【Napa 100-Point Flagship | Petrus Winemaker | Legendary Consultant Michel Rolland】
【A top-tier, elegant Napa Cabernet Sauvignon consistently acclaimed by major critics】
【Wine Enthusiast 100】【James Suckling 99】【Jeb Dunnuck 97】
【Decanter 96】【Wine Advocate 95】【Vivino 4.6】
ZTUS04A Quintessa Rutherford Bordeaux Blend 2019 Napa Valley
Price：$1299/Bottle
Type：Red Wine
Grape Varieties：91% Cabernet Sauvignon, 4% Cabernet Franc, 2% Merlot, 2% Carmenère, and 1% Petit Verdot.
Region：USA/Napa Valley
ABV：14.5%
Volume：750ml
Quintessa is a renowned winery located in the Rutherford appellation of Napa Valley, USA. The name "Quintessa" incorporates the root "Quinte," signifying the number five; when Valeria and Agustin purchased the estate, they discovered it was situated across five hills and encompassed five distinct microclimates. Rutherford is a high-quality appellation that is also home to other prestigious estates such as Scarecrow, Dana Estates, and Beaulieu Vineyard (BV).
Petrus Winemaker & CEO of Chile’s Premier Winery, Concha y Toro
Born in Santiago, Chile, Agustin Huneeus entered the wine industry and became the CEO of Concha y Toro in 1960. Under his leadership, Concha y Toro grew into Chile's largest winery. In 1971, Agustin left his homeland due to the country's "difficult political climate." He subsequently joined Seagram Company Ltd., overseeing its wine operations across seven countries, including the United States. In 1977, he founded Noble Vineyard and later acquired Concannon Vineyard in the Livermore Valley.
In 1990, Agustin and his wife, Valeria, co-founded Quintessa. Valeria Huneeus is a viticulturist holding a PhD in biochemistry. After working at several renowned wineries in Napa Valley, the couple discovered the site that would become Quintessa in 1989. As the land had never before been planted with vines, the Huneeus family was able to cultivate it exactly as they envisioned. The estate is situated in the heart of Rutherford, a prestigious appellation within Napa Valley. With a keen eye, Agustin recognized that these undeveloped, rolling hills—featuring diverse microclimates, rich soils, and abundant biodiversity—offered the perfect setting for a world-class wine estate. They settled there to develop the vineyards and winery, enlisting Jean-Claude Berrouet—the winemaker for Château Pétrus and a close friend of Agustin—as a consultant. Berrouet brought with him extensive experience in the region, having already worked at Dominus, another Napa estate.
Quintessa’s estate spans 280 acres, with 170 acres dedicated to classic Bordeaux grape varieties across 26 distinct vineyard blocks. The plantings include 129 acres of Cabernet Sauvignon, 26 acres of Merlot, 7 acres of Cabernet Franc, 4 acres of Petit Verdot, and 4 acres of Carménère. Situated at the confluence of a valley, a lake, a river, and five hills, the estate enjoys a unique microclimate, diverse soil types, and abundant biodiversity.
The vineyards sit at elevations below 500 feet on well-draining alluvial soils—primarily gravel and sandy loam. Located at the widest point of Napa Valley, the estate benefits from plentiful daily sunshine and a temperate climate. Cool nights in early spring (March and April) give way to warm days and cool nights during the summer—conditions that foster optimal grape ripening—with annual rainfall averaging 26 to 36 inches.
The 65-hectare vineyard is categorized into five distinct terroirs, further refined into 26 vineyard blocks, and ultimately managed down to 85 individual harvest zones—all to ensure every grape reaches perfect maturity. The estate strictly adheres to biodynamic farming, a practice demanding significant labor and resources. Grapes are hand-harvested and optically sorted, followed by a prolonged 30-day maceration in stainless steel tanks and fermentation using native yeasts. Finally, the wine is aged for 20 months in 100% French oak barrels; 85% are new barrels featuring medium-plus toast levels—sourced from forests north of the Loire River—to impart refined tannins.
After 2010, the estate engaged the renowned "flying winemaker" Michel Rolland as a winemaking consultant—notably, he is also the talent behind the elite American label Screaming Eagle. This stellar lineup helped forge another Napa legend: Quintessa.
Quintessa was named to James Suckling’s "Top 100 Wines" lists in both 2019 and 2022. In 2002, the estate commissioned the San Francisco-based firm Walker Warner Architects to design a winery with a modern aesthetic; its graceful, crescent-shaped design reflects the founders'—Agustin and Valeria—desire to seamlessly integrate the facility into the natural landscape through an unobtrusive structure. The modern winery is equipped with state-of-the-art winemaking technology and facilities, including French oak barrels and stainless steel fermentation tanks that impart complexity and nuanced character to the wines.
Although consulting winemaker Michel Rolland is renowned for crafting full-bodied wines, this wine differs from the opulent, rich style typical of California; instead, critics have frequently praised its elegance. Renowned critic Robert Parker has repeatedly lauded Quintessa for its remarkable elegance, while *Wine Spectator* has hailed it as a "world-class, Bordeaux-style Rutherford."
Wine Enthusiast 100
This is a winemaker's master class in blending and understanding of 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.
James Suckling 99
So much earth and spice with walnut and wet earth. Like fog laying over the valley in the morning. Black fruit. Medium-to full-bodied with super-fine tannins that are long and persistent, with graceful progression and length on the palate. So long, with real definition. September 2022 release. From biodynamically grown grapes. Hard not to drink now, but will age wonderfully.
Jeb Dunnuck 97
I was blown away by the 2019 Red Blend from Quintessa, which is up with the crème de la crème of the vintage. Based on Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot and Carmenère, this full-bodied beauty has a perfectly balanced, seamless, yet expansive and classic 2019 style as well as gorgeous aromatics of cassis, flowers, chalky minerality, and integrated oak. It’s hard to resist already, but I have no doubt this will evolve for 20 years if stored properly.
Decanter 96
From the heart of Rutherford, made with both organic and Demeter-certified biodynamic grapes. Pure, vibrant aromas of dark berry fruit, liquorice, cassis, cardamom and rich earth. Penetrating to the core, with satiny robes of mixed blue and black fruits, crème de cassis,and a rich tapestry of very long, fine-grained tannins. A beautiful wine, drinking nicely now and should be enjoyed over the next few decades.
Wine Advocate 95
The 2019 Proprietary Red Wine is more open and effusive than the 2018 version, with gentle floral nuances set against a backdrop of black cherries and cassis, joined by subtle notes of tobacco, cedar and vanilla. In the mouth, it's medium to full-bodied, streamlined, silky and lush, nicely balanced and elegant, with a long, softly dusty finish tinged with licorice and caramel.
