"One vineyard, one quintessential estate wine...Quintessa"
This singular estate vision of Bordeaux blend wine in Napa was the dream of Agustin and Valeria Hunneus. The winery opened in 2002 with a graceful crescent shaped design, carved into the eastern-facing hillside of their Rutherford property. The stone facade houses a state of the art gravity flow winery and 1,200 linear feet and 17,000 square feet of caves and tunnels.
From the Silverado Trail the stone work blends into the terrain and is most deceiving. What you don't see from this view is the amazing landscape atop that hillside. From the upper deck of the stone work, it is just a short hike and once you crest the top...
The view is magical from the ridge. The estate is comprised of 280 acres of which 170 acres are planted to the classic Bordeaux grape varieties in 26 vineyard blocks. The estate also includes a valley, a lake, a river, five hills, four microclimates and many soil types, as well as rich flora and fauna. While nature is in full splendor outside...serious winemaking is taking place down below...
No expense is spared in the this endeavor. Only French barrels are used in the ageing of this wine.
This fountain helps keep moisture in the caves
Simply beautiful!
Quintessa is like the classic wines of Bordeaux. Every year the grapes are harvested, fermented and macerated by block and then allowed to age separately for up to two years in French barrels. After this the wine is blended, bottled and then laid down for an additional year before release. Although each vintage in unique, it always seems to deliver finesse and elegance. This is truly one of Napa's greats!
Cheers to the Huneeus' and their staff for all the efforts that go into this project!
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