2018 Quintessa

The 2018 Red Wine is a powerful, driving Napa Valley wine. Scorched earth, iron, chocolate, and leather give the red cherry/plum fruit distinctly savory accents. This is an especially tight wine in a vintage that yielded generally more supple, open-knit reds. Quintessa is one of the first Napa Valley estates I visited, many years ago. Since then, the property has undergone several stylistic phases. It will be interesting to see where things go over the next handful of years here.

- Antonio Galloni (01/2021)

This is beautifully polished with firm, dusty tannins to the blue fruit, as well as chocolate and cedar character. Some much earthier character, too, from mushrooms to bark. Forest flowers. Perfumed. It’s full-bodied with round tannins and a soft, creamy finish. Some iron and iodine to this. So attractive at the finish. From biodynamically grown grapes. Better after 2023. (02/2022)

The 2018 Proprietary Red is 92% Cabernet Sauvignon, 2% Merlot, 3% Cabernet Franc, and the rest Carmenere and Petit Verdot raised in 62% new French oak. It's a gorgeous wine revealing remarkable purity in its bright blue and black fruits as well as graphite, gravelly earth, and some chalky minerality. I love its purity, it's medium to full-bodied, has integrated acidity, and a balanced, layered, incredibly seamless style. It will evolve for another 20-25 years. (02/2024)

Very fresh in feel, with a racy and refined core of cassis, damson plum and raspberry reduction notes inlaid with black tea and anise hints. A subtle mineral edge adds length to the finish, with the fruit showing nice restraint despite its youth. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Petit Verdot and Carmenère. Drink now through 2035. 10,000 cases made.

- J.M.

The dense, purple-hued 2018 Proprietary Red Wine seemed just a bit closed at this tasting, with pronounced cedary notes overshadowing the black cherry fruit. It's medium to full-bodied, with a lush mouthfeel, silky-textured tannins and cocoa powder-like nuances on the lingering finish.

- Joe Czerwinski (09/2022)