97+Points by Wine Advocate & Vinous.
The 2018 Quella is rich, ample and beautifully resonant in the glass. There's terrific depth here and tons of class. Blood orange, game, licorice, tobacco, lavender and dried herbs give the Quella beguiling aromatic presence to play off its muscular, brooding personality. Cory Empting began his career as the assistant winemaker to Bob Levy (Harlan) and now oversees winery and vineyard operations. Bond, an Oakville winery owned by Bill Harlan, typically buys fruit from a vineyard for about 10 years before deciding whether it’s worthy of its label.
- QUELLA is the name for the wine from a 9-acre site located in the eastern hills overlooking the heart of the Napa Valley.
- Making its debut with the 2006 vintage, the name is derived from the German word for a pristine source or an artesian aquifer. This property is steeply sloped facing southwest. The site is an ancient riverbed composed of cobble and rocks interwoven with pockets of tufa (volcanic ash) that were uplifted during the last volcanic activity in the area. Quella displays an almost ethereal quality of blue fruits, graphite, and a vibrant, subtle finish.
- SOIL: Ancient uplifted riverbed covered with Tufa (volcanic ash). Southwest Exposure.
- ELEVATION: 433-595 feet
- BOND is a range of Napa Valley red wines focused on the Cabernet Sauvignon grape variety. The brand name proclaims the strong relationship developed over time between the winemakers and the growers who work with them.
- BOND history
- The project was conceived by Bill Harlan and Bob Levy of Harlan Estate – a winery that quickly became one of California's cult producers, along with the likes of Screaming Eagle. Harlan Estate sources its fruit from its own vineyards, but Harlan and Levy were interested in cultivating fruit from specific terroirs around the Napa Valley.
- The result was BOND (initially known as Bond Estates), which began making wine in 1997. The first commercial release came two years later.
- Wines and vineyards
- There are five Cabernet Sauvignon wines under the main BOND banner. The fruit is sourced from sites the Harlan family have identified as being comparable to Grand Cru sites in France. These are small plots of between seven and 11 acres (three to five hectares) located around the Napa Valley.
- The wines are labeled with proprietary names. The first releases in the lineup were the Melbury and Vecina wines in 1999, the St Eden followed in 2001, the Pluribus in 2003, and finally the Quella in 2006.
- BOND has since received its own considerable critical recognition. Multiple wines have been rated 100 points by Robert Parker's Wine Advocate.
- The range is made at a dedicated winery in Oakville. The winemaking approach is consistent across the BOND portfolio to ensure that the wines communicate the character of each cru site.
- A further wine, Matriarch, is labeled as a distinct brand. It also debuted with the inaugural 1999 vintage, and is made from a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon grapes from all five sites.
Bond 'Quella' Proprietary Red, Napa Valley, CA 2018
SKU: 59D
$3,100.00 Regular Price
$890.00Sale Price
Style
RedVintage
2018
Bin
59D
