The 2022 growing season began with vigor, benefiting from late fall rains in 2021. With this nutrient storage, the vines relied on their reserves to usher them through the following drought year. Dry winter conditions prompted early bud break and a cool spring followed. Moderate temperatures throughout much of summer meant that veraison aligned with a more historic ripening calendar.

Late-season heat encouraged ripening and the smaller clusters accelerated harvest. Picking commenced on September 9 with our younger vines in the Riviera block and concluded on October 1 in our Limelight block. The fruit showed exceptional phenolic ripeness, great levels of acidity, and an elegant balance.

The 2022 Quintessa is a charming wine, opening with intense aromas of black cherry and cassis that are complemented by notes of tobacco, bay laurel, cedar, and dark chocolate. Plush and inviting on entry, this wine’s flavors align with its aromas. The palate reveals dark fruits and an undertone of crushed rocks, tar, and graphite. On the finish, this vintage displays the signature fine grained tannin of our Quintessa terroir, backed by voluminous texture and fruit.