Quintessa Proprietary Red Blend 2015 - 1.5L Magnum -
(Rutherford, Napa Valley, California) - [JS 97] [DM 97] [OB 95] [WA 94] [WS 93]

About the Winery:
Sitting on the eastern edge of Rutherford, at the foot of the Vaca Mountain range, Quintessa is a natural mosaic — an assemblage of hills and valleys with a variety of soils and microclimates that come together to reveal itself in a wine of elegance and harmony. Quintessa captures the very essence of Napa Valley from every vantage point. Here, the landscape rises and falls with undulating vineyard blocks set amidst natural vegetation and groves of ancient oaks. Dragon Lake is home to populations of water life and a wide variety of birds.

About the Wine:
The 2015 Quintessa is a seductive wine beginning with intense black fruits and warm spice and finishing with dense yet silky tannin. Opening with aromas of black cherry and blackcurrant, the wine expands in the glass as notes of clove, bay leaves, and dark chocolate layering on top of crushed rock, graphite and red earth. Fine grained tannin and dense fruit bound together by lively acidity and a long finish complete the picture and promise further pleasure in the years to come.

Winemaker's Notes:
The 2015 season began beautifully, with ample rains a welcome sight after three years of drought. Warm late winter temperatures prompted an early budbreak and ultimately one of the earliest harvests on record for Quintessa. Overall, yields were low with outstanding quality as we began harvest in the early morning of September 2nd. Harvest continued at a fast pace, completing on September 30th. A whirlwind of activity that produced a classic Quintessa vintage of opulence, texture, and length. Truly a collector's vintage for its low yields and exceptional quality, the 2015 Quintessa will age gracefully for many years. - Rebekah Wineburg

Appellation: Rutherford
Harvest Dates: September 2-September 30, 2015
Varietals: Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot, Carmenere
Maceration: 19 days average
Time in Oak: 21 months
Oak: 100% French, 75% New, from diverse forests north of the Loire River
Alcohol: 14.5%
Vineyard Blocks (in descending order): Dragon's Terrace, Bench, Corona Sur, Mont Calisse, Cruz del Sur, Limelight, Riviera Sur, Las Casas, Corona Norte, Alcantara, Silver South, Corral, Lake Terrace, Canyon, Tesoro

Ratings & Reviews

97 Points - James Suckling:
"An intricate, floral, spicy bottle bouquet shows this is beginning to age beautifully. Violet, rose, clove and bay laurel aromas, then a firm, velvety palate with lush blueberries, rose hips and black cherries. It’s elegant, delicious and beginning to hit its prime. From a small, concentrated crop in a very warm drought year. Drink now or hold." (Apr 2025)

97 Points - Decanter Magazine:
"Heading into harvest at the peak of the California drought years, the 2015 vintage also marks the first full vintage produced by winemaker Rebekah Wineburg. ‘We saw a small crop with small berries and incredible concentration. Not a hot year but warm,’ she recalls. What a drop-dead lovely wine sporting red, black, and blue-toned fruit flavours and aromas, with enticing cardamom and sweet cedar. Expansive and voluminous on the palate with divine concentration lifted by a spine of tingly acidity. The tannins are almost feathery, light, and delicate, yet present and built on a long, seamless finish. 83% Cabernet Sauvignon, 12% Merlot, 2% Cabernet Franc, 2% Petit Verdot, 1% Carménère. Harvest: September 2 – September 30, 2015. 21 months in 75% new French oak barrel." - Jonathan Cristaldi (Feb 2023)

95 Points - Owen Bargreen:
"The 2015 Quintessa Red Wine is shows good richness and wonderful poise from this great vintage in Napa Valley. The wine is a silky proprietary blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot, and Carmenere. The wine starts off with an ultra dark fruit profile with mocha, tar, sweet pipe tobacco and creme de cassis. The palate reveals an incredible mouthfeel and texture. Beautifully balanced, this shows ripe Turkish coffee, black tea, rich tobacco leaf and black cherry compote flavors. This is a stunner that will age for decades. If enjoying young give this a three plus hour decant. Drinking Window: 2018-2040." (Dec 2018)

94 Points - Wine Advocate:
"Quintessa's 2015 Proprietary Red Wine is showing some early signs of development, with hints of toasty oak, leather and dried leaves framing a core of ripe cherries. It's medium to full-bodied and nicely supple at this stage, showing gentle, softly dusty tannins and a long, smooth finish. At this point, there's no need to delay gratification any further." - Joe Czerwinski (Jan 2024)

93 Points - Wine Spectator:
"This has found its stride, offering gently mulled black cherry and boysenberry notes coated with licorice snap and dried violet. Has a subtle mesquite note in the background and some still-youthful juiciness through the finish. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot and Carmenère. -- Blind 2015 California Cabernet retrospective (July 2025). Drink now through 2030. 9,000 cases made." - JM (Sep 2025)