Quintessa

Located in the heart of Rutherford, in the Napa Valley, the 113-hectare Quintessa estate was built on a single principle: one wine, from one place, in every vintage. There is no second brand here, only the estate’s own wine and a small-batch Sauvignon Blanc called Illumination.

History

Agustín Huneus, a wine merchant of Chilean origin who had previously worked with Concha y Toro, Seagram’s international wine division, Concannon and Franciscan Estate, spotted a plot in Rutherford in 1989. It was one of the last large unplanted plots at the bottom of the Napa Valley. He and his wife Valeria bought it, named it Quintessa, and planted the first vines in 1990 and 1991, including terraced slopes planted just before the adoption of a local by-law prohibiting planting on steep slopes.Winemaking consultant Jean-Claude Berrouet of Pétrus was brought in at an early stage.

The first commercial harvest was gathered in 1994. In 2002, construction was completed on a purpose-built winery with a gravity-fed system, integrated into the eastern slope of the hill with 17,000 square feet of naturally cooled caves. The estate is cultivated using organic and biodynamic methods.

Vineyards and terroir

The 113 hectares comprise 55 hectares of vineyards, divided into 26 separate blocks, 100 hectares of woodland and an 8-hectare lake. Five distinct hills within the estate create varied microclimates, soil types and exposures, ranging from the foothills of Mount Vaca to plots near the Napa River.

Grapes and wines

Five Bordeaux varieties are planted: Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot and Carmenère. Each of the 26 plots is vinified separately in stainless steel tanks or in large, truncated-cone-shaped oak vats.

The flagship red blend, Quintessa, is assembled annually from these components.

Illumination, a Sauvignon Blanc, is the only other wine produced at the estate.