Bond - Quella 2019

James Suckling: "This is so open and perfumed with blackcurrants, stone and conifer. Full-bodied with fine, velvety tannins that spread across the palate in a layered way. Wonderfully polished and powdered. Rather ethereal. Try this after 2027."

Jeb Dunnuck: "Coming from more sandy soils, the 2019 Quella is another elegant, pure, focused wine from this team. Red plums, mulberries, iron, spice, and tobacco all flow to a medium to full-bodied, seamless beauty that has plenty of tannins, flawless balance, and a great finish. It’s perfumed and complex, yet the palate needs 4-5 years of bottle age to soften up."

Decanter: "The Quella property is on well-draining sandy soils, dotted by rounded river cobble and volcanic ash just off Taplin Road, one ridgeline southeast of Melbury. Very beautiful dark fruit and savoury tobacco notes fly out of the glass, touched by cedar spices. Elegant boysenberry, plum and subtle spearmint notes offer freshness and lift, opening to darker toned fruits and brown spices. Fierce tannins are sharpened by firm acidity and the long finish reveals red and black currants."

Lisa Perrotti-Brown: "The BOND Quella 2019 is deep purple-black in color. It sashays out with showy notes of Morello cherries, juicy blueberries, and blackcurrant cordial, followed by suggestions of star anise, cedar chest, and underbrush. The full-bodied palate is velvety and concentrated, featuring mineral undertones to the opulent fruit, finishing with a compelling lift."

The Wine Advocate: "Located on the eastern side of the valley at about the same latitude as Saint Helena, Quella was planted in 1998/99 on light-colored volcanic tufa and river cobbles. Scents of crushed stone mark the nose on the 2019 Quella, accenting blueberry and blackberry fruit. It's medium to full-bodied, with juicy, mouthwatering acids and ripe, creamy-supple, tannins, making for a pleasant juxtaposition on the wine's lingering finish."

Wine Spectator: "This has generous flavors of enticingly spiced blackberry and boysenberry compote, along with a tumble of bramble, warm earth and chaparral accents. Plenty grippy too, with a cast iron spine driving the finish. Will age well."