Quintessa tasting at Hedonism: Exploring vintage variation in Napa Valley
“There’s been talk about how Napa Valley doesn’t have vintage variation,” says Quintessa’s Rebekah Wineburg, with the air of someone with a trick up her sleeve. We’re about to taste four vintages of Quintessa and I have a feeling they’re going to blast that kind of talk out the water.
We’re in Hedonism, London’s most beautiful wine boutique. I mean, it’s called a ‘boutique’, which should tell you everything you need to know before making a visit. You are greeted by a view of upside-down wine glasses, which hang from the ceiling, fashioning an elaborate chandelier, and a beautiful embossed staircase tempting you downstairs to the treasures that await.
There’s wine on shelves, on racks, behind glass, held by sculptured hands sticking out of a wall and, today, inside several glasses in front of me on top of a large, grand tasting table.
“You are drinking wines from a very special place,” Rebekah tells us.
Quintessa is an estate winery in Rutherford, a much-admired AVA located in the centre of Napa Valley. Napa is defined by two mountain ranges with the valley running through the middle and Quintessa is right on the valley floor. But, it’s anything but flat. It has hills, slopes, different aspects and a huge mirror-glass lake; looking at Rebekah’s slide, it really is a stunning estate. Although it appears to be as manicured as a golf course, there is a depth and history to this place: central hills, volcanic rocks, granite, cobbles - Rebekah calls it “a somewhat mysterious mix”.
The Rutherford AVA is famed for its Cabernet wines, which are tinged with a unique spicy element known as ‘Rutherford dust’, thought to come from the ancient riverbed soil. But Rebekah tells us that there is more to terroir than geology: “The other part of terroir is the people.”
Agustin and Valeria Huneeus and Valeria founded the estate in 1989 when it was virgin land that had never been farmed before. They knew that, as Rebekah describes, “this was a place with a story to tell”.
At a time when organic farming techniques were very alternative in the Valley, the Huneeus’ went ahead and did what they felt was right, before also going biodynamic in the 1990s. Rebekah explains that ‘terroir’ is also about “how you care for the property” and she and Rodrigo see themselves as the guardians of Agustin and Valeria’s vision. As winemakers, Rebekah thinks that their role is to “make a connection between the vineyard and the winery” and work out how they can best translate that to us via the glass.
One Quintessa wine is made each year. The blend changes, depending on the best parcels, and it means that every wine has a different personality. In front of us, we have 2018, 2017, 2011 and 2010 (the latter two from Magnum) and are ready to see the many different facets of Quintessa.
Quintessa 2018
A deep ruby with a purple rim, the wine appears viscous in the glass with slow falling tears. On the nose, there’s lots of plush cherry and plum fruit, with tobacco box behind. On the palate, Rebekah describes the sensation as “electricity with a fine, chalky texture”. The “mountain tannins” provide structure without being grippy.
Quintessa 2017
My first impressions are that is wine is slightly tighter, with brighter cherry fruit (perhaps more European in style?). There’s a power behind this wine and Rebekah says that it shows the character of the old vines: “Young vines couldn’t stand the heat (of this vintage)”.
Quintessa 2011
“One of the most interesting vintages we’ve had in Napa Valley”, announces Rebekah. The colour is edging to garnet on this wine and, along with the still-concentrated fruit, you have aromas of mushroom, earth, truffle and raw meat. This wine possesses amazing acidity – pass me a steak!
Quintessa 2010
There’s a little more of a brick-coloured hue to this 11-year-old, but the aromas are still perky and intense. On the palate, it has an incredible freshness, with much more spice and a little heat. The tannins are soft and the fruit is ripe.
Me and Libby Zietsman-Brodie at the Quintessa tasting in Hedonism
As a surprise, we also taste the first vintage of Illumination (2018), an 85% Sauvignon Blanc 15% old vine Semillon blend. Rebekah describes it as “of equal standing next to Quintessa – it captures the Californian sunshine.” It opens up with passionfruit and peach notes, with background aromas of hay and asparagus. On the palate, citrus fruits dominate, acidity is high and there is a definite mineral streak (highlighted by concrete egg fermentation).
Every year is different and must express the best grape variety, which makes these wines individual, little time capsules of their growing seasons. Rebekah and Rodrigo are pursuing character and personality in their wines and are still exploring what their terroir is. “As winegrowers, we are at a point of discovery right now.”
Perhaps some might think that vintage variation is unusual in Napa Valley, but then again, perhaps Quintessa are unusual in Napa Valley. Who else questions, as Rebekah does, “How do these vines connect to the greater story of Napa Valley?”