- About This Wine
- Ratings & Reviews
- Tasting Notes
About This Wine
Ratings & Reviews
Tasting Notes
ABOUT THIS WINE
REVIEWS
WINERMAKER NOTES
The 2021 Quintessa Red is a masterpiece of concentration and finesse, a testament to the art of winemaking cultivated over three decades. This vintage stands as a symbol of the estate’s commitment to excellence, where the convergence of vision, experience, intuition, and science meets the promise of a stellar growing season. The result is a wine of exceptional beauty, reflecting both the past and the ongoing pursuit of perfection in the Rutherford estate’s unique terroir.
Since Agustin and Valeria Huneeus assumed stewardship of Quintessa in 1989, the estate has been dedicated to capturing the beauty and harmony of its land in each bottle. The years of intentional and adaptive repetition have deepened the estate’s understanding of its unique features, allowing the winemaking team to intuitively respond to the vineyard’s needs. This holistic approach has revealed the profound connection between the land and the wine, underscoring the importance of sensitivity and thoughtful interpretation in crafting a truly exceptional wine.
As the estate has evolved, so too has its approach to winemaking. Embracing the precision of science, Quintessa has engaged in extensive soil mapping, geology studies, and biodynamic practices to enhance the vineyard’s resilience and sustainability. These efforts have provided greater transparency into the physical and unseen forces that shape each vintage, allowing for a more nuanced expression of the estate’s terroir. This commitment to continuous learning and adaptation ensures that each vintage is a true reflection of the estate’s unique character.
The 2021 growing season began with a dry winter, leading to smaller canopies in the vineyard. Pruning was carefully managed to encourage balanced ripening, and the cool spring allowed clusters to develop slowly and evenly. The moderate temperatures from June through August ensured smooth and consistent ripening, with the fruit achieving vibrant acidity, rich color, and complex flavors. Harvesting began early, with the small crop yielding fruit of exceptional quality, perfectly balanced between sugar, flavor development, and phenolic ripeness.
In the glass, the 2021 Quintessa Red unfolds with the estate’s signature balance of complex fruit, precise structure, and vibrant freshness. The aromatic bouquet is lifted by floral notes of violet and lilac, intertwined with rich cassis, black cherry, and hints of anise, bay laurel, and earthy forest floor. On the palate, fine-grained tannins support layers of dark berry and savory herb flavors, underscored by a sophisticated minerality. The wine’s generous texture carries through to a long, chalky finish, leaving a lasting impression of elegance and depth.
Alcohol: 14.5%
Since Agustin and Valeria Huneeus assumed stewardship of Quintessa in 1989, the estate has been dedicated to capturing the beauty and harmony of its land in each bottle. The years of intentional and adaptive repetition have deepened the estate’s understanding of its unique features, allowing the winemaking team to intuitively respond to the vineyard’s needs. This holistic approach has revealed the profound connection between the land and the wine, underscoring the importance of sensitivity and thoughtful interpretation in crafting a truly exceptional wine.
As the estate has evolved, so too has its approach to winemaking. Embracing the precision of science, Quintessa has engaged in extensive soil mapping, geology studies, and biodynamic practices to enhance the vineyard’s resilience and sustainability. These efforts have provided greater transparency into the physical and unseen forces that shape each vintage, allowing for a more nuanced expression of the estate’s terroir. This commitment to continuous learning and adaptation ensures that each vintage is a true reflection of the estate’s unique character.
The 2021 growing season began with a dry winter, leading to smaller canopies in the vineyard. Pruning was carefully managed to encourage balanced ripening, and the cool spring allowed clusters to develop slowly and evenly. The moderate temperatures from June through August ensured smooth and consistent ripening, with the fruit achieving vibrant acidity, rich color, and complex flavors. Harvesting began early, with the small crop yielding fruit of exceptional quality, perfectly balanced between sugar, flavor development, and phenolic ripeness.
In the glass, the 2021 Quintessa Red unfolds with the estate’s signature balance of complex fruit, precise structure, and vibrant freshness. The aromatic bouquet is lifted by floral notes of violet and lilac, intertwined with rich cassis, black cherry, and hints of anise, bay laurel, and earthy forest floor. On the palate, fine-grained tannins support layers of dark berry and savory herb flavors, underscored by a sophisticated minerality. The wine’s generous texture carries through to a long, chalky finish, leaving a lasting impression of elegance and depth.
Alcohol: 14.5%
100 POINTS - "An exquisite wine, relying primarily on Cabernet Sauvignon from a single estate. Aromas of lavender, dried herbs and grapefruit pith combine with flavors of firm fruits and cocoa on a structure of abundant, powder-fine tannin and a mouthwatering finish. This wine is refined, detailed and delicious, with as much elegance as energy. Best 2026–2040." - Wine Enthusiast
99 POINTS - "So much graphite and volcanic character on the nose with metal shavings and gunpowder. Black ink, iron and rust, too. Blackberry and blackcurrant undertones. Full-bodied but not overpowering, with chewy and juicy tannins that are long and very subtle. Superb finish. From biodynamic grapes with Demeter certification." - James Suckling
98 POINTS - "Lastly, the 2021 Proprietary Red was just bottled in July of this year and checks in as 91% Cabernet Sauvignon, 4% Cabernet Franc, 3% Carmenere, and the rest Petit Verdot and Merlot, brought up in 64% new French oak. It offers pure blue fruits, spring flowers, violets, and spicy oak, with a beautiful chalky, mineral note that comes through more on the palate. It's elegant, full-bodied, has ultra-fine tannins, good acidity, and terrific length. It's another gorgeous wine that will evolve for 15+ years." - Jeb Dunnuck
96 POINTS - "Marked by scents of cherries and raspberries, with just the barest hints of cedar and mocha-tinged oak, Quintessa's fruit-forward 2021 Proprietary Red Wine is wonderfully smooth and supple in the mouth. It's medium to full-bodied, suave and silky, all class and elegance, without any sense of excessive bulk or rusticity. If one were to have a complaint about it (hardly likely), it's that it comes across as almost too polished, too elegant, too easy to drink." - Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
94 POINTS - "This sports a fresh-edged beam of mulberry, black currant and boysenberry fruit, while flashes of hibiscus and violet fill in throughout alongside singed apple wood and iron notes. Shows the vintage's combo of dense fruit and racy-edged structure, with nice tension. Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Carmenère, Petit Verdot and Merlot. Best from 2025 through 2038." - Wine Spectator
99 POINTS - "So much graphite and volcanic character on the nose with metal shavings and gunpowder. Black ink, iron and rust, too. Blackberry and blackcurrant undertones. Full-bodied but not overpowering, with chewy and juicy tannins that are long and very subtle. Superb finish. From biodynamic grapes with Demeter certification." - James Suckling
98 POINTS - "Lastly, the 2021 Proprietary Red was just bottled in July of this year and checks in as 91% Cabernet Sauvignon, 4% Cabernet Franc, 3% Carmenere, and the rest Petit Verdot and Merlot, brought up in 64% new French oak. It offers pure blue fruits, spring flowers, violets, and spicy oak, with a beautiful chalky, mineral note that comes through more on the palate. It's elegant, full-bodied, has ultra-fine tannins, good acidity, and terrific length. It's another gorgeous wine that will evolve for 15+ years." - Jeb Dunnuck
96 POINTS - "Marked by scents of cherries and raspberries, with just the barest hints of cedar and mocha-tinged oak, Quintessa's fruit-forward 2021 Proprietary Red Wine is wonderfully smooth and supple in the mouth. It's medium to full-bodied, suave and silky, all class and elegance, without any sense of excessive bulk or rusticity. If one were to have a complaint about it (hardly likely), it's that it comes across as almost too polished, too elegant, too easy to drink." - Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
94 POINTS - "This sports a fresh-edged beam of mulberry, black currant and boysenberry fruit, while flashes of hibiscus and violet fill in throughout alongside singed apple wood and iron notes. Shows the vintage's combo of dense fruit and racy-edged structure, with nice tension. Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Carmenère, Petit Verdot and Merlot. Best from 2025 through 2038." - Wine Spectator
The 2021 unfolds with Quintessa’s signature balance of complex fruit, precise structure, and vital freshness amplified by an especially beautiful growing season. Floral notes— violet and lilac—lift an intensely aromatic bouquet of cassis and black cherry accented with anise, bay laurel, and forest floor. On the palate, firm but fine-grained tannins back dark berry and savory herb flavors interwoven with graphite andiron. Generous texture carries the complex layers to a fine, chalky finish.