BOND is a philosophy of creating premium wines from a single variety (Cabernet Sauvignon) from ‘grand cru’ site specific Napa Valley vineyards. This story begins when founder Bill Harlan owned Merryvale Winery in St. Helena and Bob Levy was his winemaker. At the time Merryvale worked with around 60 vineyards in the valley; ultimately Bob recognized several vineyards that stood out from the rest based on quality of site.
After Bill sold Merryvale, both he and Bob pursued a vision in which they would work together to create an estate built around select vineyards in the Napa Valley. In 1997 BOND was created.
Today five premium vineyards are under the BOND portfolio. These vineyards were hand selected and evaluated over a number of years before becoming part of their portfolio. Total production of each wine is between 450 and 600 cases a year.
99 points James Suckling
Brightness and purity to this, offering blueberries, fresh plums and peaches. It’s medium-to full-bodied with ripe, fine tannins Terra cotta and red fruit at the end. Dusty texture.
97 Points Antonio Galloni
The 2018 Quella is rich, ample and beautifully resonant in the glass. There’s terrific depth here and tons of class. Blood orange, game, licorice, tobacco, lavender and dried herbs give the Quella beguiling aromatic presence to play off its muscular, brooding personality. The 2018 needs a few years to soften, but it is already compelling, to say the least.
97 Points Jeb Dunnuck
First made in 2006 and coming from more sandy, coarser soils, the 2018 Quella is incredibly exotic, with red and black fruits, wildflowers, sandalwood, candied violets, and flowery incense notes as well as medium to full body, a layered, ultra-fine, pure mouthfeel, silky tannins, and a great finish. It’s incredibly elegant and polished in 2018, with a chalky minerality as well as gorgeous complexity and length. It’s another 2018 that has plenty of up-front charm and accessibility yet is going to age gorgeously for 20-30 years.