A Letter from the Estate

The 2021 Quintessa is a wine of great concentration and finesse. But it is just one point on an arc in more than three decades of history, reaching towards an unseen future—and we are not ones to rest on our laurels. The vintage is hard-won affirmation that meeting the opportunity of a stellar growing season with vision, experience, intuition, and science can result in great beauty and excellence.

Our founders, Agustin and Valeria Huneeus, assumed stewardship of Quintessa’s Rutherford estate in 1989, and dedicated themselves to capturing the beauty and harmony of this land in the form of a great wine. In the years since, we have earned our experience through intentional and adaptive repetition. However, experience is not just a factor of knowledge, but of interpretation—which is where intuition comes in. Thoughtful and sensitive attunement have led us to a holistic understanding of the property’s unique features and temperament.

Still, it’s humbling to discover that the more work we do, the more we realize what we don’t know; there are infinite nuances of the property to continue to observe and learn from. Seeking the precision that only science can bring, we have also conducted explorations alongside consultants in soil mapping, geology, pruning, biodynamics, biodiversity, and climate resilience, earning greater transparency into both the physical and unseen forces that define Quintessa.

Finally, each year also introduces seasonal variations. Nature is an unpredictable force, and perhaps increasingly so. If we dedicate ourselves to constantly preparing the site to meet the opportunities that the season presents—to read the signs and react quickly and confidently—we can demonstrate that we are ready to capture its essence and interpret it in a single, distinctive wine.

2021 Quintessa

A dry winter marked the start of 2021, foreshadowing somewhat smaller canopies in the vineyard. We pruned accordingly to encourage balanced ripening through the growing season. Against the backdrop of dry conditions, spring was refreshingly cool, allowing the clusters to develop slowly. From June through August, when sugar begins to accumulate, days were moderately warm, with no extreme heat spells. The fruit ripened smoothly and evenly, with great color, bright acidity, and exciting flavor complexity.

With a small crop, and smaller canopies and clusters, we began harvesting early to achieve the optimum balance of sugar and flavor development, vibrancy and phenolic ripeness. The weather held in our favor, with moderate late season temperatures, and the fruit was in beautiful condition come harvest.

Our 2021 unfolds with Quintessa’s signature balance of complex fruit, precise structure, and vital freshness amplified by an especially beautiful growing season. Floral notes—violet and lilac—lift an intensely aromatic bouquet of cassis and black cherry accented with anise, bay laurel, and earthy forest floor. On the palate, firm but fine-grained tannins back lovely dark berry and savory herb flavors interwoven with a sophisticated minerality. Generous texture carries the complex layers to a fine, chalky finish.

TO ACQUIRE THE 2021 VINTAGE, PLEASE JOIN OUR MAILING LIST OR CONTACT US AT CUSTOMERSERVCE@QUINTESSA.COM OR 707-286-2745.

Library Vintages

(707) 286 2745 | members@quintessa.com