Wine Advisor
Bond Estates, Quella 2011
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Description
Tasting notes
Reviewed by: Robert M. Parker, Jr.
The 2011 Quella Proprietary Red Blend is performing better from bottle than it did last year from barrel. Lots of black raspberry and blueberry fruit intermixed with notes of wet rocks and spring flowers jump from the glass of this medium-bodied, fleshy, beautifully evolved 2011 that is already showing secondary nuances and complexity. This vintage offers immediate gratification and drinkability. It should age effortlessly for another decade or more.
Reviewed by: Robert M. Parker, Jr.
As one might suspect, the 2011 Quella is lighter and less substantial and authoritative. Nevertheless, it is a beautiful wine with lots of raspberry and blueberry fruit intermixed with notions of charcoal, violets and oak. Medium to full-bodied, soft and round, it is the most precocious and easiest to taste of all the Quellas to date. (Not yet released) To quickly summarize this project that has been remarkably successful since the debut vintage, Bond is the project of the visionary Bill Harlan, the proprietor of Harlan Estate. Along with winemaker Bob Levy and consulting oenologist Michel Rolland, he continues to sign twenty-year leases on highly regarded vineyards planted with 100% Cabernet Sauvignon from which he offers consumers world-class Cabernet Sauvignons that showcase different Napa micro-climates/terroirs. In short, there are five separate vineyard sites in the Bond portfolio. The Melbury comes from a 7-acre parcel (sedimentary and clay soils) on steep slopes in the Pritchard Hill area near Lake Hennessey, east of Rutherford. The northern most parcel, the Pluribus comes from a high elevation (1,000 feet) site on Spring Mountain. It, too, is a 7-acre parcel planted in the white volcanic bedrock called tufa. The most southerly situated vineyard is Vecina (11 acres planted at 200-330 foot elevation), which is a neighbor of Harlan Estate in the Oakville Corridor, on the western hillsides of Napa. St. Eden, a valley floor vineyard, is composed of 11 acres on gentle foothills just north of the Oakville Crossroads. The Quella Vineyard is a 9-acre site in the eastern foothills of St. Helena with an interesting terroir of alluvial pebbles and small rocks of what is believed to be an old riverbed. White tufa can be found as well. Part of the objective is to vinify these wines in identical manners so that as they age their micro-climate / terroir characters become more pronounced. The barrels that are deemed not worthy enough to go into the individual single vineyard wines are blended into the Matriarch cuvee. Tel. (707) 944-9445
About the Producer
Bond is a premium winery located in The Western Hills of Oakville in the Napa Valley appellation of California, USA. Bond was founded by H. William Harlan, the word Bond being derived from Harlan's mother's family name. Bond currently has around 18.2 hectares of vineyards. The winemaking team has spent 25 years of their experience selecting the five vineyards with the most Napa Valley terroir and potential from over 80 vineyards, namely Melbury, St. Eden, Vecina, Quella and Pluribus. Pluribus.) These vineyards, which range from 2.82 to 4.45 hectares each, provide the foundation for the wines of Château de Bond. Cabernet Sauvignon is the main grape variety grown at Château Bond. With the motto "one philosophy, one team, one logo", the vineyards are selected with great care and attention to detail to produce wines that reflect the excellent terroir of the Napa Valley. Named after five vineyards, each of the five wines is distinctive in style and character. From the fruity jumpy Melbury to the full-bodied Plaribas, each has a surprisingly distinctive personality and a lingering aftertaste. Bond currently produces Bond Vecina (Napa Valley, USA), Bond Melbury (Napa Valley, USA), Bond St. Eden (Napa Valley, USA), Bond Quella ( Bond Quella, Napa Valley, USA) and the secondary red wine, Bond Matriarch, Napa Valley, USA.
