Quella, which joined the Bond portfolio with the 2006 vintage, is the most recently established of the estate’s five cru wines and has continued to refine its identity across successive releases. Like all Bond wines, it is produced from 100% Cabernet Sauvignon and inspired by the Burgundian philosophy of allowing a single site to express itself as faithfully as possible through minimal-intervention winemaking. Quella is noted for a more flamboyant, texturally generous character that sets it apart from the more restrained Melbury.

Bond’s five crus are distributed across distinct sub-regions of the Napa Valley, with each site selected from more than 80 candidate vineyards assessed over three decades by the Harlan family and their team. Quella is one of the younger sites in the portfolio and its personality continues to evolve across vintages. The 2014 vintage in Napa presented ideal conditions: a compact but extremely high-quality harvest following a very dry, even-tempered growing season that produced wines of exceptional concentration and tannin refinement.

Bond as a project has proven that the Burgundian “grand cru” model, applied rigorously to Napa Cabernet Sauvignon, produces wines capable of competing with the finest single-vineyard reds anywhere in the world. The estate’s consistent critical recognition, its mailing-list exclusivity, and its positioning alongside Harlan Estate and Promontory within the Harlan Family portfolio have made Bond one of the most sought-after allocations in California. The 2014 Quella was awarded 97 points by James Suckling.

Deep garnet-purple with a nose of ripe dark cherries, plums, cassis and spice, interwoven with floral violet notes and hints of charcoal. Opulent and texturally generous on the palate with pliant tannins and excellent freshness, the wine finishes with impressive length and mineral tension. Drinking well from 2022 through 2038.

Aromas of coffee, dark berries, blueberries and cocoa. Very subtle and perfumed. Full-bodied, firm and very silky with ultra-fine tannins and a savory, mineral and bright finish. Mushroom and bright berry undertones. Needs three or four years for bottle age. Try in 2020. - James Suckling