Essencia
Essensia is a full-bodied sweet wine made with Orange Muscat grapes. The experience is unmistakable: a rich gold in the glass is accompanied by spicy orange-apricot-pear flavours and aromas.
In 1980, Andrew Quady’s discovery of underused Orange Muscat grapes in Reedley, California, led him to make a wine that celebrated the intense aromas and spicy fruit flavours of the grapes. “Essensia” refers to the idea that the wine contains the very essence of the grape. In Italy the variety is known as Moscato Fior d’Arancio: Orange Blossom Muscat.
The Orange Muscat grapes are harvested at 22 brix, crushed, chilled and allowed to macerate. Wine spirits are added to arrest the brief fermentation. The wine is aged for about 3 months in well used 60-gallon (mostly French oak) barrels.
The label art, by Ardison Phillips, is a study of orange blossoms.
Awards:
Silver – 91 points Decanter World Wine Awards 2022
Gold & Editor’s Choice – 90 Points Wine Enthusiast 2021
“This lightly sweet and complex wine blends floral notes with honey, almond and peach-syrup flavours for a delicious mix that should pair nicely after dinner with cheeses and toasted nuts.” — Jim Gordon, Wine Enthusiast, 2022
“Orange marmalade, tea leaves and buttery brioche nose. Zippy acidity on the palate with exotic fruit on a long finish.” — Decanter World Wine Awards, 2022
Drink with:
Superb with goat cheese; and plenty of sweet options: with chocolate, almond, peach, apricot and apple desserts, or cheesecake. Dip in biscotti, moisten cakes, and add to truffles.
