I wanted to see others thoughts on these guys.

I had a 2003 I got as a gift a few years and have not been excited to open it - given the vintage and scored. I finally got around to it and I was imnpressed. I am not great at tasting notes, but it had nice dark fruits up front, nice balance, and a bit of a soft chocolate finish. Very little tanins. I do not score wines, but was perplexed at rating. This wine was much better than the 87 Laube gave it, in my opinion - no disrespect intended. However, this is obviously not his style of wine.

Afterwards, we had a Radio Couteau Syrah - Cherry Camp that was nice but too much of a fruit bomp. Good for shooting the breeze over a football game though.

Overall, I enjoyed Quintessa. Would be interested in others thoughts on them? Anyone ever done a tasting there? How was it?

Thanks,
Whitey

There have been significant discount on Quintessa in my area recently. Up to 30+% off the winery price.

quote:

Anyone ever done a tasting there? How was it?

The Mrs. and I tried based on glowing comments from one her colleagues. We stopped by knowing full well reservations were required. We never got past the hostess. It looked very dark/quiet/serious in there. She was polite in telling us no way can you come in. I was upset and a bit inebriated, but polite. Once outside I loudly declared I had no interest in place like that.

I've been getting their offer mailers the past couple years and still refuse to give them a try.
FWIW, Quintessa is/was said colleague's favorite CA winery.

IMO, it's a pricey ordinary wine, which I avoid.

Several years back we were given tickets to a cave dinner there by one of their wine club members who couldn't go himself.

The wines (Cab is all I recall) were quite nice, the winery operation and design is impressive, and (I believe) all of their vineyards are biodynamic. But, as Latour67 said, the wines are very expensive and nothing about them screams "buy me," especially as their website price lists the 2006 Cab at $145.

I visited there in July without an appointment. I left my business card and they said they were full up. 1 minute after pulling out of the lot, I got a call from Quintessa asking if I could come back. I went on a short tour with the president. The operations and compound is very advanced. He handed me a bottle each of Quintessa and their Sauvignon Blanc. Wonderful people and pretty solid wines. Faust is a very underrated label as well.

I have been on their tour, and their infrastructure is quite impressive. The amount of money expended on concrete has got to be astronomical. They make their wine from top to bottom, using gravity in the winemaking process. Their high prices have to cover the high amount of their building costs.

All said, I enjoyed their tour. My driver got them to waive the $45 per person appointment fee. I think their wine is better than the WS ratings, but it is priced too high (again, I know why).

I enjoy their Cabernet based wines, although I never buy them.

Solid but not exceptional wine. Not worth the price.

Never been there.

I had the 2000 on New Year's Day this year, and although it was very good, it probably placed near the bottom of the 8 bottles we opened.

Solid, but not spectacular. Nice if someone else is pouring, but I'm not buying at that price point.

I had the 97 many years ago when I was in the Franciscan wine club. Nice wine but not worth the $80 they charged me.

I had the '95 years ago and liked it. Bought a 6 pack of the '97 (one left) and really liked it. They raised their price more than I liked and haven't had it since.

Generally not worth it, but if you can find the '98 for under $100, I say go for it. Thought to be an inferior vintage, the '98 Quintessa knocked it out of the park. That being said, it was a classic wine in the summer of 2006, but I'm not certain if the '98 is a long-lived (10 year+ for Cali) vintage. I caught it at the right moment in time at the winery.

In my opinion the wine is very good, kind of a California-Bordeaux hybrid in regard to style. I purchased a couple of bottles of the 2004 and received the winery/industry discount, about $90 if I recall, and I rated it a solid 92 FWIW. Even at that price it's a bit too much but for $145 it's way too much.

Like many here, I like the wine but thing that there are better values to be had else where.

I've tasted the 02 and the 03 side by side and they are both very much a product of the vintage but with a style that someone noted here was more Bordeaux and balanced than a super ripe fruit bomb. The 02 was ripe but nicely structured. The 03 for me was actually drinking better, a bit restrained, a bit more austere, but nice complexity and balance.

Nice wines but unfortunately the prices are high.

quote:

Originally posted by Gigond Ass:
Solid but not exceptional wine. Not worth the price.
.

Exactly, it is a nice wine no doubt. Nothing special, especially for the money.

Thanks guys. I did not realize it had climbed to $140. That does seem a bit steap. But taking price out, I enjoyed the wine. Some of that could have been outperforming lower expectations but enjoyable none the less.

quote:

Originally posted by Whitey:
Thanks guys. I did not realize it had climbed to $140. That does seem a bit steap. But taking price out, I enjoyed the wine. Some of that could have been outperforming lower expectations but enjoyable none the less.

Visited the winery once. $25 for two pours, one of the current release, the other a library wine, plus some cheeses and olives (You know what they say; buy on bread, sell on cheese).

As you say, taking price out I enjoyed the wine too, but there are better Napa cabs for less money.

There has sure been a lot of Quintessa and Faust for sale at WineCommune. It was getting to the point that I wondered if that was their main distribution channel.

I concur with the majority of this thread. I have always enjoyed Quintessa. The last bottle I had was a 2002, which had a reasonable (?) restaurant winelist price of $125. I have never been disappointed by a bottle.

But with a retail price well over $100 now, I just can't bring myself to put any in my cellar. I will always accept gifts, however.

I have subsequently purchased from each of the seven or eight wineries that I visited last fall (2008) except Quintessa due to price point. If I can get good bottles of Relic, Realm, Hartwell et al in the $50 to $80 price range, why would I pay $135 per bottle for Quintessa.

I had the 2006 Faust at a tasting last thursday and I thought it was a good Qpr for the $30 wholesale price they were offering for our club.

I am a big Quintessa fan - I went here once on a whim after one of my friends who went with me to the Joseph Phelps Party suggested we go there. What an awesome looking winery and a great experience. Went back and schedule a more formal tour/tasting ($65/pp!! but they waived one w/ purchase) and the property is just terrific, the tasting facility/winery is awesome.

So if they do one Bordeaux blend then what do you get for your money? You actually get to taste a few individual Cabernet samples from one of their 20 vineyard plots (which sit upon 5 hills, QUINTessa - 5, quintessential...play on words...anyway) and you get a tapas-sized plate of food to go with the wine.

I think the Huneeus's do an excellent job and the wine is solid. It's expensive but not any more so than what most Cal Cab blends are going for, if not less. You should absolutely check it out once. I have a bottle each of the 2004 and 2005.

This is one where I always wonder how they pull it off for the prices asked, because no one over seems to love it. But I see the Faust on WC, I have emailed and I am tempted to buy a few next time I am in the area of that seller. I also wonder at a wine where the $30 second wine has scores (on CT mind you) that are very close indeed to the grand vin as it were. Maybe I'll give it a try soon and see.