Quintessa 2010

Late budbreak followed by a mild summer resulting in small, intense berries. This is the winery’s “decade release” of bottles that were put aside soon after bottling in order to show how the wine can age. This has the most beguiling sweet delicious nose – dried rose and pot pourri, sage and garrigue. It’s warm and sweet and so seductively plush and fresh. Extraordinary acidity and wash of juice over dry sweet tannins. So fresh, this will be wonderful for another decade, fine for a decade after that, and hauntingly good until many of us creak in every joint. Richard Bampfield MW, who hosted this tasting, said the 2010 is “mellow and resolved”, good words to describe its poise and beauty.