The Agave Rose Vineyard is a 1.09-acre property located off of Zinfandel Lane in the heart of Napa Valley, romantically tucked away on the north end of the notorious Rutherford Bench. First planted to Cabernet Sauvignon in the fall of 1999 by renowned vineyard manager, Jim Barbour, fruit from the first few harvests was sold to Heidi Barrett and Philippe Melka. Soon enough, owners Jim and Molly Larkin decided to start their own project, Jack Quinn, lovingly named after their two sons Jack and Quinn. In 2004, they hired winemaker Andy Erickson, and his protégé, Benoit Touquette to make their first vintage, and to this day, it remains one of Napa’s best kept secrets. This was one of Benoit’s very first projects and unless you already admire and collect his work (Realm, Fait~Main, Kata, Teeter-Totter, Familiar Air), you may not have been privy to its existence until now. Jack Quinn can easily be considered the benchmark for classic Rutherford Cabernet. Let us celebrate the perfection of this story and property!
According to Benoit, “The 2016 Jack Quinn is the best vintage to date!” Bold use of words considering this wine is always phenomenal in our eyes. The 2016 growing season was another impeccable vintage, just like 2015, 2014 and 2013 was. As the year unfolded, perfect weather allowed for great canopy development and flawless flowering. Grape clusters were pristine, yet concentrated. Precise and elegant with bountiful minerality, graphite, lead pencil and black currant fruit-like aromas and flavors. The palate is medium to full-bodied, focused and concentrated on the palate with great depth and length. It is perhaps their best effort so far and we can confidently say this will definitely be one of those wines to age and discover throughout the decades to come. A rich, opulent and explosive wine, this perfectly captures the essence of this voluptuous vintage. Bright red raspberry jam, ripe black plum, and dark cherry are seasoned with anise, cinnamon, and a bouquet of violets. Balanced with a juicy freshness, ripe round tannins, and a long, luscious finish, this again, is another Benoit Touquette stunner. Aged for 17 months in 75% new French oak barrels. A mere 192 cases produced. This tiny bottling is a true hidden gem and a real insider’s secret!!!
