We picked Quintessa Red 2014 for our wedding anniversary. We recalled what Augustin Huneeus once said about the label origin: “Sometimes you do things, and you justify things later. It comes from quintessential, which was a word that came about quite often here (at the estate). Then we justified it by saying we had five hills, five soil types (that is what in the marketing materials). The truth is five felt good.”
We can relate to quintessential when we think about the start of our family, and Quintessa Red 2014 is the perfect wine to celebrate the occasion.
So what is Quintessa anyway you might ask if you are not familiar with the label? Quintessa belongs to the “cult” category of Californian wines and commands the “cult-like” prices. Naturally, it makes the wine for special occasions unless you Gates, Bezos, or Musks of the world.
Quintessa Estate
Chilean couple Agustin and Valeria Huneeus acquired 280-acres property in 1990. Vines have never been grown in this property, and there was a lot of trial and error. While there was a lot of experimentation with what varietals to plant and where to plant them, Augustine and Valeria knew from the get-go they will grow grapes organically and biodynamically.
Quintessa estate is in the Rutherford sub-region of Napa Valley around the town of Rutherford. The estate covers some of Napa Valley’s most exceptional vineyard real estate, spanning from the Mayacamas in the west to the Vaca Mountains on the other side of the valley.
Today 160 acres are planted with Bordeaux varietals, and every year they produce Cabernet Sauvignon dominated blend called Quintessa Red.
Quintessa Red 2014 Tasting Notes
In the Bottle
Quintessa Red 2014 marks the 20th vintage from the property. “2014 was really a reminder that you’re at the mercy of Mother Nature,” recalls Rebekah Wineburg, winemaker at Quintessa.
California was in its third year of severe drought. Then in August, the
6.0-magnitude South Napa earthquake rumbled through the South Napa valley. Luckily, the estate wasn’t affected by the earthquake, but drought was a problem.
Despite the cataclysms, the growing season had no heat waves, and grapes ripened with excellent acidity.
The proprietary red blend is made of around 90% Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot and Carménère.
In the Glass
Quintessa has a sophisticated bouquet of aromas: cassis (black currant liquor), plum, stewed fruit, black tea, eucalyptus, black olives, and cedar. We know, that’s a lot, but we still kept some stuff out.
It’s a full-bodied wine with flavors of chocolate, blackberry, ripe black currant, black cherry, licorice, and toast.
Well-corporated tannin and sensible acidity helped to tame the ripe fruit character and substantial alcohol (14.5%.) that often is out of balance in Californian reds.
Pairing
Quintessa Red 2014 needed a worthy partner for our anniversary dinner. And what can be better than classic? We picked Ribeye Cap (https://amazingribs.com/tested-recipes/beef-and-bison-recipes/rib-cap-best-cut-steer) that many consider the best steak. It combines the flavor of the ribeye with the tenderness of fillet mignon. It is so heavily marbled, it almost looks like Kobe or Wagyu beef.
We used Khmeli-Suneli, Georgian spice mix smashed garlic, and homegrown herbs as a rub. We know, a bit unconventional for the steak, but hey, we are own Iron Chefs.
We grilled the steak to 130° F on a charcoal grill with homegrown applewood bits for smokiness. We let it rest.
Rib Cap came out as juicy, tender, and flavorful, as experts promised. This was indeed the best steak we ever tasted! Well, maybe after Brooklyn’s Peter Luger’s steak. Although we’re gonna have to revisit Peter Luger Steakhouse to confirm.
Finish
Although we didn’t get a chance to celebrate our wedding anniversary in a fancy restaurant because of COVID-19 and unrest in downtown, we didn’t regret it for a minute.
We had 2014 Quintessa, one of the best Cab based blends in the United States and maybe the world and paired with the best American steak.
Quintessa kept evolving with each sip. We loved how the aroma and flavor of dark fruit and herbs were reverberating in the finish. Tannin was coming through on the back end, and acidity kept fruit in check, refreshing the palate.
Grilled steak was playing off dark chocolate and toast in wine. Acidity in wine was balancing the fat in steak and fruit complementing beef flavors.
At that epicurean moment, we felt that Quintessa and Rib Cab is a marriage made in heaven, just like ours.
Who needs a fancy restaurant? Besides, it would’ve been $700 dinner.
Hey, we might even make an anniversary tradition out of it.
I hope she says yes. Again!