Quintessa Cabernet 2016 – 750ml Southern Wine & Spirits

98pts James Suckling

Phenomenal aromas of crushed berries, forest fruit, mushrooms and iron. Medium to full body, with layers of soft and refined tannins that follow through to a beautiful finish. Extremely long and refined. This shows depth and structure with balance and harmony. Hard not to open the bottle now and drink it, but it appears to be closing down now. Needs four to five years to show it all.

96pts Jeb Dunnuck

The 2016 Proprietary Red is a beauty based on 89% Cabernet Sauvignon, 6% Merlot, and the rest Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot, and Carménère, all of which spent 20 months in just over 70% new French oak. This inky purple colored 2016 offers a perfumed, complex bouquet of sweet crème de cassis, Asian spices, lead pencil, and cedarwood. Full-bodied and plenty powerful, it shines even more for its flawless balance, polished tannins, and great finish. This is a quintessential, rich, elegant Napa Bordeaux blend to enjoy over the coming two decades or more.

95pts Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate

The 2016 Proprietary Red Wine is blended of 89% Cabernet Sauvignon, 6% Merlot, 3% Cabernet Franc, 1% Petit Verdot and 1% Carménère, with all fruit coming from the Quintessa estate, and it aged for 20 months in 73% new French oak. Very deep purple-black in color, it comes bounding out of the glass like a pedigree pup with exuberant notions of crème de cassis, warm blueberries and black cherries with hints of redcurrants, kirsch, candied violets, crushed rocks, cigar box and fallen leaves plus a waft of truffles. Full, rich and beautifully laced with layers of floral notes and fragrant earth, the profound black and blue fruits build slowly in the mouth, achieving great energy and depth with a beautiful velvety frame, finishing long and perfumed.

95pts Decanter

Black cherry, grilled sage and cedar aromatics, smooth tannins and sweet black cherry fruits on the palate. Relatively low acidities but feels well in balance and this is structured and confident with flesh and laid back confident appeal. 70% new oak. Carménère and Petit Verdot complete the blend.

93pts Wine Spectator

A ripe, fleshy style, with dark currant, fig and blackberry fruit, steeped with sage, tobacco and warm licorice notes. A light alder hint stitches up the finish, showing latent, mineral-tinged grip. Solid. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot and Carmenère. Best from 2020 through 2032.

Winemaker Notes

The 2016 Quintessa is a generous wine, with complex and elegant layers than envelop you from the first sip. Welcoming with aromas of cassis, blackberry, red currant and undertones of sage, thyme, crushed rocks, and rose petals, the 2016 Quintessa continues to expand in the glass as notes of exotic citrus, clove and fresh tobacco mingle with bright fruit. Full and rich, the wine is held together with fine-grained tannins that interweave beautifully with flavors of dark chocolate, crushed rocks, black cherry, and blueberries. The wine is distinct for its energy and depth of flavor and will leave a lasting impression with its velvety texture and intoxicating perfume.

About the Winery

The great wines of the world consistently express the distinct qualities of the estates from which they come. In Napa, Quintessa is such a wine. To preserve the natural mosaic of the vineyard, each small plot is farmed, harvested and vinified individually so that the nuances of the land shine through. Afterward, the best components are brought together to create a wine of elegance and harmony. A timeless classic.