Quady 2022 Essensia Orange Muscat, Madera California

The Quady 2022 Essensia Orange Muscat steps into the glass like sunlight through aged Italian lace—warm amber, just waving. First comes marmalade sweetness, thick orchards of apricot, then scallops of honeycomb and petals of orange blossom. It’s opulent, yes, but nothing feels applied. 

Take a sip and the sugar softens—not dissolved, but held in delicate balance. There’s a seam of fresh acidity that threads under the fruit, carrying it forward instead of letting it sink into sugar. The finish is clean, almost suspended—like a moment remembered rather than made. 

This wine isn’t a curiosity—it’s a commitment to place and variety. Andrew Quady discovered underused Orange Muscat in Reedley in 1980 and distilled its essence into Essensia—a fortified, aromatic wine that doesn’t hide behind richness. Fortified to around 15% alcohol and aged briefly in well-worn French oak, it preserves the brightness, not masks it. 

Its character begs for desserts—but not the heavy kind. Think almond biscotti dipped, crème brûlée humming with citrus, or goat cheese kissed by fruit. Or maybe just a moment alone, glass resting in hand, when sweetness needs a place to settle. 

Quady 2022 Essensia Orange Muscat—sun-soaked muscat rendered in silk, not syrup.