Quintessa Winery
Buy wines from Quintessa Winery
"Quintessa" is the name of one of the most important and independent red wines in Napa Valley. Agustin and Valeria Huneeus' winery of the same name produces exactly one wine - and it has it all.
In 1989, the Chilean winemaking couple Agustin and Valeria Huneeus had the opportunity to acquire a special piece of land with over 280 hectares at the foot of the Vaca Mountains in Napa Valley. They planted the vines on 160 hectares in several plots, leaving the remaining 40 hectares largely untouched. In order to preserve and protect biodiversity, they worked organically and biodynamically from the outset. "Quintessa should be cultivated in a way that respects the land as a living being," says founder and cellar master Valeria Huneeus, explaining her approach, which she implements consistently.
She selected the grape varieties Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot and Carménère and distributed them across a total of 26 vineyard parcels, some of which are located on the plain and others on terraces on slopes with a gradient of over 30 per cent.
Depending on the vintage, the „Quintessa Propriety Red“, as the wine is called in full, contains only some or all of the five grape varieties. All grapes are harvested by hand in the early hours of the morning at optimum ripeness, sorted, destemmed and fermented spontaneously in oak, steel or concrete barrels, depending on the grape variety. Once fermentation and maceration are complete, the wine from each parcel is matured separately for up to two years in French oak barrels. This is followed by blending and the wine remains in the tank for a further year for harmonisation and then in the bottle. Since the first vintage in 1994, the „Quintessa“ has established itself among the top wines of the Napa Valley with its complexity, freshness and balance.
© Images: Weingut Quintessa
