BOND

Quella

Napa Valley

2015

Vintage

Varietal

Cabernet Sauvignon

Where it is, October 2026

Timing: no opening or peak years have been established for this vintage.

The ‘15 Quella.

BOND Quella 2015, peak yr 1: blue fruit, graphite, vibrant finish, warm black plums, licorice, crème de cassis. The BOND single-vineyard estate's Quella site just entering peak in 2026 with 12 years of prime drinking ahead.

Drinking window

No Cellared drinking-window estimate is available for this wine.

Tasting note

The BOND Quella 2015 pours a deep and richly saturated garnet-purple of exceptional intensity and clarity, the color's depth and vibrancy communicating immediately the 2015 warm vintage's extraordinary fruit concentration and the Quella single-vineyard site's naturally dense and extract-rich expression of Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon at peak entry year 1 in 2026. The nose at peak entry is characterized by the 2015 vintage's richness delivered through the Quella site's particular single-vineyard filter: blue fruit leads with aromatic distinction and considerable aromatic presence, the blueberry and blue plum character of the Quella site's cooler-toned blue fruit expression providing an aromatic identity that distinguishes the Quella from the warmer and darker-fruited expressions of other BOND single-vineyard sites in the same vintage. Graphite provides the mineral dimension of considerable character and persistence that is the BOND estate's most immediately identifiable single-vineyard aromatic contribution, a mineral note of geological precision and depth that threads through the Quella's blue and dark fruit concentration with the structural mineral authority that the BOND winemaking philosophy consistently amplifies from each individual site's specific terroir expression. Warm black plums add the richer and more generously bodied secondary fruit dimension of the 2015 warm vintage character alongside the cooler-toned blue fruit primary: a dark plum aromatic note of considerable body and warmth that reflects the 2015 growing season's sustained warmth and the Quella site's capacity for full fruit development. Licorice provides the spice and aromatic complexity dimension of unusual persistence and character. Crème de cassis completes the primary aromatic structure with the dark fruit concentrate character that the warm vintage and the BOND estate's low-yield farming philosophy combine to deliver at peak entry. On the palate the tannins are rich and structured at peak entry year 1, the mid-palate dense and concentrated, and the vibrant and subtle finish of considerable length and freshness.

The 2015 vintage

The 2015 Napa Valley growing season produced wines of remarkable fruit concentration and warm-vintage richness, a year that delivered exceptional ripeness levels across the valley floor and mountain appellations following the cooler 2014 vintage. The 2015 season was characterized by early bud break after a mild winter, consistent warmth through the summer months, and a harvest that concluded in excellent dry conditions through September and into October, allowing extended hang time for the most patient and quality-focused producers to achieve maximum phenolic ripeness. At the BOND Quella vineyard, the 2015 warm conditions produced Cabernet Sauvignon of exceptional concentration that interacted with the site's specific terroir character to produce the blue fruit, graphite, and vibrant finish expression that distinguishes Quella from the other BOND single-vineyard sites in the same vintage: the 2015 warm season built the Quella's characteristic blue fruit depth and black plum body to their most concentrated and peak-appropriate levels while the site's natural structural architecture preserved the graphite mineral definition and vibrant finish lift that are the vineyard's most distinctive contributions to the aromatic and palate profile. The 2015 Napa Valley vintage is widely regarded as one of the finest of the decade for single-vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon, with Wine Spectator noting that the valley's most quality-focused small-production estates produced wines of both immediate aromatic appeal and long-term structural architecture in 2015.

About BOND

BOND is the single-vineyard sister estate to Harlan Estate, producing multiple distinct Cabernet Sauvignons from individual estate vineyard sites across Napa Valley that each express the specific terroir character of their individual sites within the BOND estate's unified winemaking philosophy. Founded by Bill Harlan, BOND pursues a vision of Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon that places individual terroir expression and site-specific aromatic identity at the center of the winemaking philosophy: the Quella, Vecina, Melbury, Pluribus, and St. Eden single-vineyard wines each present a distinct aromatic and structural profile that reflects their site's specific soil composition, exposure, elevation, and drainage while sharing the same commitment to low yields, meticulous farming, and extended barrel aging in new French oak that the BOND and Harlan Estate teams apply across all of the estate's individual vineyard programs. The winemaking team at BOND, directed by Cory Empting, emphasizes long maceration times that extract the full site-specific character of each individual vineyard's Cabernet Sauvignon fruit, aging in 100 percent new French oak of the highest quality to provide the structural framework that the estate's concentrated single-vineyard fruit requires, and extended cellaring before release that allows each site-specific wine to develop the initial integration and complexity that the BOND philosophy demands before the wine reaches collectors.

Pairing suggestions

Cellared suggestions based on the wine and dish descriptions.

Dry-aged prime New York strip with smoked bone marrow, black truffle shaved table-side, and potato tart

The BOND Quella 2015's blue fruit, graphite, black plum, and vibrant finish at peak entry year 1 find their most complete structural pairing in dry-aged prime New York strip; the steak's exceptional marbling and protein density integrate the rich and structured tannins most harmoniously, smoked bone marrow amplifies the dark plum and licorice mid-palate richness, black truffle shaved table-side mirrors the graphite mineral aromatic dimension directly, and potato tart provides the starchy richness the peak-entry tannins require for complete balance.

Braised beef short rib with crème de cassis reduction, celery root puree, and roasted fingerling potatoes

At peak year 1, the Quella 2015's crème de cassis and blue fruit concentration, structured tannins, and vibrant finish pair with braised short rib's combination of collagen-enriched braising richness and protein density; crème de cassis reduction mirrors the primary aromatic dimension with concentrated aromatic precision, celery root puree provides the earthy-sweet counter-texture that the dense early-peak tannins integrate without resistance, and roasted fingerling potatoes carry the starchy richness the wine's considerable structural weight demands.

Roasted rack of lamb with blueberry and black pepper crust, pommes anna, and lamb jus with graphite salt

The 2015 Quella's distinctive blue fruit primary character, graphite mineral dimension, and vibrant finish find a novel and structurally appropriate expression in rack of lamb with blueberry crust; the blueberry mirrors the blue fruit primary aromatic dimension as a direct pairing element of aromatic precision, black pepper amplifies the licorice spice complexity, pommes anna provides the fat-enriched potato richness that the structured tannins integrate most harmoniously, and graphite finishing salt bridges the wine's most distinctive mineral aromatic identity as a sensory echo.

Service & cellaring

Serving Temp: 64-67F (18-19C)
Decanting: Decant 60 to 90 minutes in 2026 at peak entry year 1. The BOND Quella 2015's rich and structured tannin architecture, concentrated blue fruit, graphite, black plum, and licorice aromatic dimensions at peak entry benefit from generous aeration that opens the full aromatic profile and allows the vibrant and subtle finish character to emerge from the still-compact early-peak structure. Serve in a large Bordeaux or Cabernet glass at 64 to 67F. For those with multi-bottle allocations, bottles held to 2030 will deliver a more harmonious and open aromatic experience as the peak arc's midpoint integration progresses; 2026 bottles show the Quella 2015 in its most structurally compact and early stage of full peak expression.
Cellar Storage: 55F (13C), 60-70% humidity, bottle on its side.

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Frequently Asked

Is BOND Quella 2015 ready to drink in 2026?

A Cellared drinking-window estimate is unavailable.

How long will BOND Quella 2015 age?

Peak runs 2026 to 2038 with hard decline after 2045, giving 12 years of prime drinking and 19 years before hard decline from 2026. The 2015's warm-vintage concentration, graphite mineral structure, and low-yield BOND farming philosophy combine to support the full 12-year peak arc. Multiple-bottle holders can drink from 2026 at peak entry and pace consumption through the 2030s, with the most complete and harmoniously integrated midpeak expression expected from approximately 2030 through 2035. See the Cabernet Sauvignon varietal guide for single-vineyard Napa aging benchmarks.

What makes BOND Quella different from other BOND single-vineyard wines?

Each BOND single-vineyard wine expresses the specific terroir of its individual estate site. The Quella is distinguished by its blue fruit primary aromatic character: the blueberry and blue plum expression at the cooler-toned end of the BOND portfolio's dark fruit range, combined with graphite mineral depth, vibrant and subtle finish lift, and warm black plum and licorice mid-palate richness. comparing the two reveals how systematically the BOND philosophy captures individual terroir differences within a shared estate winemaking framework.

What does BOND Quella 2015 taste like?

At peak year 1 in 2026: The tannins are rich and structured at peak entry, the mid-palate dense and concentrated with the 2015 warm vintage's characteristic richness, and the finish carries the blue fruit and graphite complexity through a conclusion that balances opulence with the site-specific vibrancy that distinguishes Quella from heavier single-vineyard Napa expressions.

How does BOND Quella 2015 compare to BOND Melbury from the same estate?

The BOND Quella and Melbury are the same winemaking philosophy and estate commitment applied to two distinct single-vineyard sites whose terroir produces demonstrably different aromatic and structural expressions. The Quella 2015 at peak year 1 is the cooler-toned blue fruit, graphite, and vibrant-finish end of the BOND portfolio; the Melbury publishes a different aromatic identity from its individual site. Both are made with identical farming philosophy (low yields, 100% new French oak, extended maceration) but the terroir of each vineyard asserts its own signature through the unified winemaking approach, which is precisely the demonstration of single-vineyard terroir expression that the BOND project was created to make.