Quintessa Proprietary Red 2019

- 100 Punkte WINE ENTHUSIAST, Virginie Boone: „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. Enjoy from 2029–2039.“

- 96 Punkte DECANTER, Georgina Hindle: „Dark chocolate, violets and blackcurrants on the nose. Sticky, sweet, full, plush and ripe, fruit is dark - blackcurrant, black cherry and plum with lots of sweet liquorice and some earthy notes that give it a savoury touch. A bold and powerful style, you can feel the alcohol a bit and the wood still but there is good vibrancy and energy with a chiselled frame and generous freshness. Still extremely youthful with the structure fully on show, still settling and finding its refinement. 2% Carménère completes the blend. Ageing 22 months in French oak (60% new).“

- 97 Punkte JEB DUNNUCK: „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.“

- 99 Punkte JAMES SUCKLING: „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.“

- 97 Punkte JANE ANSON: „Concentrated, powerful and creamy damson and blackberry fruit, rippled through with sage, fennel and warm earth. Hard not to be seduced by the precision and chiselled freshness that plays with a more gourmet brioche and chocolate finish. You'll find the same energy and vitality as in the 2018 vintage, and the same graphite and slate texture to the tannins. A year without too many extremes of temperature, and by this point the vineyard work was extremely precise - 26 different blocks, 86 separate picking sections, far greater accounting for the impact of terroir in the vineyard practices. Winemaker Rebekah Wineberg, consultant Michel Rolland, 60% new oak for ageing.“

- 19,5 Punkte WEINWISSER: „Das biodynamisch bewirtschaftete Napa-Gut Quintessa erzeugt außergewöhnlich präzise, klassisch europäisch anmutende Bordeaux-Blends in weiß und rot. Der überragende rote Quintessa 2019 besteht aus 92% Cabernet Sauvignon, 2% Merlot, 3% Cabernet Franc, 2% Carménère und 1% Petit Verdot mit 14,5 Vol.-%. Ausgebaut wurde er über 22 Monate in französischen Barriques, zu 60% neu. Dunkle, leuchtende Farbe. Tiefgründig und enorm weit gefächert, duftet der Quintessa anziehend mit einem Kern von konzentriert-tintiger Cabernet-Frucht und feinster Würze, die an einen Château Latour erinnert. Dichter, engmaschig tiefer Auftakt im Mund, mit kühl gehaltener, präzise gearbeiteter Frucht und tiefgründiger Struktur. Im Finale
nicht ganz so feinkörnig wie ein großer Latour, und doch ist dieser Vergleich der treffendste. Enorme Spannung und geschliffene Tiefenstaffelung, ewig lang und verblüffend frisch bei dieser Größe und intensiven Reife. Ein phantastischer Napa-Cabernet, der preislich gegenüber den großen Namen unheimlich attraktiv erscheint. 19.5/20 2026 – 2046“