planted primarily to Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot with small plots of Cabernet Franc, Petite Verdot and Carmeniere.  The winery's eco-sensitive design integrates nature and winemaking.  Grapes are crushed on the winery roof and flow by gravity into the fermentation room below.  After extended maceration in steel and French oak tanks, the wines are basket pressed and aged in French barrels in the caves.  Winemaker Charles Thomas brings over 20 years of winemaking experience to Quintessa's next decade.  His team includes consulting winemaker Aaron Pott and international blending consultant Michel Rolland.

We visited this vineyard in the summer of 2009 and were blown away by the 2005 release, this is one of the best wines made in Napa Valley every year with only 10% of the fruit from their vineyards making it into the final blend. Most that know Quintessa will tell you that they have a second label called Faust, but only 1% if the juice from the Quintessa property goes into this wine.  Faust is made almost entirely from another vineyard site that is located in Coombsville and is an outstanding wine in its own right and to be called the second wine of Quintessa would not be a bad thing as I just mentioned they use typically only 10% of the fruit that is produced on this property for Quintessa and there is no real second wine the rest of the juice is sold off in bulk!

A complete list of wines that we have here in the store from this the Huneeus Group:

2021 Faust Cabernet Sauvignon Napa 3 Liter
Price: $360.00                 Your Price: $316.80
2021 Faust Cabernet Sauvignon Napa
Price: $49.50                   Your Price: $43.56              Quantity in Stock: 11
Faust is the epitome of the style that has made Napa Cabernet Sauvignon world renowned: bold and powerful, yet elegant and concentrated. Top Cabernet Sauvignon lots are selected from vineyards Agustin Huneeus owns in Rutherford, a Napa Valley appellation synonymous with the best of Napa Valley Cabernet, as well as the up and coming, soon to be named Tulocay viticultural area south of Atlas Peak. Both vineyards are carefully tended to produce low yields and great concentration. The grapes are double sorted and crushed at Quintessa, one of the Napa Valley’s most technologically sophisticated wineries, featuring gravity-flow design, oak fermentation and naturally cooled caves.
(94 Points) Packed and broad in feel, with a ganache note draped over black currant, blackberry and steeped cherry. Licorice root and alder smoke flavors check in on the finish as the fruit pumps through, ending with a flash of violet. Hard to resist now, but this has some development ahead.  Wine Spectator

2022 Faust Cabernet Sauvignon Napa
Price: $49.50                   Your Price: $43.56
Faust's 2022 Cabernet Sauvignon is bold and expressive. Made primarily from Cabernet Sauvignon grown in the Coombsville appellation, the wine balances Napa's classic bold, ripe fruit notes with a backbone of acidity and gravelly minerality.

2021 Faust the Pact Napa
Price: $130.00                 Your Price: $114.40
With its vivid blue fruit and vibrant energy, the 2021 Pact might be a Coombsville prototype for years to come.
Dark, exotic spice-with star anise in the lead—opens on a complex nose layered with sweet tobacco, savory herb and olive notes, and a lovely vein of graphite minerality under briar-kissed blueberry. The palate is electric, its deceptive power couched in chalky, tight-knit cannins. Black raspberry joins blueberry, with wet slate and soil-driven, iron-rich minerality spilling into a long, perfectly balanced finish, serious and hedonistic at once.
Blend: 96% Cabernet Sauvignon, 2% Petit Verdot, 2% Merlot

2021 FAVIA LA MAGDALENA RED WINE NAPA VALLEY
Price: $281.25                 Your Price: $247.50
A statuesque blend of Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon, this wine is as rich and complex as the soils from which it grows. Hailing from high on the plateau that is Oakville Ranch, it is deep, layered and eminently ageable.

2021 FAVIA CABERNET SAUVIGNON COOMBSVILLE NAPA VALLEY
Price: $281.25                 Your Price: $247.50
(98 Points)  Deep garnet- purple in color, the 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon Coombsville explodes with bombastic notes of crème de cassis, black cherry preserves, and boysenberries giving way to nuances of cedar, graphite, and lavender oil. The full- bodied palate is jam packed with intense black and blue fruit layers supported by a solid line of firm grainy tannins and amazing tension, finishing long and with wonderful purity.  January 2024 | Lisa Perotti-Brown/The Wine Independent
2019 FAVIA CABERNET SAUVIGNON COOMBSVILLE NAPA VALLEY
Price: $281.25                 Your Price: $247.50
(98 Points) The 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon Coombsville is a blend mostly from Meteor. A stunning wine, the 2019 possesses off the charts richness and tremendous depth that just builds with time in the glass. Inky dark fruit, plum, spice, licorice, menthol and crushed berries saturate the palate. The 2019 is one of the very finest wines I have ever tasted from Andy Erickson and Annie Favia. Don’t miss it.  October 2021 | Antonio Galloni | 98

2023 Illumination Sauvignon Blanc Napa
Price: $44.25                   Your Price: $38.94
The 2023 vintage of Illumination reveals aromatic purity and incredible depth. Classic notes of grapefruit peel, lemon curd, and white peach are layered with undertones of ginger tea, wild thyme, and clover blossom - the floral character a hallmark of the cool vintage. On the palate, flavors of kumquat and guava mesh with wet slate and elderflower. A lovely textural roundness is balanced by racy acidity and minerality. While vibrant in its youth, this wine's structure also promised aging potential.
Blend: 58% Sauvignon Blanc, 32% Sauvignon Blanc Musqué, 10% Sémillon

2022 Flowers Chardonnay Sonoma Coast
Price: $34.50                   Your Price: $30.36              Quantity in Stock: 5
Rich and mineral laced lots of ripe tree fruit lemon drop candy and hints of carmel corn showing a bit of eveolution here on the nose.  A big and balanced chardonnay like a grand cru Bburgundy very complex with an almost oily textrue here lovely balance and freshness a long mineral laced finish some oak but has lovely balance.      Most Excellent

2022 Flowers Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast
Price: $49.75                   Your Price: $43.78              Quantity in Stock: 5
WINERY NOTES This fine-spun Pinot Noir opens with fresh aromas of coastal evergreens and wildflowers. Hints of early-season cherries follow, macerated in warm spices (anise, cardamom, allspice) and layered over earthy sandalwood. Ripe yet tangy dark berries, wearing a little dust from the patch, star on a lightly textured palate, giving way to savory herbs, delicately tannic red tea, and a pop of salty sea beans. A fascinating play of light fruit and dark spice is finished with a bright squeeze of orange peel.

2022 Flowers Pinot Noir Seaview Ridge Sonoma Coast
Price: $115.00                 Your Price: $101.20
The Wine Pungent coastal aromas pinpoint the source of this Pinot Noir—high-elevation ridges juxtaposed with the mossy, rocky shoreline of the Pacific Ocean. Bright, salty notes on the nose conjure a fresh sea breeze, while cool loam and wild botanicals evoke the evergreen forest nearby. Red cherry and vivid wild strawberry pop on a singularly expressive palate, filling the mouth with firm but fine textures. A distinct vein of iron-rich minerality unspools under intriguing layers of orange peel and bergamot tea, all coming together in a vibrant, lingering finish.

2023 Flowers Rose Sonoma Coast
Price: $27.00                   Your Price: $23.76
This delicately hued rosé embodies true coastal character with its freshness, vibrancy and marine minerality. Lifted aromas of wild strawberry and rose petal give way to a trio of fresh, sweet and candied ruby grapefruit, underscored with a layer of wet stone minerality. A welcoming and supple entry reveals hallmark flavors of red grapefruit and a hint of vine-ripened watermelon which echo the wine's charmingly complex aromatics. The palate is taut, neatly framing a latticework of texture and acidity that supports a persistent and mouth-watering finish.

2019 BENTON LANE FIRST CLASS CHARDONNAY, WILLAMETTE VALLEY
Price: $24.00                   Your Price: $21.12
The 2019 Benton-Lane Chardonnay is elegant and nuanced, with aromas of jasmine, honeydew melon, key lime and lemon thyme. Flavors of meyer lemon, white peach, quince, and freshly baked tart are highlighted on the palate, along with a broad, creamy mouthfeel that finishes focused and long.

2022 Benton Lane Pinot Noir Willamette Valley
Price: $24.00                   Your Price: $21.12
Fresh raspberries and sour cherries on the nose, and spices such as black pepper and cardamom in the back, mingle with hints of earthiness and herbs redolent of dried thyme and fresh pennyroyal. Medium bodied with a vibrant, textured midpalate. Marked by elegant tannins and balanced acidity, this is a complex, nuanced wine with a long finish.