Quintessa Red 2004 $124.99
Due to a very concentrated vintage, the 2004 Quintessa takes a departure into the realm of power, allthe while maintaining the finesse and elegance that have been the signature of the wine from the Quintessa Estate since its inception. An opaque jet black robe leads to a bold attack, transitioning into a weighty layered mid-palette of infinite complexity. The finish is supple and round with good length and exquisitely forged tannins. Wine Enthusiast
A dramatic young wine, fleshy and dazzling now for its lush fruit and oak, although the tannins have a crunchy hardness. But that merely ensures ageability. It’s beautiful the way the acid-tannin structure plays against the cherry, cassis and olive fruit, creating an architectural tension. If you open this wine now, decant for a few hours. Otherwise, it should hold for six to eight years, and develop further bottle complexity afterward.
Score: 95. —Steve Heimoff, December 15, 2007.
A dramatic young wine, fleshy and dazzling now for its lush fruit and oak, although the tannins have a crunchy hardness. But that merely ensures ageability. It’s beautiful the way the acid-tannin structure plays against the cherry, cassis and olive fruit, creating an architectural tension. If you open this wine now, decant for a few hours. Otherwise, it should hold for six to eight years, and develop further bottle complexity afterward.
Score: 95. —Steve Heimoff, December 15, 2007.