2024 Illumination by Quintessa Sauvignon Blanc, Rutherford, USA (750ml)

WINEMAKER’S NOTES:

A remarkable depth of flavor comes through: notes of lemon zest, honeysuckle, peach blossom, and quince are all elevated by a lovely acidity. A savory minerality layers itself among the appealing fruit flavors and hints at the complexity that will continue to reveal itself.

TASTING NOTES:

Coming from a mix of Sonoma and Napa fruit, the 2024 Illumination has a Bordeaux Blanc-like vibe in its ripe lime, orange blossom, mint, and spicy wood nuances. It brings plenty of sweet California fruit and is medium to full-bodied and concentrated, with bright acidity and a great finish. It’s beautifully done and just an impeccable 100% Sauvignon Blanc from California.

– Jeb Dunnuck, 95 pts.

A multidimensional Sauvignon Blanc with both breadth and precision. Lime zest, lime blossom and tarragon laced with vanilla draw you in. Grapefruit, kumquat and crushed Marcona almonds thread through the first wave of flavours. Excellent medium-bodied concentration carries a penetrating core of pithy fruit, warming spice from barrel ageing, and a fresh, focused finish marked by a backbone of zesty acidity and tension. Hand-picked grapes are pressed with whole clusters, and the juice is native fermented in new and neutral French oak barrels, acacia barrels, and stainless steel barrels as well as egg-shaped concrete fermenters.

– Decanter, 94 pts.