Bond Quella 2018

Bond Quella 2018 is a profoundly sculpted Napa Valley red that channels the character of an ancient riverbed high on the Vaca mountain slopes. Sourced from a steep, southwest-facing vineyard, this wine marries mineral precision with sumptuous fruit, offering both power and poise. As one of Bond’s single-site expressions, Quella is crafted to reveal the pure voice of its terraced hillside terroir and has quickly earned a place among California’s most coveted collectible wines.

Tasting Notes
In the glass, the 2018 Quella shows a deep, saturated garnet to granat-lilac core with youthful vibrancy at the rim, hinting at its long life ahead. The nose is immediately beguiling: lifted aromas of violets, crushed red and black plums, morello cherry, and blackcurrant are layered with notes of iron ore, graphite, and wet river stones, echoing its stony origins. Subtle nuances of dried rose, cocoa nib, and fine cedar emerge with time in the glass, adding further dimension. On the palate, Quella 2018 is medium to full-bodied yet remarkably graceful, driven by energy and tension rather than sheer weight. The dark and red fruit profile is pure and focused, framed by finessed, ultra-fine tannins that give the wine a seamless, almost cashmere-like texture. A distinct mineral line runs through the mid-palate, adding lift and clarity, while the finish is long, precise, and beautifully clean, with a lingering vibration of stone, florals, and cool-toned fruit. This vintage has excellent aging potential and should evolve beautifully over 15–25 years, gaining further complexity and tertiary nuance with proper cellaring.

Production
Quella is drawn from a steep, southwest-exposed hillside site rooted in an ancient alluvial riverbed high on the eastern slopes of the Vaca Range above the Napa Valley floor. The soils are rocky, well-drained, and mineral-rich, naturally limiting yields and promoting small, intensely flavored Cabernet Sauvignon berries. The vineyard is meticulously farmed, with handwork on each block and careful, selective hand-harvesting at optimal ripeness. In the cellar, the fruit is sorted berry by berry, then vinified in small lots to preserve the individuality of the site. Fermentations are closely monitored for gentle extraction, after which the wine is aged in high-quality French oak barrels (predominantly new) for an extended period, allowing the structure to integrate while maintaining freshness and precision before bottling without compromise.

Food & Serving
Bond Quella 2018 pairs exceptionally well with refined, protein-rich dishes that complement its structure and mineral elegance: think dry-aged ribeye, roast lamb with rosemary and thyme, veal chops, or tenderloin with black truffle jus. It also marries beautifully with game birds, mushroom-based dishes, and aged hard cheeses such as Comté or Parmigiano-Reggiano. Serve at 16–18°C (60–64°F) to highlight its aromatic complexity and freshness. In its youth, decanting for 1.5–3 hours is recommended to fully unfurl the layers of fruit, florals, and stone; as it matures, a gentle 45–60 minute decant will suffice to remove sediment and awaken the wine.

Producer
Bond is one of Napa Valley’s most revered producers, founded by Bill Harlan with the vision of creating a portfolio of single-vineyard wines that express Napa’s finest hillside terroirs with First Growth–level precision. Rather than blending across many sites, Bond focuses on a small number of meticulously chosen crus, each vinified and bottled separately to showcase its distinct personality. Over the years, Bond has become a benchmark in the region, helping to define the modern concept of site-specific Napa Cabernet and regularly earning top scores from leading critics. Quella, with its cool, stony hillside origins, stands out in the range for its mineral drive and lifted elegance, offering a compelling counterpoint to the richer, more opulent expressions of the valley.

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