2022 Quintessa Proprietary Red Rutherford Napa Valley 750 ml

There might not be a more choice piece of land in Napa Valley than Quintessa’s. Located just north of Conn Creek Road, it’s bordered by Silverado Trail in the east and the Napa River in the west. It’s a sight to behold, whether you’re driving by or perched high above and gazing down from Michelin-starred Auberge du Soleil. 

Some of what makes this property special is readily apparent—its undulating landscape of hills and valleys, oriented in all directions, provides the benefit of varied exposures—while some of the magic is beyond view. The vines dig into white volcanic ash in the eastern hills, deep gravel in the central hills, and a mix of clay, loam, sand, and gravel in the benchlands. It’s a diverse array of soils most winemakers can only dream of. 

In the age of single-vineyard wines, Quintessa follows the Bordelais blueprint, as they have from the beginning: They produce one flagship red wine from their biodynamically farmed Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot, and Carmenère. Each of their 26 blocks is farmed, harvested, and vinified separately, then blended to capture the estate in its diverse complexity.

The 2022 vintage provided optimal conditions for Quintessa to craft an exquisite wine. The weather was warm and dry, especially at the end, with a burst of heat that helped drive ripeness and created a bottle that has both impressive up-front fruit and also the structure to age for decades.

Winemaker Rebekah Wineburg aged the 2022 for 22 months in 60% new French oak, then another year in bottle. The result is the kind of wine that made Quintessa an icon and represents Napa Valley at its most decadent and elegant. It’s a must for any California Cabernet collector, and it will pay dividends for decades.