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Quill, Cabernet Sauvignon, Diamond Mountain District

Other, United States 2010 (750mL)
$85.00
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Fruit
Earth
Body
Tannin
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Alcohol
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Quill, Cabernet Sauvignon, Diamond Mountain District

I’ve been living in the Napa Valley for a few years now and I find myself drinking more wines from the mountain ranges flanking the valley floor. Diamond Mountain District is one of those “mountainside” appellations, but aside from a handful of tasting rooms and a few well-known producers (e.g. Diamond Creek), there isn’t much activity here, which makes Quill such an exciting find. Though relatively new, their Cabernets already belong amongst the finest and most decadent in all of Napa, at any price range.
This is dense, deep, and thought provoking; it’s teeming with ripe black fruits and hints of intricate earthy savor, but there is a noticeable lift of freshness due to Diamond Mountain District’s unique microclimate—this particular vineyard is located 2100 feet above sea level! Quill is true high-altitude Cabernet that combines full-bodied richness and purity in such a seamless way. It’s intensely aromatic, delivering a rush of fruit and earth that will impress anyone on most “cult” mailing lists in Napa. There are very few producers that can deliver a wine of this magnitude and many that do can easily get away with $250+ price tags. Only a couple hundred cases were produced in 2010 (one of my favorite Napa Vintages of the last decade) and now there aren’t many bottles left to dole out—I was lucky enough to get my hands on a small allocation directly from Quill and I’m happy to pass this new discovery on to you. Price to quality like this is hard to find in the Napa Valley these days, that I can assure you.
Quill, a relatively new (est. 2006) and buttoned-up project, is churning out fresh and luxurious small-production wines from some of Napa’s greatest vineyard sites and when Ehren Jordan was asked to be lead winemaker, he gladly accepted. For those who aren’t familiar with Ehren, he is the founder of Failla, a revered Sonoma Coast producer crafting elegant Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, and Syrah. So, when Quill landed on our table and we were told it was a Cabernet project for which he was lead winemaker, our excitement grew even more. With his skilled hand, Quill’s team bottles only a handful of single-varietal wines, all hailing from single vineyards whose wines mirror their respective terroir. 

The Diamond Mountain district is a sub-appellation “nested” at the northern end of the greater Napa Valley (just southwest of Calistoga). Part of the Mayacamas Range, Diamond Mountain’s soils are mostly volcanic in origin and vineyards can reach altitudes past 2,000 feet. Like most of Napa’s mountain appellations, Diamond Mountain sees cooler temperatures and a touch more rainfall than the AVAs on the Valley floor, which results in more structured wines. Grapes for Quill’s 2010 were hand harvested from a single vineyard at 2100 feet and in the winery a lengthy fermentation occurred in barrel. The wine then aged in 100% new French oak for a minimum of two years before bottling. In a brief talk with Quill’s owner—a Napa native—she told us how patient they are with their wines, laying down bottles for additional years before commercializing them—i.e., they are only released when deemed ready.
 
In the glass, the 2010 Quill shows immense concentration and viscosity with an opaque dark garnet, nearly crimson core that leads out to brick hues on the rim. The nose has so much to offer, with fresh and ripe mountain fruit leading the charge: blackberry, black plum, huckleberry, black raspberry, and a rich crème de cassis note. Aromatics continue on with purple flowers, wild herbs, raw cacao, leather, petrichor, clove, and crushed stone. Though this is certainly full-bodied, there isn’t a palate overload thanks to the freshness of high altitude fruit. Polished tannins are fully integrated and now, at eight years of age, savory notes are making an appearance. This is one of those wines with an incredibly long finish—you can expect the fruit and savor to linger for minutes on end. It’s in a perfect spot for drinking now and I recommend a quick 30 minute decant before consuming in large Bordeaux stems. After depleting a bottle of Napa Cabernet, I typically look elsewhere, but with Quill I found myself immediately wanting to open another. But if you’re going down that path, do it properly—next to a medium-rare filet mignon with an herbed butter sauce drizzled on top. It’s one of those classic, yet easy pairings. Enjoy!
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Country
United States
Region
Other
Sub-Region
United StatesDiamond Mountain District
Soil
Volcanic & Sedimentary
Farming
Sustainable
Blend
Cabernet Sauvignon 100%
Alcohol
14.0
OAK
100% New French
TEMP.
65
Glassware
Large Bordeaux Stem
Drinking
Now-2025
Decanting
30-45 Minutes
Pairing
Filet Mignon w/ Herbed Butter Sauce

United States

Washington

Columbia Valley

Like many Washington wines, the “Columbia Valley” indication only tells part of the story: Columbia Valley covers a huge swath of Central
Washington, within which are a wide array of smaller AVAs (appellations).

Oregon

Willamette Valley

Oregon’s Willamette Valley has become an elite winegrowing zone in record time. Pioneering vintner David Lett, of The Eyrie Vineyard, planted the first Pinot Noir in the region in 1965, soon to be followed by a cadre of forward-thinking growers who (correctly) saw their wines as America’s answer to French
Burgundies. Today, the Willamette
Valley is indeed compared favorably to Burgundy, Pinot Noir’s spiritual home. And while Pinot Noir accounts for 64% of Oregon’s vineyard plantings, there are cool-climate whites that must not be missed.

California

Santa Barbara

Among the unique features of Santa Barbara County appellations like Ballard Canyon (a sub-zone of the Santa Ynez Valley AVA), is that it has a cool, Pacific-influenced climate juxtaposed with the intense luminosity of a southerly
latitude (the 34th parallel). Ballard Canyon has a more north-south orientation compared to most Santa Barbara AVAs, with soils of sandy
clay/loam and limestone.

California

Paso Robles

Situated at an elevation of 1,600 feet, it is rooted in soils of sandy loam and falls within the Highlands District of the Paso Robles AVA.

New York

North Fork

Wine growers and producers on Long Island’s North Fork have traditionally compared their terroir to that of Bordeaux and have focused on French varieties such as Cabernet Franc and Merlot.

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